Girls tennis: Sweet finish for Antioch's Foote/Ward

Candy bar, anyone?

For Antioch tennis players, if they get the chance for an overhand smash and the ball subsequently goes over the fence, they get their pick of candy.

"It's an emphatic way to score a point, and it has to be during a match," Antioch coach Jamie D'Andrea said with a chuckle, admitting she's gone through a good amount of candy and money this fall. "We do that obviously to put a little fun into it. Plus, it shows how scrappy our players can be."

Sequoits senior and homecoming queen Piper Foote leads the team with about six bars, or bags, if you will.

"I don't really care for chocolate, so I go for Skittles or Starburst," Foote said after she and her doubles partner, junior Sierra Ward, put the finishing touches on a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Carmel Catholic's Mel Zimmerman and sophomore Reilly McGinn in Saturday's third-place match of the Class 1A Antioch sectional.

Both the Antioch and Carmel doubles teams qualified for state, as the top-4 finishers in singles and doubles earned berths to the tournament, which starts Thursday and concludes Saturday with the finals at Buffalo Grove.

Lakes won the sectional team title with 26 points. Carmel, Wauconda and Grayslake Central tied for second with 14 points.

Antioch's Ward switched from singles to doubles in midseason.

"It's been interesting playing doubles, and it took some getting used to," Ward said. "But it's really nice to know you have someone that has your back, unlike singles where you're alone."

Ward and Foote are part of a growing list of state qualifiers from the Northern Lake County Conference.

"We're not really known for tennis, but we usually have 1-2 kids in the program every year (that make it to state)," said D'Andrea, who's had state qualifiers every year in her six years.

Kelsey Neville (Drake University), a four-time state qualifier, is one of those players who have carried Antioch's program to greater heights.

"We have a bunch of great athletes," said D'Andrea. "They're scrappy and know how to fight for every point."

The Johnsburg duo of senior Abbie Cittadino and junior Kamile Aleksaite outlasted Lakes seniors Kylie Jozwik and Melissa Variny 6-2, 6-4 for the doubles title.

Lakes sophomore Megan Heuser, who took third in Class 1A singles a year ago, beat Grayslake Central freshman Karishma Bhalla 6-1, 6-2 for the singles championship.

"I've been a lot more aggressive since last year," said Heuser, who admits she used to be hotheaded but credits her teammates for supporting her. "I've been working on my backhand volley and am definitely going to try to win (state)."

Grayslake Central coach Chuck Lawson was impressed with not only Heuser, but with Bhalla's play.

"Her preparation and mental toughness for being only 14 years old is incredible," Lawson said of Bhalla. "She understands the game and comes from a family-oriented tennis family. But Heuser is at a different level. Just the speed she plays the game."

In the third-place singles match, Woodstock North junior Aly Cullotta won by default over Wauconda freshman Megan Hackman, but both qualified for next week.