Perseverance Pays for East Grand Rapids
June 3, 2017
By Butch Harmon
Special for Second Half
HOLLAND – Refuse to lose would be the perfect theme for this year’s Lower Peninsula Division 2 Finals as time after time players came from behind to claim victory.
East Grand Rapids players were involved in many of the comeback wins, and that proved critical in the Pioneers winning their first Finals championship since claiming the Division 3 title in 2009.
East Grand Rapids finished with 31 points to edge second place Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern by three, with Bloomfield Hills Marian placing third with 21 points.
East Grand Rapids knew it would take a total team effort to defeat its longtime local rival, as Northern has won nine MHSAA championships since 2002.
“We know that Northern is always good,” said East Grand Rapids coach Mickey Mikesell. “We’ve known them for a long time. I know their coach and kids very well.
“This title feels real good for my girls. Since we’ve moved up to Division 2 we’ve had some tough luck with injuries and other things, so to get one feels great.”
Strong play in singles fueled East’s drive to the title. East Grand Rapids singles players won three of the four flights including with a pair of come-from-behind wins.
At No. 1 singles, sophomore Sloane Teske battled back from dropping the first set to defeat Mason senior Olivia Hanover 3-6, 6-1, 6-3. Teske knew the road to victory would be a difficult one, as she lost to Hanover in last year’s semifinals.
“I just shrugged off losing that first set and moved on,” Teske said. “(Hanover) played a great match, and she made me work real hard to beat here. I just stayed confident and wanted it more.”
Teske’s win also helped the Pioneers clinch the overall team title.
“I’m so proud of our team and what we’ve done this year,” Teske said. “Everyone worked real hard for this.”
At No. 2 singles, top-seeded East Grand Rapids junior Hannah Stuursma played to form with a 6-0, 6-0 win against Kaitlyn Fox of Forest Hills Central. For Stuursma, her comeback involved battling back from injury. Stuursma battled back from a pair of foot surgeries during her sophomore season to win her first title this spring
“Coming off a foot injury, I was not very confident last year,” Stuursma said. “I was scared of hurting my foot again. This year my confidence level was so much higher. I’m really excited and real proud of how I played. I was pretty nervous, but I kept my confidence up.”
Stuursma’s title was the first of the day for the Pioneers.
“I’m so proud of our team this year,” Stuursma said. “Everyone really stepped up. We won so many big matches here, and I’m so proud of our team.”
Coming from behind was also the story for East Grand Rapids junior Audrey Olson at No. 3 singles. After dropping the first set 2-6 to Sema Colak of Okemos, Olson won the second set 6-2. In the third, Olson found herself trailing four games to one before rallying one more time to claim a 6-4 win and the title.
“This feels real great,” Olson said. “I started out down 2-6, and then I was down 1-4 in the third set. I had great support from my coaches and my teammates, and that made the difference. They told me to dig down deep, and I did.”
At No. 4 singles, Forest Hills Northern senior Felicia Zhang turned in a solid performance to win her second consecutive Finals flight title. Zhang turned back Gigi Kalabat of Bloomfield Hills Marian 6-0, 6-2.
“It’s a real great feeling,” Zhang said. “I wanted to win it most for the team. To win another title my senior year is indescribable.”
Zhang was not the only member of her family to win a championship, as her younger sister, freshman Abby Zhang, was part of Northern’s No. 2 doubles team that claimed a title. Abby Zhang teamed with senior Salonee Marwaha to hold off the East Grand Rapids duo of Annie Meye and Alivia Vencelj 7-5, 6-3.
Being able to win with her younger sister made Felicia Zhang’s title even sweeter.
“She is a freshman, and this was our only chance to play with each other,” Felicia Zhang said. “It feels great.”
That feeling was shared by the younger Zhang.
“It feels great to win a state title my first time here,” Abby Zhang said. “It was also great to help send Salonee out with a state title in her last high school match.”
The doubles title was the second straight for Marwaha, who was part of Northern’s winning No. 3 doubles team last year. Like last season, Marwaha was paired up with a freshman.
