Jacobs seeking 7th straight sectional title
The Jacobs girls tennis team is aiming for lucky No. 7.
The Golden Eagles enter Saturday's competition at Elgin with eyes on their seventh straight sectional title. Jacobs finished sixth as a team in the Fox Valley Conference this season, not bad considering the current youth movement under way.
"Our singles lineup were all freshmen we've pulled up as a result of illnesses and some other issues that forced some players out of our singles lineup for the remainder of the season," fifth-year Jacobs coach Jon Betts said. "We felt like we had a really good tournament. We finished in the championship bracket after pool play in six of the seven spots."
A highlight of the FVC meet for the Eagles was freshman Megan Elliot's victory over Dundee-Crown junior Alle Ballester in pool play. Ballester qualified for the state meet last season and will be one of the top contending singles players at Elgin.
"That was a really nice win for her," Betts said of Elliot. "I know Alle has been nursing an injury recently and might not be playing her best tennis, but she's still a high-quality player and we're happy with the win we got there."
Other top contenders at Elgin for the state bids in singles include Bianca Swegler of Elgin Academy and Elgin freshman Jaycey Sirini. Swegler, who qualified for state last season, has a record of 9-5 this season.
"She's doing very well," Elgin Academy coach Greg Repede said. "We've played some of the sectional teams and she hasn't lost to anyone in the sectional. She's lost to some of the No. 1s in our conference, but the Independent School League has three of probably the top 10 players in the state. Those matches are always very tough."
Sirini owns a record of 20-6 and has lost to only four players this season, two of them twice in Upstate Eight Conference play. "She should be able to (qualify) if she just plays to her ability," Elgin coach Jan Labar said. "She's really strong mentally for a freshman. She wins most of her tiebreakers and does real well in critical-point situations, especially since she's new to high school. She's very competitive and she really wants to win out there. It's fun to watch her."
Strong showings by the Jacobs doubles teams of junior Lindsey Gardeck - the only varsity holdover from last season - and sophomore Kassy Barnardo and sophomores Marcilyn Rowan and Lauren Steinkamp would give the Golden Eagles a chance to contend for sectional No. 7.
Giving his players the best opportunity to advance to the state tournament is at the forefront of veteran Cary-Grove girls tennis coach Bud Lachel's thinking this time of year. Only the top four singles players and doubles teams advance from Saturday's sectional meets.
Sensing the road to state for singles players at the Cary-Grove sectional will be wrought with potholes against a talented field that includes Fox Valley Conference champion Nelle Youel of Crystal Lake Central, freshman Marisa Thome of Crystal Lake South, Hannah Gummerson and Hannah Locher of Prairie Ridge and Jenna Wallace of CL Central, Lachel intends to make a switch.
Cary-Grove sophomore Beth Hughes, a state qualifier a year ago in singles, will be paired with No. 2 singles player senior Rachel Taddy as a formidable doubles tandem. They will join the Trojans' No. 1 doubles team of Elizabeth Powers and Elizabeth Lehnertz in the hunt for state berths. Lachel hopes those teams will earn seed Nos. 3 and 4, respectively, at tonight's seeding meeting in Cary.
"Personally, when I took a look at it I wasn't sure if they'd be able to make it against that field, so I've taken my two singles players and put them into doubles," Lachel said. "The kids in singles are pretty tough. We lost to Youel three times. We've lost to Thome from South. I think our best chance is to put them in doubles."
Thome reached the semifinals of the FVC meet before falling to Youel, but she rebounded with a win against Gummerson to take third.
"She's 25-4 and that's a pretty good record for a freshman" Gators coach Don Nead said of Thome. "Since one of her losses was to Nelle Youel, who is also in the sectional, Nelle should get the first seed and Marisa the second. I think our doubles should do well also."
CL South's doubles team of Abbey Kolarczyk and Stephanie Brunetti qualified for the state meet last season and they own a record of 23-2 this year. Both losses came against the Prairie Ridge duo of Caroline Huerth and Allison Murphy, most recently in last Saturday's FVC meet final, when the Wolves won 6-0, 6-4.
"I think that 6-4 gave them a little confidence," Nead said. "If they go out and play with some good confidence, they might surprise them. But the main thing is to try to qualify and hope you have a chance to do it."
Bartlett will compete at the St. Charles East sectional, where Western Sun champion Geneva and Upstate Eight Conference runner-up St. Charles North should contend for the title.