Tennis regionals roundup: Elk Rapids wins program’s 1st regional title; St. Francis earns finals berth with runner-up finish | Sports

TRAVERSE Town — What a day it was for Elk Rapids.

The seventh-rated Elks achieved Thursday what no other varsity ladies tennis staff experienced done in application background. They received a regional title.

Elk Rapids attained the feat in convincing vogue, winning six of the eight flight championships en route to the program’s 2nd-ever physical appearance in the point out championship. The only personal regional titles the Elks did not claim ended up in 2-doubles, in which they lost in the finals, and 4-doubles, in which they shed in the semifinals.

The Elks’ first point out finals berth wasn’t as well prolonged ago, just last period just after Keith Schulte took in excess of as head mentor.

“The girls are past ecstatic,” Schulte reported. “When you’d glimpse up at the banners in the health and fitness center and see all forms of regional championships, you’d think, ‘Dang, there is nothing for girls tennis.’ Now there is. Which is variety of cool. They got to place their mark on the school.”

The Division 4 regional meet up with held at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Center University on Thursday highlighted the host Gladiators and winner Elks as effectively as Boyne Town, Charlevoix, East Jordan, Grayling, Harbor Springs, Manistee and Traverse Town Christian. St. Francis finished in the runner-up slot, punching the perennial state contender’s ticket to the championships.

Harbor Springs did just ample to receive the needed 18 factors to qualify for state, coming back again from down 6-2 in a acquire-or-go-household tiebreaking third-established place versus Elk Rapids in 2-doubles to clinch a state-finals berth. Tied with Elk Rapids 6-6, sisters Keely and Larkin Knapp scored six consecutive details in the tiebreak to win the closing set 7-6 (8-6) and get the Rams to 18 points.

“It was one particular of the most extraordinary finishes I had at any time viewed,” St. Francis head coach Dane Fosgard stated. “Both teams had been cheering so loud amongst every place. It was amazing.”

As the Elks, Glads and Rams march on, Schulte reported the biggest issue that led to his team’s good results in 2022 was the motivation.

“The ladies bought in,” Schulte said. “They did everything I asked them to do. They exhibit up. They follow. They perform. When you have a group that does that and desires to get superior, it variations every thing rather fast.”

Schulte was not necessarily surprised by how nicely his gamers performed, but he was very pleased of them for successful flights in which they have been not the prime seed.

“We broke seeds and won some matches we weren’t supposed to,” Schulte claimed. “I consider to get the job done with the girls on the mental side of the video game and the psychology of the activity. We experienced 4 matches where we dropped the first set and then came back again and won the next two. Which is quite amazing. Which is a mentality and lifestyle point. It just would make me smile.”

Schulte explained that will come down to one thing instead very simple — acquiring a way to get.

“They did,” Schulte said. “Kudos to the girls for acquiring a way.”

The Elks, Gladiators, Rams and many other groups from Thursday’s regional return to St. Elizabeth on Monday for the Lake Michigan Convention championship satisfy. Schulte would like to gain that, as well.

“The initial thing is to make positive it wasn’t a fluke,” Schulte reported. “We have to end that, and then likely down to states is likely to be rough. Our mantra is likely to be, ‘Earn it.’ You are going to have to display up and compete towards excellent tennis gamers that have gained the right to be there.”

St. Francis has frequently acquired the suitable to be there, and Fosgard stated he was delighted just to make it this 12 months. Fosgard understood heading into Thursday that it was heading to be a challenge against the point out-rated Elks.

“They beat us before in the time,” Fosgard reported of Elk Rapids. “It would have been tricky to conquer them, but I was content with our girls’ performance. Our intention this 12 months was to make it to state, and we satisfied that target now. Elk Rapids has a strong crew, and they brought the power right now.”

St. Francis picked up 18 points quite early in the working day, but Fosgard reported it was nevertheless a pounds off his shoulders when they crossed the threshold.

“Everybody’s likely, and which is a large aid for myself and the crew,” he said. “There’s constantly a large amount of stress to make it to states, specifically for us since we make it every single calendar year. This calendar year, it was tough, but I’m pretty very pleased of the team. We have received some new gamers who just competed and did awesome.”