“We didn’t know at the beginning of the season that we would be paired together,” Marwaha said. “At the beginning of the season we started a little sluggish, but we meshed so well together that it didn’t take long for us to get going. Abby did a great job. As a senior, I just told her to keep calm and be patient. She did a great job of that.”
Northern won three of the four doubles flights, and no pair of players displayed a determination to win as strong as Northern’s No. 1 team of Maansi Dalmia and Claire Tatman. Just getting to the finals was an exercise in determination as Dalmia and Tatman outlasted Birmingham Seaholm’s Layla Bellissimo and Emily Hirsch in a semifinals match that lasted more than three hours. In a match that saw two tiebreakers, Dalmia and Tatman came away with a 6-7 (7), 7-5, 7-3 (3) victory.
The semifinal win sent Dalmia and Tatman into the finals, where they went up against top-seeded Yana Beeker and Kristin McLintock of Traverse City Central. The Northern duo had more than enough energy remaining, as they claimed a 6-4, 6-4 win.
“It’s the best feeling in the world,” Tatman said.
“I’m at a loss for words,” Dalmia added.
The title was a repeat for Tatman who teamed up with Marwaha to win No. 3 doubles last season.
“The semifinal match was super close,” Dalmia said. “It was over three hours and had two tie breakers. We knew we had to dig deep down to pull it off. We just took it one point at a time. I don’t feel that tired now, but I know later I will feel it.”
Refusing to lose was key to the semifinal and final wins for the duo.
“You just have to power through it,” Tatman said. “We practiced hard all season, and we knew in the end that we could do it if we kept powering through.”
Coming from behind was also the theme of the No. 3 doubles match. Nele Geiger and Sydney McLean of Forest Hills Northern rallied for a 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 win against Lily Trinch and Brooke Forte of Birmingham Seaholm.
The No. 4 doubles title also went three sets. East Grand Rapids’ Audrey DeVries and Kate Mackeigan outlasted the Bloomfield Hills Marian team of Ariano Kotsakis and Catherine Chinonis 6-0, 2-6, 6-4. DeVries and Mackeigan were runners-up at that flight last season.
PHOTOS: (Top) East Grand Rapids tennis players hoist their MHSAA championship trophy. (Middle) Forest Hills Northern No. 1 doubles players Claire Tatman and Maansi Dalmia pursue a volley Saturday. (Click to see more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Marquette Ends Negaunee 5-Year Reign
October 2, 2019
By Ryan Spitza
Special for Second Half
NEGAUNEE — All good things must come to an end.
After a five-year run as Upper Peninsula Division 1 champion, the Negaunee girls tennis team was dethroned by Marquette on Wednesday at the MHSAA Final played at the Negaunee Tennis Complex.
The Redettes claimed the team title for the first time since 2005, earning 17 points to the Miners' 10. Menominee was third with seven points, while Kingsford and Escanaba each had six and Gladstone three.
Marquette advanced to six out of eight flight finals, including all four singles matches, while the Miners advanced to three. The Maroons also competed in three flights, while the Flivvers made it to two flights and the Braves and Eskymos each to one.
It was a long time coming for Marquette, and head coach Derek Sandstrom has seen many athletes come through the program over the years who came up just a little bit short.
"It's been a while; it's been a long time," he said. "We've had a lot of great girls along the way who didn't get to this point, but I don't want to belittle them at all. We've had some great tennis players and great kids come through this program. This group is just the one that brought home a trophy."
Marquette had two losses in duals all season, both to the Miners. Those meetings were close though, and Sandstrom knew that things could've gone either way Wednesday.
“A couple of bounces here and there is all it takes,” Sandstrom said. “We played tough with Negaunee during the regular season. I told the girls, the last meet we played them, they won the match score but if you look at the actual scorecard, each team won 10. We were there, we just had to do something to get over the hump. Individually, some of the girls found their way."
The Redettes claimed four finals flights, two singles and two doubles.
In the top singles flight, Elysa Olivier topped Menominee's Jenna Nolde to cap an undefeated senior season and earn the third individual Finals title of her high school career.
