Performance: East Grand Rapids' Sloane Teske
April 21, 2017
Sloane Teske
East Grand Rapids sophomore – Tennis
Teske capped her first season of high school tennis a year ago by making the No. 1 singles semifinals at the Lower Peninsula Division 2 Finals. And that success should be just the start; Teske is 8-0 this season and won No. 1 singles Saturday at the prestigious Allegan Invitational, coming back to down Detroit Country Day’s Monique Karoub in three sets in the flight final to help the Pioneers to a shared team title with the Yellowjackets – and earn the Michigan Army National Guard “Performance of the Week.”
Teske fell to Karoub – last season’s Division 3 champion at No. 2 singles – 6-1 in Saturday’s first set before coming back to win the second 6-0. Teske trailed again in the third set before coming back one more time to win 7-5 and clinch the match victory. The elite pair has faced each other before in United States Tennis Association play, and Karoub had won their most recent match.
Frequently, top high school tennis players focus solely on that sport. But Teske is far more than a tennis star: She also plays on East Grand Rapids' golf team and carries a 4.2 grade-point average. She’s a few years from figuring out her future academically, but enjoys her history and mathematics classes most. A team leader already as an underclassman, she’s hoping to lead the Pioneers to their first MHSAA Finals title since 2009 after they finished runners-up to Bloomfield Hills Marian in 2016. East Grand Rapids currently is ranked No. 1 in Division 2.
Coach Mickey Mikesell said: “We’ve had Mr. Tennis go through here, other kids at the highest level. But one thing about Sloane – the biggest thing, is she’s a natural-born leader. She came in as a freshman, and in some ways took over the team. She played a lot of basketball growing up. Basketball, volleyball, those sports there’s a lot of yelling going on, and she’s like that – even as a freshman, she’s yelling at (her teammates) motivating them, cheering them on, and you rarely see that as a freshman. She has tremendous talent in her game; it’s fantastic, and it’s great having a player like that on a team to keep the team energized. Even when we do team dinners, like before Regionals (last year), she asked me, ‘Can I speak in front of the team?’ Rarely do I have kids do that at any age. … It’s just a good combination. She’s headstrong, she has lots of power, and the biggest thing with her is she’s so competitive, so feisty out there. That fire inside of her … she has a great chance to do something individually every year, but she wants us to win as a team, and that’s a good mix to have as a coach.”
Performance Point: “That day was a very tough day, specifically the conditions we were playing in – it was super windy outside,” Teske said of the Allegan tournament. “Multiple times the wind would be blowing from every direction. It was kinda funny some points, but also frustrating. You’d try to get the ball to go a certain direction, and most of the time it would go somewhere completely different. I was just trying to be very focused. I was aware of how close things were. … I knew it was going to be a tough match going against DCD. I kept the ball in play, tried to be super consistent, and when I saw the opportunity to go hit a winner and end the point, I did. My coaches were my biggest help; after the first set, they helped me to get my mind right and get ready for the next set. … They told me to just clear everything out, block everything out and get back my game and focus. After the match, I was still shocked – I couldn’t believe I came back and won that second set.”
Year older and wiser: “I’ve learned to just keep my cool and composure, just learned to take one match at a time … stay in the moment. It’s kinda tough. It’s hard not to worry about your next match, who you’re going to play, how you’re going to play. When I’m playing, I just block everything out, everyone out, and just focus on what’s in front of me.”
Head in the game: “The strongest part of my game, I just know how to think differently than my opponent. I work points to my favor – I will attack the backhand, and when they think I’m going to their backhand, I’ll go down the line to the forehand and they aren’t expecting that. It’s a fun way to play.”
Tee it up: “I just try to balance my schedule (with tennis and golf), especially during the summer. My parents help me out, trying to make sure I have everything. (Golf) is a break, sometimes for me, to take a break from tennis. And I come back (to tennis) stronger every time.”
It’s about team: “High school is a lot different (than USTA) … you always have your teammate’s back, you cheer for each other and help each other during matches. It’s really a fun thing – it’s different than going out there to be by yourself. … I love the feeling of winning, especially when I can do that with my team too.”
- Geoff Kimmerly, Second Half editor
Every week during the 2016-17 school year, Second Half and the Michigan Army National Guard will recognize a “Performance of the Week" from among the MHSAA's 750 member high schools.
The Michigan Army National Guard provides trained and ready forces in support of the National Military Strategy, and responds as needed to state, local, and regional emergencies to ensure peace, order, and public safety. The Guard adds value to our communities through continuous interaction. National Guard soldiers are part of the local community. Guardsmen typically train one weekend per month and two weeks in the summer. This training maintains readiness when needed, be it either to defend our nation's freedom or protect lives and property of Michigan citizens during a local natural disaster.
