Northwest/ Scouting girls state tennis
By Jonathan Jones
Daily Herald Correspondent
Where and when: Prospect High School is tournament central as Thursday’s opening day of competition will be held at all 12 Mid-Suburban League schools. Play continues Friday and Saturday’s singles and doubles championships at Prospect. The double-elimination tourney features 128 state qualifiers in each of the singles and doubles brackets.
Top Teams: Deerfield, New Trier, Hinsdale Central, Homewood-Flossmoor, Lake Forest and Wheaton Warrenville South
Top four singles seeds: Keisha Clousing (Wheaton Warrenville South), Jerrica Boone (Morgan Park Academy), Alexis Casati (Deerfield), Alex Chatt (Lyons).
Top four doubles seeds: Marika Cusick-Caroline Lorenzini (Hinsdale Central), Tracey Kuhle-Amy Kuhle (Decatur St. Teresa), Alexis Kiven-Kendall Kirsch (Stevenson), Emily Baretta-Gabby Nixon (New Trier).
Local outlook
Barrington
The Fillies enter the tournament after notching a 17th consecutive MSL title, as well as eighth straight sectional under coach Tracy Waters-Miller. Barrington sent three teams to Prospect for the tournament. Qualifying doubles team senior Kate Allison/junior Zoe Kasiurak (22-2) are both in the second-straight qualifying year. Allison/Kasiurak, who were on different state qualifying doubles teams in 2010, are the lone seeded MSL West team in the tournament at 9-16. The Allison/Kasiurak duo is the MSL and sectional champions. Kasiurak registered her second-straight sectional championship (last year with Heather Ciskowski).
Fellow Fillies senior doubles team Alia Nejdawi/Haley Mallon (19-5) also qualified with a third-place sectional finish. Nejdawi is in her second straight season as a state qualifier (with former partner Allison in 2010), while Mallon notched her first trip. Nejdawi/Mallon recorded the No. 2 doubles MSL title earlier this month.
Barrington No. 1 junior singles player Lucia Stumbras punched her first ticket to the state tournament. Stumbras (10-10) took second place in the MSL and was fourth in the sectional.
“We set up a plan and they really believed in it,” said Waters-Miller. “They are realistic. I think our team has respect for all of their opponents they’ve played. We’re a top notch team. I was really excited to see them qualify. It’s a fun thing to see from them and their parents to go downstate. (The Fillies) have exceeded my goals this year. We have to play well and try to get to the next round.”
Buffalo Grove
Buffalo Grove was edged out by 2 points by Barrington for the MSL title and took fourth in the Stevenson Sectional. Three-time junior state qualifiers Dana and Lauren Goggin advance for the third year in a row. As 17-32 seeds, the Goggins (21-5) are the sole MSL East seeded team in the tourney. In the 2010 season, the Goggins finished at the 24-32 slot, and seek a stronger finish a year later. In the Stevenson sectional, the Goggins placed third, while they registered a second-place finish in the MSL tournament.
“They have the ability to play up to other team’s level,” said BG coach Kevin Schrammel. “We feel prepared going into the tournament. We’ve had a good season so far, and we want to end by beating our goal: placing higher than the 24-32 spot. We can’t take anyone for granted. We need to start hot and start strong.”
Prospect
Prospect took fourth in the MSL tournament and second in the Rolling Meadows sectional. Prospect sent two teams to their hosted state tournament.
Knights’ senior Maggie Partridge qualified as a doubles team with partner Jackie Hertrich in 2010. Partridge, which played mostly singles her junior year, returned to singles play in 2011 to seal a playoff berth. Partridge (19-6) placed third in sectionals, and in the 2010 state tourney registered four wins in the backdraw with Hertrich.
Prospect’s doubles team of senior Tracy Becherer/junior Katie Best also advanced to their first state tournament. Becherer/Best (10-10) were an unseeded team that placed fourth after upsetting a seeded Lake Park doubles team in the Rolling Meadows sectional.
“Maggie’s goal for this year was to qualify as a singles player,” said Prospect coach Mike McColaugh. “Last weekend was a great validation of all the work she put in last summer, and she is relieved and thrilled at the same time to be at the state meet. Considering the conditions and the fact it was her third tough match of the day, Maggie may have played her best match of the season in defeating Stumbras from Barrington for third place in the sectional.
“Katie and Tracy bounced back from a regular season that may have been below their expectations to peak at the right time. We are very excited at Prospect that our girls will be able to play at home. Our students and faculty come out and support them and create a great atmosphere.” Hoffman Estates
Hoffman sophomore Courtney Lang gained a spot in the state meet for the second straight season. Lang (19-1) enjoyed major success this season, notching the MSL singles title and earning a sectional championship, after her freshman year’s fourth-place finishes in both tournaments.
“Basically aggressiveness gets (Lang) a good chance,” said Hoffman coach Greg Rouse. “Tentativeness is not her game. Unfortunately she’s not seeded, but (Lang’s) first and second rounds are winnable. I think her game has improved a lot this year. (Lang) plays with more force and confidence as it builds all season.
“This is what you build for all season, and that’s to bring your ‘A’ game at state. All you can do is play your best to hopefully give you a shot to move on.”
Rolling Meadows
After a 2010 dry spell of no state qualifiers (the Mustangs sent players to the state meet for 10 consecutive years prior), Rolling Meadows sent Jackie and Allie Kemph (19-8) this season as the Mustangs tied for third place in their hosted sectional. The sophomore twin duo finished in second place at their home sectional and grabbed third in the MSL.
“We love playing on our home courts,” said coach Jim Gumz. “It is familiar and comfortable. We set our goal of reaching the state meet as a strong possibility at the start of the season. The best way to approach the state meet is to embrace and enjoy the experience, and to compete with a positive attitude.”