CROOKSTON GIRLS TENNIS SHUTS OUT ROSEAU, EDGES EGF TO OPEN UP SEASON

The Crookston Pirate Girls Tennis team started the season with a 7-0 victory over the Roseau Rams Tuesday morning and won a hard-fought match over the East Grand Forks Green Wave with a 4-3 victory to open up the season with two wins in the Crookston triangular on a beautiful day at the Crookston High School tennis courts.  The matches were the first in over a year for Pirate Head Coach Cody Brekken after he missed last year while serving our country in the National Guard.   

CROOKSTON vs ROSEAU –

Crookston flexed their muscles as defending Section 8A champions in their season opener, shutting out a young Roseau team 7-0 in a dominating performance top to bottom. The Pirates lost only 13 games in the first match. “What’s good to see is that it’s pretty equal in every position in the match,” said Coach Cody Brekken. “Every position on our 10girl roster took care of business.”

In singles, Halle Winjum would pick up the first singles win 6-1,6-0. Second singles was won by Emma Gunderson 6-2,6-0. “Emma Gunderson hadn’t played any singles at all last year. So I asked her in her first match to come up and play two singles and help us in the lineup. She came out and played well.” said Coach Brekken. For third singles, Brekken Tull would win 6-1,6-1, with Abby Borowicz rounding out the singles with a fourth singles win 6-2,6-1.

For doubles, Halle Bruggeman and Kaylie Clauson made quick work winning the first doubles 6-0,6-0. For second doubles, Isabelle Smith and Addie Fee picked up the win going 6-1, 6-1. And third doubles was won by Paige Abrahamson and Calleigh Fanfulik 6-1,6-2. “I know Calleigh Fanfulik at third doubles was her first Varsity match, got a win under her belt, which is great to see.” said Coach Brekken.

Coach Brekken mentioned that Crookston graduated three seniors last year, and Morgan Nelson being out with an injury. He was very impressed with the four girls who stepped up to contribute to get the first win of the season. 

CROOKSTON vs EAST GRAND FORKS –

The second match of the day for Crookston would not be as smooth sailing as the first. With the match eclipsing the three-hour mark, Crookston was able to get the win over East Grand Forks 4-3 on a hot August afternoon. “It seems to always be this way with East Grand Forks,” said Coach Brekken.

The four single matches would be split down the middle between the two schools. Crookston would pick up the wins in the third and fourth singles. Isabelle Smith would win at third singles 6-3,6-2. And Addie Fee would cruise to a fourth singles win, 6-1,6-0. “I like to see how the girls respond in different spots, Isabelle Smith and Addie Fee took care of business, which was good to see them get success in singles,” said Coach Brekken Those two wins would prove to be crucial with Emma Farder staving off a Brekken Tull comeback to win the second singles match 6-1, 3-6, 10-8. The first singles match between Halle Winjum and Ruby Leach would be the longest of the day, going over three hours. Even with the match being decided at that point, Winjum and Leach did not give in and went the distance going long into the third set. Winjum would run out of gas and Leach would get the win 3-6,7-6(4),16-14. “Says a lot about character, it would have been easy to fold early, but that’s just not who she is.” said Coach Brekken.

In doubles, the Pirates would pick up hard-fought victories in the top two doubles to seal the win for Crookston. “The top of the doubles with Halle Bruggeman and Emma Gunderson, as well as Kaylie Clauson and Abby Borowicz, had strong, long performances in those matches. Good to see us come out on top” said Coach Brekken. Bruggeman and Gunderson would win the first doubles 6-3,3-6,10-3. And Borowicz and Clauson’s 7-5,6-2 win at second doubles would seal the win for the Pirates. In third doubles, Calleigh Fanulik and Paige Abrahamson would lose 6-2,6-2.

The Pirates improve to 2-0 on the season. The Pirates will host the 8-team Crookston Invitational on Saturday.