Previous 2016-17 honorees:
March 30: Romeo Weems, New Haven basketball – Read
March 23: Jaycie Burger and Maddie Clark, Pittsford basketball – Read
March 16: Camden Murphy, Novi swimming & diving – Read
March 9: Ben Freeman, Walled Lake Central wrestling – Read
March 2: Joey Mangner, Chelsea swimming & diving – Read
Feb. 23: Isabelle Nguyen, Grosse Pointe North gymnastics – Read
Feb. 16: Dakota Hurbis, Saline swimming & diving – Read
Feb. 2: Foster Loyer, Clarkston basketball – Read
Jan. 26: Nick Jenkins, Detroit Catholic Central wrestling – Read
Jan. 19: Eileene Naniseni, Mancelona basketball – Read
Jan. 12: Rory Anderson, Calumet hockey – Read
Dec. 15: Demetri Martin, Big Rapids basketball – Read
Dec. 1: Rodney Hall, Detroit Cass Tech football – Read
Nov. 24: Ally Cummings, Novi volleyball – Read
Nov. 17: Chloe Idoni, Fenton volleyball – Read
Nov. 10: Adelyn Ackley, Hart cross country – Read
Nov. 3: Casey Kirkbride, Mattawan soccer – Read
Oct. 27: Colton Yesney, Negaunee cross country – Read
Oct. 20: Varun Shanker, Midland Dow tennis – Read
Oct. 13: Anne Forsyth, Ann Arbor Pioneer cross country – Read
Oct. 6: Shuaib Aljabaly, Coldwater cross country – Read
Sept. 29: Taylor Seaman, Brighton swimming & diving – Read
Sept. 22: Maggie Farrell, Battle Creek Lakeview cross country – Read
Sept. 15: Franki Strefling, Buchanan volleyball – Read
Sept. 8: Noah Jacobs, Corunna cross country – Read
PHOTOS: (Top) Sloane Teske returns a volley during last season's Division 2 semifinal match against Mason's Olivia Hanover. (Middle) Teske serves while playing No. 1 singles for East Grand Rapids. (Top photo by HighSchoolSportsScene.com, middle photo courtesy of the East Grand Rapids athletic department.)
Preview: Familiar Favorites, New Leaders
June 1, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The favorites to win team championships at this weekend’s MHSAA Lower Peninsula Girls Tennis Finals aren’t too much of a surprise – six of eight teams ranked first or second by the Michigan High School Tennis Coaches Association at the end of this regular season finished either first or second at one of last year’s four championship tournaments.
But that doesn’t mean there’s no room for change.
Traverse City St. Francis in Division 4 is favored to win its first MHSAA title, while Grand Rapids Christian should be in the mix in Division 3 to win for the first time as well. And only one of four No. 1 singles champions from 2015 is back this weekend.
Matches begin Friday, with final rounds Saturday morning, and coverage of all four tournaments will be posted to Second Half by Saturday evening. Below is a brief look at top contenders at each tournament; click for more including brackets and seeds for all 32 flights plus specific sites where each flight will begin play.
LP Division 1 at Midland Tennis Center
Top ranked: No. 1 Midland Dow, No. 2 Northville, No. 3 Grosse Pointe South.
Northville won its first MHSAA championship a year ago finishing five points ahead of Midland Dow, which is favored this time to win its first team title since 2009. Grosse Pointe South finished third last season and was champion in 2014 and 2012.
Midland Dow: The Chargers are seeded at all eight flights with top seeds at Nos. 2 and 3 singles (Caroline Szabo, Sarah Ismail) and No. 1 doubles (Afua Ofori-Darko and Kamryn Matthews). Ofori-Darko and Matthews won No. 1 doubles last season, while Jessica Brown (sixth-seeded at No. 1) and Hadley Camp (third-seeded at No. 4) were runners-up at Nos. 2 and 4 singles, respectively. Kelly Livingston also brings championship match experience – she’s seeded third at No. 2 doubles this weekend with Meghan Killmaster but was part of the runner-up pair at No. 2 a year ago – and Szabo was the No. 2 singles runner-up as a freshman in 2014.
