The Crookston Pirate Girls Tennis team’s Emma Gunderson and Isabelle Smith had a bittersweet true second-place match at the Section 8A Girls Tennis individual tennis tournament as they beat their teammates, Kaylie Clauson and Brekken Tull to advance to the state individual tennis tournament.
SATURDAY’S RESULTS-
DOUBLES-
Crookston’s Brekken Tull and Kaylie Clauson were seeded sixth in the seeding meeting, but they continue to play outstanding tennis as they beat the third seed in the quarterfinals on Friday. In the semi-finals on Saturday morning, the Pirate duo took on the #2 seed Katie Fiemeyer and Anna Fiemeyer of Wadena-Deer Creek. Tull and Clauson lost the first set in a tight 6-4 decision before dominating the second set with a 6-0 win to force a third set. In the final set, Tull and Clauson battled and outlasted their opponents to pick up a 7-5 victory to win the match and advance to the Championship.
Tull and Clauson lost to #1 seed Lauren Rutten and Ronnie Noska of Staples-Motley 6-1, 6-2 in the championship. The loss, combined with the third-place match, created a True Second place match.
Emma Gunderson and Isabelle Smith faced the #1 seed Lauren Rutten and Ronnie Noska of Staples-Motley in the semi-finals and lost 6-1, 6-1. Gunderson and Smith beat Katie Fiemeyer and Anna Fiemeyer of Wadena-Deer Creek 6-2, 6-3 in the 3rd place match. The win, combined with the result of the championship match, created a True Second place match.
TRUE SECOND PLACE MATCH – Crookston vs Crookston
The Crookston doubles teams of Brekken Tull and Kaylie Clauson had to play their teammates, Emma Gunderson and Isabelle Smith, in the True Second match, with the winner advancing to the state doubles tournament.
Tull and Clauson cruised to the first set 6-1, and things were looking like it might be a quick match, but the senior duo of Smith and Gunderson battled back to win a hard-fought second set 7-5 to force a third set. The teams battled back and forth and left it all on the court while fighting for a trip to the state individual tournament, but it was Smith and Gunderson winning an exciting 7-6 third set with a 7-5 tie-breaker to advance to state.
It is the second straight year Gunderson is advancing to the state doubles tournament after playing with Halle Winjum last year.
FRIDAY’S RESULTS –
SINGLES –
Addie Fee is the #7 seed and beat #10 seed Audrey Ruckheim of Parkers Prairie 6-1, 6-4 to advance to the quarterfinals.
Addie will play the #2 seed Braylee Wienen of Thief River Falls in the quarterfinals.
Paige Abrahamson is the #8 seed and beat #9 seed Ella Ehler of Park Rapids 7-5, 6-4 to advance to the quarterfinals.
Paige lost to #1 seed Avery Skaar of Thief River Falls 6-1, 6-1 and was eliminated.
DOUBLES-
Emma Gunderson and Isabelle Smith are the #4 seed and beat #13 seed Anna Helling and Brooke Schilling of Parkers Prairie 6-3, 6-1.
Emma and Isabelle beat #12 seed Genevieve Pinella and Kaylee Endres of Wadena-Deer Creek 6-2, 6-0 in the quarterfinals. They advance to the semi-finals on Saturday morning where they will play #1 seed Lauren Rutten and Ronnie Noska of Staples-Motley.
#6 seed Brekken Tull and Kaylie Clauson beat #11 Abby Runyan and Emmy Goochey of Park Rapids 6-2, 6-1. They beat #3 seed Emma Farder and Erin Bowman of EGF 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 in the quarterfinals. Tull and Clauson will play #2 seed Katie Fiemeyer and Anna Fiemeyer of Wadena-Deer Creek in the semi-finals on Saturday morning.
