Everyone has a racket in it
Photo by Dan Larson / Sauk Prairie Eagle
Alison Halweg battles for a point in her third-place match of the No. 2 singles flight against DeForest's Sarah Hope on Sept. 27 at the Badger Conference Tournament. Halweg lost the match 6-2, 6-2 to finish fourth.
By Dan Larson, Sauk Prairie Eagle
MADISON — While the Sauk Prairie girls' tennis team didn't win the Northern Badger portion of the Badger Conference tournament Sept. 26 and 27, they did do something none of their conference peers did: Score points in every flight.
The Eagles won at least one match in all seven flights, but didn't manage to advance anyone to the finals and only one — Alison Halweg at No. 2 singles — to the semifinals en route to 16 points and a third-place Badger North finish and sixth-place overall finish at Nielsen Tennis Stadium.
"The fact that we had everybody contribute to the score reflects on the team chemistry that we have this year," Eagles' coach Mary Weeks said. "Not only do they all support each other and cheer each other on, but they all contribute points as well."
Sauk Prairie tied for second in the Badger North with DeForest — who, along with Waunakee, was the next closest to scoring in every flight by doing so in six — with 9 points. The Eagles got a point each for their five dual-meet wins and four for finishing third at the tournament, while DeForest got four points in the dual-meet season and five at the tournament for finishing second. Waunakee, which won all six of its dual meets and finished second overall at the tournament, won the Badger North with 12 points.
Halweg was the highlight of the meet for the Eagles. The freshman and No. 2 seed in her flight earned a first-round bye before beating Christina Gehrke of Wisconsin Dells, 6-1, 6-0, on Sept. 26 to advance to the semifinals.
Halweg lost to Madison Edgewood's Sydney Kirsh — who won the flight — 6-2, 6-2 on Sept. 27 and dropped her third-place match to DeForest's Sarah Hope — who she beat on Sept. 18 — by the same score to finish fourth.
Weeks said Halweg's inexperience may have played a part in her semifinal and third-place match losses
"I think nerves played a big part of it," Weeks said of Halweg's first time competing at Nielsen Tennis Stadium in high-school competition. "I saw her make more unforced errors than she's used to (and) I think if you ask her, she'd say she didn't play her best tennis.
"But you chalk it up to experience and this will help her moving forward."
But Weeks said Hope deserves as much credit for playing a nearly flawless match.
"She had very few unforced errors and just kept the ball coming back. Unfortunately Alison did make more unforced errors than she usually does, and in that situation, the person who makes the least unforced errors is usually going to come out on top."
Nicole Kindschi garnered the No. 3 seed in No. 3 singles competition and beat Baraboo's Melissa Miller, 6-2, 6-4 in the first round before dropping a 6-4, 6-1 win to Brooke Steiner of Waunakee — who she beat Sept. 22 — in the quarterfinals.
"I think Brooke got a lot of confidence after winning the first set," Weeks said, alluding to the fact it was tightly contested. "And then I think it's a case of where Steiner just made less unforced errors."
The No. 2 doubles team of Abby Kessenich and Janel McCormick lost to Baraboo's Hilary Bildsten and Kristen McReath — who won the flight — 6-7(5), 7-5, 7-5, but they did so in far more impressive fashion than the 6-4, 6-0 defeat they were handed by the duo when the two teams met Sept. 18.
"I was very proud of them" Weeks said. "They came back and were fighting and were just a few points away from winning."0
Portage's Brandi Dohmen beat Stephanie Johnson, 6-0, 6-1, in the quarterfinals, marking her third win of the year over Johnson. Dohmen beat Johnson at the Sauk Prairie quadrangular Aug. 23 and when the two teams met on Sept. 9.
But despite only winning one game, Weeks said Johnson had a good match and had some great points."
Sauk Prairie returned just four of its 10 varsity players from a year ago, and Weeks said she was impressed that her team battled to a second-place tie in the conference.
"Playing in that situation, I think it's a positive that we played well (all season)," she said.
Sept 26-27
BADGER CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
Team Scores: Fort Atkinson 39, Waunakee 35, Madison Edgewood 34, Monroe 25, DeForest 19, Sauk Prairie 16, Milton 12, Monona Grove and Baraboo 8, Oregon 6, Portage 5, Stoughton and Reedsburg 4, Wisconsin Dells 2.
Final Conference Standings
Northern — Waunakee 12, DeForest and Sauk Prairie 9, Baraboo 5, Portage 4, Reedsburg 3, Wisconsin Dells 0.
Southern — Fort Atkinson 12, Madison Edgewood 10, Monroe 8, Milton and Monona Grove 5, Oregon 2, Stoughton 0.
Singles
No. 1 — Championship: Dahl, FA, def. Halbach, ME, 7-5, 7-6(6). Third Place: Dohmen, P, def. Larson, W, 6-3, 6-1. No. 2 — Championship: Kirsh, ME, def. O. Hartwick, FA, 6-4, 6-4. Third Place: Hope, D, def. Alison Halweg, SP, 6-2, 6-2. No. 3 — Championship: Weigand, FA, def. Keegan, D, 6-2, 6-4. Third Place: Berger, Mon., def. Steiner, W, 6-0, 6-0. No. 4 — Championship: H. Brar, W, def. Ringle, FA, 6-1, 6-2. Third Place: Moser, Mil. def. Starz, ME, 7-6(2), 6-1.
Doubles
No. 1 — Championship: Phelan-Molitor, ME, def. Vitek-S. Brar, 7-5, 0-6, 7-6(5). Third Place: Malzfeldt-Ludeking, Mil, def. Lehman-Sutter, Mon, 6-2, 7-5. No. 2 — Championship: Bildsten-McReath, B, def. Hermanson-Sutter, Mon, 6-2, 2-6, 6-3. Third Place: Kuehl-Walsh, W, def. Humes-K. Hartwick, FA, 6-1, 7-6(3). No. 3 — Championship: Gilbertson-Schlachter, W, def. Erickson-Weis, Mon, 6-1, 6-1. Third Place: Barrow-Johnson, FA, def. Tharp-Biddington, ME, 6-3, 7-6(3).