Westwood, Munising Star Shine Again
September 28, 2017
By Ryan Stieg
Special for Second Half
ISHPEMING – The Westwood girls tennis team has built a dynasty in the Upper Peninsula, and on Wednesday, it added another title to its trophy case.
It wasn’t easy though. After sharing the title with Munising last season, the Patriots had to hold off Iron River West Iron County at the end and edged the Wykons by one point at 17-16 for the Division 2 championship. Westwood has won eight of the last nine U.P. titles in its division.
“This was just a successful year,” Westwood head coach Chris Jackson said. “Heading into this year, we had to replace nine girls and we weren’t sure where we would be. I think most people thought this was going to be a rebuilding year, but we had some girls step up big for us.”
Munising took third at the meet with 10 points followed by Iron Mountain (8) and Ishpeming (5).
Westwood was led by its doubles teams as it won three of the four final matches including a three-set thriller by the tandem of Karlie Kargela and Karlie Patron at No. 1 (7-5, 4-6, 6-4). The Patriots also had two-set wins at both No. 3 with Hailey Mattila and Katelyn Anttila and No. 4 with Ellie Miller and Kaylee Larmour, while West Iron’s Emily Nelson and Avery Bosiek took the No. 2 match.
For West Iron County, it was a disappointing day as the Wykons were in six of the final eight matches but only picked up two victories. West Iron was in a similar situation last season and head coach Joe Serbentas said his team was determined to make up for that this year. However, it just wasn’t meant to be.
“We were disappointed last year, so the girls worked really hard to get back here and they wanted it badly,” Serbentas said. “I thought we really put ourselves in a good spot with seeds today to come out and win.”
On the singles side of the court, it was Munising’s time to shine. The Mustangs won the Nos. 1 and 2 matches thanks to strong performances by the Ackerman sisters, Marissa and Kelsea. Marissa won the No. 1 match over West Iron’s Katarina Serbentas, and Kelsea defeated Iron Mountain’s Jordan Stoner in the No. 2 competition. Marissa hasn’t lost a match in three years.
“Our singles have been the strength of our lineup all year,” Munising head coach Rod Gendron said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough depth today with doubles to win the title, but I’m very proud of how the girls competed. They’ve had some tough matches and on days like this, people are playing their best, so it’s not easy to win.”
Gendron also praised both Ackerman girls and explained how even though they may be related, their styles are completely different on the court.
“They both have a lot of experience and they both have been U.P. champs, so they know what it takes,” he said. “They do not give up no matter what the score is. They keep fighting and they make you earn everything. Marissa is a little more competitive, while Kelsea has nicer strokes. Marissa will do anything to win like throwing lobs or ugly shots while Kelsea is a more classic style player with good strokes and a strong serve. That’s the big difference between the two.”
Westwood and West Iron split the other two matches. West Iron’s Izzy Hoogenboom won the No. 3 match over Munising’s Kennedy Tate, while Westwood’s Tessa Leece took the No. 4 match over West Iron’s Anna Malmquist.
“Tessa hasn’t gotten a lot of publicity this year, and that’s hard as a No. 4 because everyone wants to talk about the No. 1s,” Jackson said. “I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anybody as composed as Tessa. No matter what the scenario, she maintains her composure, competes at a high level and learns from her mistakes.”
Ishpeming’s lone appearance in the finals was at No. 3 doubles where Audrey Stetson and MaKenzie VanBuren fell to Mattila and Anttila. Even though it wasn’t the day they were hoping for, Hematites head coach Erl Langness saw some positives in his team’s performance.
“We won the spots where we had seeds,” he said. “Madison Pruett had an excellent match against the girl from Munising (Marissa Ackerman) and our No. 1 doubles also had a good day. They lost to West Iron in three sets. It was a pretty good day. We would’ve like to do better, but we did okay. I think we’ve made a lot of progress since the beginning of the year.”
In the end though, the day belonged to Westwood. And even though the outcome came down to the wire, Jackson liked it that things turned out that way.
“Close matches like these make the tournament fun,” he said. “It came down to how the finals went, and that’s how it should be.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Munising's Marissa Ackerman returns a volley during a No. 1 singles match Wednesday at the U.P. Division 2 Finals. (Middle) Westwood's Karlie Kargela returns a shot at No. 1 doubles. (Photos by Rachel Oakley.)