Workforce Scores: Elk Rapids 29 Traverse City St. Francis 23 Harbor Springs 18 Charlevoix 12 Grayling 6 Boyne City 5 East Jordan 3 Traverse City Christian Manistee .

Flight Champions: 1S — Ayva Johnstone (ER) def. Mary Chittle (SF) 6-, 7-6(2) 2S — Ella Croftchik (ER) def. Quinn Cassidy (HS) 6-1, 6-1 3S — Anneka Croftchik (ER) def. Ava Pomaranski (SF) 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 4S — Lily Brown (ER) def. Audrey Lee (SF) 6-4, 6-3 1D — Caroline Ducharme/Morgan Bergquist (ER) def. Lurvey/David 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 2D — Keely Knapp/Larkin Knapp (HS) def. Acker/Schulte (ER) 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (8-6) 3D — Kelly Minidis/Portia Beebe (ER) def. Piche/Elshaw (SF) 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-3 4D — Lizzie Frederick/Caroline Knox (SF) def. Westbrook/Cesario (HS) 6-2, 6-3.

DIVISION 1 REGIONAL at MIDLAND DOW

Trojans choose 2nd, qualify for state championships for 40th straight 12 months

MIDLAND — Back all over again and it nevertheless feels so superior.

For the 40th yr in a row, the Trojans of Traverse City Central will be sending a crew to the varsity women tennis state championships.

Central finished 2nd in the Division 1 regional meet up with to eighth-ranked Midland Dow. The Trojans scored 23 details, just a few back again of Dow’s 26. Grand Blanc will also symbolize in the D1 condition finals in Kalamazoo on June 2-3, gathering the needed 18 factors to qualify for the championships. Traverse Town West’s season finishes soon after the Titans gained 4 details to finish in seventh place.

The Trojans’ doubles staff swept the 4 flights with Kerri Berkey and Isabella Fochtman beating Dow in the finals to earn 1-doubles, Natalie Bourdo and Carly Galsterer also defeating Dow in the 2-doubles championship, Sophia Hagerty and Wren Walker topping Grand Blanc in 3-doubles, and Zoe Galan and Audrey Parker having down Dow in the 4-doubles finals.

Alexis Smith experienced a gain in excess of Davison in 2-singles. Maria Linck was runner up in 3-singles, defeating Okemos and the No. 2 seed Grand Blanc. She shed in the finals to Dow. Aili Brockmiller had a earn above Okemos in 4-singles.

West head mentor Kyle Warner reported that even with the adversity the Titans faced this year, he felt they experienced a good year and was happy of their enjoy. An harm to West’s leading participant, Caitlin Siles, pressured a alternative at 1-doubles and two flights were defaulted because of positive COVID-19 cases on Wednesday.

Traverse Town West outcomes: 1S — Ashley Bheeler misplaced to Meara King (Davison) -6, 1-6 2S — Anna Childs lost by default 3S — Ellie Gruber def. Suji Sathishkumar (Grand Ledge) 6-3,6-4, dropped to Claire Earley (Dow) -6, -6 4S — Anna Elmquest def. Lucy Acero (Holt) 6-3, 6-2, missing to Riley Johnston (Grand Blanc) 1-6, 4-6 1D — Hailey Siles/Makenna Ebling shed to Jyothika Kalatturu/Yasmin Booncharoen-Jelassi (Okemos) 3-6, 06 2D — Wave Spence/Sara Elliot shed by default 3D — Capri Hathaway/Calli Hathaway def. Mackenzie Tompkins/Alivea Wolcott (Saginaw Heritage) 6-2, 1-6, 6-1, misplaced to Kailey Duetsch/Alison Witham (Grand Blanc) 3-6, 1-6 4D — Anna Sperry/Alexa Ngyen def. Amadea Raetsch/Pleasure Schmitt (Holt) 6-1, 2-6, 6-4, missing to Alexandra Short/Allison Jarema (Okemos) 1-6, 3-6.