"I just tried to focus and have fun," Olivier said. "We played earlier in the season, and I beat (Nolde) 6-0, 6-4 that time. She's a very good player."
Piercing cold weather in the 40s throughout the day didn't affect Olivier, who topped Nolde in two sets again, this time 6-0, 6-2.
"I actually prefer playing in the cold rather than the sun," Olivier said. "I don't really like serving into the sun. I don't think (cold) really affects you at all. You just need to conserve your energy."
Olivier will look to join her older brother Alec as part of the Ferris State University tennis programs next season.
The Redettes' other singles win came in the No. 2 flight, with fellow senior Mollie Kilpela topping Menominee's Josie Hofer in two sets, 7-6, 7-6.
Marquette also claimed Nos. 3 and 4 doubles, with the team of Zoey Brian and Ruth Hummell topping Escanaba’s Maddy Michica and Gracie Wickham 6-4, 6-4 in the third flight, while Julianna Golisek and Alyson LaBelle defeated Kingsford's Liz Penegor and Jenna Olkkonen 6-0, 6-0 at No. 4.
Sandstrom was pleased with his team's performance, and said this is only a small chapter in their lives ahead.
"The girls played well," he said. "We had some ups and downs throughout the year. Elysa and Mollie, they were the runner of the ship and we just followed their lead. We finally kept up with them all the way to the end of the year.
"I'm really proud of the girls. It's just a really cool group of kids. None of them are peaking at high school. They're all going to go on to bigger and better things, and this is something they'll remember when they come back for their 10-year class reunion and stuff like that. I'm proud of the way they came together as a team, and they all genuinely love each other. That's the cool part."
It was the end of a half-decade run for Negaunee, but the Miners still had a strong day winning three championship matches.
Lexi Mason defeated Marquette's Campbell Kallio at No. 3 singles in two sets, 6-3, 7-5. Negaunee also claimed the top two doubles flights, with the team of Morgan Carlson and Katelyn Lammi topping Menominee's Megan Francour and Emma Anderson 6-2, 6-1 at No. 1, and the team of Shaylee Menhennick and Tianna Williams edging Gladstone's Emily Marenger and Emma DeLaire 6-3, 6-2.
Miners coach Kyle Saari said it was a year of exciting challenges for his team, and he was proud of the way his players battled throughout a season of learning.
"Each and every year is fun," he said. "As you come into it, each and every year presents a little different and unique challenge. I was very pleased with the way we ended up going through the regular season with a team that was kind of learning on the go and learning as we kind of transitioned. I'm proud of our girls in that regard.
"What happens sometimes when you enter those tournament situations at the end of the year, sometimes that becomes the time where girls don't really know what to expect. A lot of girls will return next year. I think they've learned a lot from the conference and U.P. tournaments in terms of preparation and how to handle a match day and things like that. That'll be good for us moving forward."
Saari credited his three individual champions as well as the Redettes for putting out strong finals performances.
"At No. 1, Morgan and Katelyn have been super consistent all year long. They're good friends, they're both good athletes and their games have complemented each other well,” he said. “They've been good leaders for our team as a whole and the way that they practice, the way that they support the other girls, it's good to see them rewarded.
"Lexi at No. 3 singles put together a really solid year. She got better each time out and was definitely deserving of that No. 3 singles championship.
"Looking at the performance as a whole, the key for anybody is always getting flights through to the finals. Marquette had a tremendous day. They played well throughout their lineup and put six in the finals. We had three. We were able to win all three, but to win a U.P. Final, your depth really has to carry you. Some days it does, and some it doesn't."
The only final that didn't go to the Miners or Redettes was No. 4 singles, which saw Kingsford's Lizzy Cross defeat Marquette's Haddie Ketzenberger 6-3, 6-2.
PHOTOS: (Top) Marquette's Elysa Olivier returns a volley during a No. 1 singles match Wednesday. (Middle) Negaunee's Jillian Skewis sends the ball back while playing No. 2 singles (Photos by Amy Grigas).