Northville: Three of Northville’s singles players from last season’s title run are back on that side of the line-up this weekend, as are a handful of experienced doubles standouts. Emma Worley returns at No. 1 singles, as does reigning champion Shanoli Kumar at No. 2 and reigning No. 3 champion Joanne Gao; both Kumar and Gao are seeded second in their flights this time. Serena Wang was part of the No. 4 doubles champion a year ago; she’s seeded second with Maya Mulchandani at No. 1. Reeshma Kumar and Molly Bis are the top seed at No. 2 doubles – Kumar was part of the No. 1 runner-up in 2015 and Bis partnered with Wang as the No. 4 winner. Neha Chava and Sophie Zhuang are seeded first at No. 3 doubles (Chava was seeded at No. 4 singles a year ago), and Brittany Macaddino and Alexandria Petix are seeded first at No. 4 doubles.
Grosse Pointe South: Four seeded doubles pairs will be key in South staying in contention; the No. 1 pair is seeded fourth with Hanna Wilhelm and Madie Flournoy, with Flournoy the No. 4 singles champion as a freshman in 2013. No. 1 singles player Raven Neely is seeded second after making the semifinals with that seed a year ago and also as the third seed in 2014.
Bloomfield Hills’ Tia Mukherjee – One of the standout freshmen regardless of division, Mukherjee is seeded third at No. 1 singles and split matches against South’s Neely this season.
Utica Eisenhower’s Ava Thielman – Last season’s runner-up at No. 1 singles, now a junior, enters as the fourth seed after playing as the top seed a season ago.
West Bloomfield’s Anika Tarlagadda – West Bloomfield’s top player is arguably the top freshman in the state and seeded first at No. 1 singles after defeating Mukherjee in their Regional’s championship match.
Another returning 2015 flight champion – Traverse City Central’s Autumn Roberts (No. 4 singles last season, No. 2 singles this season).
LP Division 2 at Holly
Top ranked: No. 1 Bloomfield Hills Marian, No. 2 Birmingham Seaholm, No. 3 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern.
Two of the above three teams have won and finished second in every LP Division 2 Final since 2009, and at least one of the three has claimed the title every season since 2002. Finals 2015 saw Seaholm claim the championship by a point over Forest Hills Northern and six over Marian after sharing the title with Forest Hills Northern in 2014.
Bloomfield Hills Marian: All eight flights are seeded, with three top seeds including two at doubles. No. 1 doubles pair McKenna Landis and Regan Patterson have a top seed after Landis won the title last year with now-graduated partner Bianca Emde, and No. 2 doubles pair Melanie Roma and Shannon Flynn also earned the top seed in their flight with Flynn coming off a runner-up finish at No. 3 with graduated Marta Colosimo in 2015. Carolina Cibulas at No. 3 singles earned that other top seed, but a pair of past champions also return to the singles lineup; Breann Lunghamer, seeded second at No. 2, won No. 3 in 2013; and Sophie Balardo, fourth-seeded at No. 4, won that flight in 2014.
Birmingham Seaholm: Two top-seeded doubles pairs and two second-seeded doubles lead the way. Caity Buechner and Meaghan Flynn were the champions at No. 2 last season and are seeded second at No. 1, and Sam Lareau and Emily McDermott are seeded second at No. 2 after winning No. 3 doubles a year ago. Catherine Markley and Ellie Benson at No. 3 and Alex Wineman and Emma Latessa at No. 4 have top seeds, but there’s also a past champion in singles in Lisa Johnston, who’s seeded third at No. 2 after winning No. 3 singles last season.
Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern: The Huskies’ most successful returnees from last season – No. 2 doubles runners-up Felicia Zhang and Maansi Dalmia – are split up this time, with Zhang second-seeded at No. 3 singles and Dalmia teaming with Ellie Katz for the fourth-seeded pair at No. 1 doubles. Freshman Olivia Dicks at No. 1 singles has the team’s lone top seed, but total six flights are seeded to make semifinals.
Mason’s Olivia Hanover: The Bulldogs junior advanced to the semifinals at No. 1 singles last season as the second-seeded player and enters with the second seed again.
Okemos’ Alisa Sabatic: For the first time in three seasons, there will be a new No. 1 singles champion after two-time winner Emily Struble graduated. But holding the top seed this weekend is another Okemos player, sophomore Sabatic.
LP Division 3 at Holland
Top ranked: No. 1 Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood, No. 2 Detroit Country Day, No. 3 Grand Rapids Christian.
Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood is seeking a sixth straight Division 3 title, a streak that would tie for fifth longest among girls tennis teams in MHSAA history. And the Cranes will be plenty motivated after defeating Detroit Country Day in a dual but then finishing runner-up to the Yellowjackets at their Regional. Don’t forget Grand Rapids Christian, which finished runner-up a year ago and has the strongest doubles of this tournament.
Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood: All four singles players plus a doubles team are seeded first or second. Senior Allison Motea is the top seed at No. 1 and won No. 3 singles as a freshman, while Emily Harvey is second-seeded at No. 2 after finishing runner-up at that flight a year ago. Madison Narens is seeded second at No. 3, Emma Sable is the top seed at No. 4, and Sauma Du and Alexandra Bowers are the top seed at No. 3 doubles; Bowers was part of the champion at No. 4 last season and Du was part of the runner-up at No. 3. The No. 2 doubles pair of Amelia Smith and Kate Cao is seeded third and also brings plenty of championship experience, with Smith serving as Bowers’ partner in 2015 and Cao coming off a runner-up finish at No. 4 singles.
Detroit Country Day: The Yellowjackets finished third last season, five points back, despite three singles championships and a runner-up finish at the top flight. That runner-up, Sasha Hartje, is back and seeded second at No. 1, with Monique Karoub the top seed at No. 2, reigning champion Sadina Fadel the top seed at No. 3 and Jenna Lee seeded second at No. 4. More help is expected from doubles with three top-two seeds, led by No. 1 top seed Elle Hartje and Haley Mullins. Mullins was the No. 2 singles runner-up in 2014 and No. 3 runner-up in 2013.
Grand Rapids Christian: The Eagles finished runner-up a year ago, four points back, with three doubles teams finishing first or second, and all eight flights are seeded third or higher this weekend. Doubles could lead again, with Caroline Heule and Olivia DeVos the top seed at No. 2 and Emily Schellenboom and Peyton Russell the top seed at No. 4 – and with Hannah Slenk and McKenzie Moorhead the second seed at No. 1 and Kate Zwiers and Natalie DeBoer the third seed at No. 3 after both pairs won those flights last year.
LP Division 4 at Kalamazoo College
Top ranked: No. 1 Traverse City St. Francis, No. 2 Bloomfield Hills Academy of the Sacred Heart, No. 3 Kalamazoo Hackett.
Academy of the Sacred Heart has won three of the last four championships and finished a comfortable seven points ahead of St. Francis last season. But that was the Gladiators’ best finish ever, and they’re riding plenty of momentum after sweeping the flight championships at their Regional.
Traverse City St. Francis: The Gladiators bring in two top seeds and two second seeds plus a reigning champion at No. 1 singles. Amanda Bandrowski may be seeded only third at No. 1 this time but won the title in straight sets a year ago. Bailey Chouinard is the third seed at No. 2 after finishing runner-up at that flight in 2015, and Anne Bandrowski is the top seed at No. 3 after finishing runner-up at No. 4 a year ago. St. Francis didn’t get a doubles pair to the championship round last time, but enter with Bethany Richey and Mary Margaret Sutherland top-seeded at No. 2 and two other pairs carrying second seeds.
Bloomfield Hills Academy of the Sacred Heart: The Gazelles swept doubles last season, and seven players from that group of eight are playing again this weekend in some combination. Kendall Gassman and Sara Gerard are fourth-seeded at No. 1 after winning No. 2 a year ago, while Abby Hildebrand (part of the No. 1 champion in 2015) teams with Gretchen Lemon for the second seed at No. 2. Reigning No. 3 champions Tate Lehman and Kathryn Monahan are back as the top seed at that flight, while Stella Betrus will play for a second straight title at No. 4, this time with Meghan Carroll. Selina Fuchs teamed with Hildebrand last season, but this weekend is the second seed at No. 3 singles, and fourth-seeded Jeannie Nash is the reigning runner-up at No. 1.
Kalamazoo Hackett: Three top-seeded singles players make Hackett dangerous after it scored just a point a year ago. Kate Ketels, who has signed with Gonzaga University, is the top seed at No. 1, while Natalie Moyer is the top seed at No. 2 and Lizzie Stull the top seed at No. 4. Three other flights also have top-four seeds.
Kalamazoo Christian’s Lizzie Bauss: She’s the second seed at No. 1 singles after making the semifinals and then losing to Nash last season as the fourth seed.
Other returning 2015 flight champions: Kalamazoo Christian’s Audrey Bouma (No. 2 singles), Ann Arbor Greenhills’ Julia Friedman (No. 3 singles).
PHOTO: Bloomfield Hills Marian’s McKenna Landis returns a shot during last season’s MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division 2 Final on the way to her and partner Bianca Emde’s championship at No. 1 doubles. (Click to see more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)