Motivation Not in Short Supply as Country Day Emerges, Avenges with Finals Win
By
Scott Hassinger
Special for MHSAA.com
June 1, 2024
KALAMAZOO - Fueled by a Finals runner-up finish last year and second-place Regional showing two weeks ago, Detroit Country Day unseated two-time reigning champion Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood on Saturday and clinched this season’s Lower Peninsula Division 3 girls tennis championship.
Country Day totaled 33 points at Kalamazoo College's Stowe Stadium to win its first crown since 2021. Cranbrook Kingswood earned second with 29 points, followed by Chelsea (24), Bloomfield Hills Marian (22) and Ada Forest Hills Eastern (21).
"We knew coming in that either us or Cranbrook Kingswood could win this meet. I just felt like our fight and courage were excellent, and that's what happens when everything falls into place. I'm so happy for these girls," said Country Day's first-year head coach Nick Fiaschetti. "This team is incredible. Our seniors are our biggest leaders, and everyone is like a family – and when you have that combination, it makes you difficult to beat."
Country Day didn't let its latest championship chance slip through its grasp. Cranbrook edged Country Day by just two points in 2023. The Cranes (20 points) also edged the Yellowjackets (17) to win their Regional two weeks ago.
"Country Day is a very good team. It really comes down to how well players handle the pressure. The teams that stay relaxed the most generally are the one that wins a state championship,” Cranbrook coach Grant Asher said. “We came up a bit short this year, but I'm proud of our girls. They competed well from the start until the end of the season. We look forward to next season,"
Country Day claimed flight titles at No. 1, No. 3 and No. 4 singles, along with a crown at No. 1 doubles.
At No. 1 singles, Sophia Grzesiak defeated Forest Hills Eastern's Lilah Zaskowski in the final 6-1, 6-1.
"I'm just really proud of winning an individual title because it helps our quest for the team title. We lost Regionals, but I feel like it gave us the push we needed to come out this weekend and win it all," Grzesiak said.
At No. 3 singles, Helen Benjamin from Country Day topped Muskan Rekhani from Forest Hills Eastern 6-3, 6-1.
"I had to adjust my strategy to get all the balls in. I just had to be consistent and aggressive,” Benjamin said. “My approach shot and putting it away for the point are my biggest strengths. Our captains are great, and we are all very good friends and mentally strong."
At No. 4 singles, Country Day's Katie Han outlasted Cranbrook's Olivia Zhang 3-6, 6-2, 6-4.
The Yellowjackets’ No. 1 doubles combination of Marin Nolander and Peja Liles edged Chelsea's duo of Meghan Bareis and Haley Hopkins 4-6, 6-1, 6-1.
"They came out strong and aggressive and we found our momentum in the second set," Norlander said.
"We played our game and had fun. Our net play really helped us out as well," Liles added.
Chelsea unseeded sophomore Samantha Bieber downed Country Day's top-seeded Quinn Norlander 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, to win No. 2 singles.
"(Norlander) seemed to be struggling with balls hit to her backhand, so I decided to take advantage of that,” Bieber said. “My groundstrokes are strong, and I think my endurance plays a big part in my success. Just being able to stick with it helps me in tough matches."
Bieber's high fitness level comes from being a dual-sport athlete in track & field. She competed in this weekend's Tennis Finals because it’s her primary sport, but she qualified for the Track Finals as well as a member of two Bulldogs relay teams.
"Running helps me mentally because in a race you have to keep pushing, so that helps me in tennis and it also teaches me time management," Bieber added.
Cranbrook showed its dominance in the doubles flights by winning at No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4. Sophia Kouza and Grace Zhang squeaked out a 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 6-2 win over Chelsea's Lucy Taylor and Brenna Taylor at No. 2, and the Cranes' No. 3 tandem of Madeline Day and Sanvi Upadhyayula were victorious over Marian's Audrey Agbay and Yana Higgins 6-7 (3-7), 6-4, 6-3. Cranbrook's No. 4 junior duo of Michelle Chen and Jessica Hall defeated Marian's Laura Higdon and Stella Glorio 6-2, 6-3.
"We had a lot of highs and lows today," Day said. "Our camaraderie helps keep our spirits up even when one of us is down."
PHOTOS (Top) Detroit Country Day’s Marin Norlander prepares to serve during a No. 1 doubles match Friday. (Middle) Cranbrook Kingswood’s Kayli Lala returns a volley during her No. 1 doubles match. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)