Girls tennis: Barrington dethrones Fremd as MSL champ

After notching back-to-back Mid-Suburban League girls tennis titles, Fremd was dethroned, as Barrington bested the field Monday afternoon.

The Fillies returned to their winning ways topping the conference by sending all seven flights to championship matches and registering five titles.

Subsequent to Barrington's 59 team points, Prospect followed with 45 points, which tied Fremd, but the Knights nabbed the hardware due to rank points. Hersey took fourth with 26 points.

"It all starts with the type of mindset that you have." said Fillies coach Heather Graham. "You've got to have that positive mindset rolling. You have to take it one point at a time and keep having that confidence. Even if we're up and ahead every game could be super close. So even though we may have won 6-0, it could have been deuce at any time. So we have to make sure we're following through and bringing our best we can to any point."

Barrington celebrated champions in No. 1 singles (freshman Madeline Hills), No. 2 doubles (juniors Sam Kim/Sofia Hutchison), No. 3 doubles (junior Nisha Janamanchi/sophomore Abby Carl), No. 3 singles (freshman Olivia Paik) and No. 4 doubles (sophomore Nurayn Khan/senior Grace Kafka).

Hills' only match lost this year is to defending-state champion and Lake Forest junior Kiley Rabjohns. While achieving the MSL title in her first year in high school tennis, Hills remains humbled and ecstatic for her first date with top honors.

"I was just really expecting great players, and (the tourney) was really nerve-wracking but very fun," Hills said. "(This win) feels really good. It helps my mental state. My team is a great group of girls. They've been guiding me through it all and showing me the ropes. I'm just going to keep my head high for sectionals and hope for the best."

Fremd senior Kellie Ha notched her third-consecutive title along with sister Gracie. Kellie won titles with elder graduated sister Elsie and other pomp and circumstance Viking player Diya Matta as a No. 2 doubles tandem in 2017 and 2018. Kellie Ha and Matta enjoyed a top 24 finish in last year's state tournament.

For Gracie and Kellie Ha in the No. 1 doubles flight, it's a family affair as they only faltered in one game throughout the entire tournament. The Ha sisters won the No. 1 doubles bracket after Barrington retired while leading 3-0. The Ha siblings' win over the Barrington duo of Amani Alvi and two-time state qualifier Niyanthi Puliayala was their second head-to-head win against them this season.

"Having the win (over Puliayala/Alvi) earlier this season was a huge confidence booster in being able to play against a really good team," Kellie said. "The Schaumburg sectional is going to be a huge difference. We were with the top four (teams) in the state championship. Going with our team now, I think we're ready to make Fremd known."

"Going to practice this week, having this confidence from conference is really going to help us." Gracie said. "We're both really excited for sectionals, and we just will work as hard as we can, because it's just going to get harder from here. We have to take one match at a time and not look too far ahead. I think we're ready for sectionals."

The Vikings advanced four positions to finals, however the Ha sisters were the only Fremd flight to take home the gold.

According to Prospect coach Mike McColaugh, Monday's second-place finish was the Knights' best in over 10 years. All seven positions earned medals with top four finishes in each flight.

"I realized late (while watching the No. 2 singles final), everyone won a match (Monday)," McColaugh said. "We lost a number of tough semis, but we won third place at first singles, one doubles, two doubles and (No. 2 singles, senior) Jolene Neihalfen - unbelievable performance. Third doubles won a match, third singles lost in semis, but won a match. Everyone came back from a loss.

"That's our philosophy - every kid is as important as the next. Every match is just as important as the next. So whether you're playing for fifth place at four doubles or you're playing for first place at one singles it's all about competing. (It's about) trying to win that extra match for your team. And that's what this team is good at."

The Knights celebrated their lone champion in Neihalfen, who was playing the last match of the entire tournament. After faltering in her first set 2-6, she won running sets 6-0, 10-8 to secure first place in her flight, but a second-place team finish over Fremd.

"I think just staying mentally tough and playing one point at a time really helped me." Neihalfen said. "It's crazy, there are a lot of great players in conference and there are a lot of great players in sectionals. (In sectionals), I've just got to do what I did all weekend and stay strong. It's not the last game, but (the win) was bittersweet."