Another big day for Barrington
Winds were a nuisance for aspiring state qualifiers at the Rolling Meadows sectional Saturday morning, but they didn’t seem to bother Barrington.
The Fillies kept their recent tradition alive and well, notching their 17th consecutive Mid-Suburban League title on Tuesday and bringing home their eighth straight sectional plaque under coach Tracy Waters-Miller. Barrington finished with 27 points and sent three teams to the state tournament, which is hosted by Prospect and begins Thursday.
Prospect followed with 19 points ahead of a three-way tie for third place featuring Fremd, Lake Park and Rolling Meadows at 12.
“It’s a privilege coaching these girls,” Waters-Miller said. “We’re just keeping with tradition.
“I texted 18 of the former captains of our team this week for words of wisdom for the girls, and 17 out of 18 replied back. The one who didn’t text us, she had her father tell us. I figured we’d start to make this a tradition after I read the texts and the girls love it. I’m really proud of them.”
Barrington sent the doubles team of senior Kate Allison/junior Zoe Kasiurak, No. 2 seniors doubles team Alia Nejdawi/Haley Mallon and senior No. 1 singles player Lucia Stumbras through to state.
In 2010, Kasiurak was part of the No. 1 doubles team, while Allison was half of the No. 2 squad. The two teams faced off in the 2010 Schaumburg sectional, where Kasiurak and her partner Heather Ciskowski won the doubles championship.
Kasiurak/Allison defeated Rolling Meadows sophomores Jackie and Allie Kemph 6-0, 6-2 for the sectional title. The No. 1 Barrington duo defeated Schaumburg, Fremd and Prospect to get there.
“It feels great as a senior to go out and get a big win,” Allison said. “It was hard getting used to the wind, but we figured it out. We have to keep a positive attitude and maintain our footwork into next week.”
Other qualifiers in the doubles bracket were the Kemph sisters of Rolling Meadows (second place), Barrington Nejdawi/Mallon (third place) and the Prospect doubles team junior Katie Best/senior Tracy Becherer (fourth place).
From 1999 through 2009, Rolling Meadows had earned state qualifiers before breaking the streak last season. It looks like they may have started a new one, though, as the Kemph sisters quickly ended the one-year state drought.
“The girls were a little tight at first,” said Rolling Meadows coach Jim Gumz of the semifinal match. “A lot of deuce sets — we could have won through there, but we allowed ourselves to get back into it and flow.
“I feel better about our program direction. (Jackie and Allie Kemph) are progressing in the right direction, and it validates that we are doing things the right way in this program. (The Kemphs) are acknowledging what to do and the strategy on the court. We try to put them in the right place and the right spots so we can give them the best way to win.”
After sealing the fourth spot in the 2010 Schaumburg singles sectional as a freshman, Hoffman sophomore Courtney Lang registered a sectional title at Rolling Meadows.
Hoffman faced off against Lake Park senior Stephanie Lee. The two built a history in their prior two battles. In the 2010 sectional, Lee beat Lang in two sets. In a quad match earlier in the 2011 campaign, Lang defeated Lee 6-0, 6-1.
Saturday’s match between them turned into a three-set dogfight in which Lang prevailed 6-7 (3), 6-2, 6-1.
“I wasn’t playing my game in the beginning, but I started to in the second and third set,” Lang said. “She was being aggressive, and I was pulling (my aggressiveness away). Before I came to Hoffman, my goal was to make state and do my best there. I have to work harder and do more conditioning.”
Lee, Prospect senior Maggie Partridge (third) and Stumbras (fourth) will join Lang in the state singles bracket.
“I tried to stay away from the lob and get to the net whenever I could; plus I got a height advantage,” Partridge said after defeating Stumbras for third place. “I just have to work harder at practice and keep the work. There is no time for slacking and I have to stay mentally tough.”
at Stevenson: Buffalo Grove juniors Dana and Laura Goggin advanced with a third-place doubles finish after a default over Deerfield’s Jorie Fox/Jenna Borzak.
BG placed fourth in the team standings with 11 points, ahead of Hersey and St. Viator (4 points each).
Deerfield won the top two singles spots, Stevenson freshmen Zoe Manion and Kaylin Dong took the third and fourth spots, and the Patriots claimed the first and second place doubles finishes.
Stevenson edged Deerfield for the team title 31-28.