Raiders sweep double-dual; GNC meet postponed to today
MEDFORD GIRLS TENNIS
The Medford Raiders finished the dual- meet portion of their 2022 girls tennis schedule at 7-12 by beating Ashland 7-0 and Wisconsin Rapids Assumption 4-3 in a double-dual held on the MASH courts Thursday afternoon.
The Assumption dual was actually highlighted by two singles matches that Medford lost. In flight two, Kara Drewiske took the first set with Motte 7-5, but Motte gave herself a shot with a 7-5 win in the second set. They played a 10-point third-set tiebreaker to decide the match.
Drewiske jumped ahead 5-0 in the tiebreaker, but Motte kept battling and got within 9-8 before Drewiske got the winning point.
Czeshinski took the first set of her flight-four match with Kelsey Koran 6-3, but Koran reversed things with a 6-3 win in set two. They went back and forth in their third-set tiebreaker, which Koran won 10-7.
As the last Raider on the court, Huegli sealed the win with a 6-1, 6-2 flight-one victory over Ahnabelle Khang. Ruesch won the number-three match 6-3, 6-1 over Macy Vollert.
Seidl and Brandner were 6-2, 6-4 winners over Ari Cavanaugh and Grace Johnson at number-two doubles and Werner and Clarkson took care of Anna Elsen and Kaycee Schultz at numberthree 6-3, 6-2.
Sarah Shaw and Addi Vollert defeated Smith and Krug in the number-one doubles match 6-1, 6-2.
The Raiders had no trouble with the Oredockers in round one of the doubledual, quickly winning all of the matches in straight sets.
Huegli had some good rallies with Isabelle Rasmussen but won handily 6-1, 6-2 Motte controlled her match with Emma Brouder 6-0, 6-1, Ruesch had no trouble with Lily Kovach-Erickson 6-0, 6-0 and Czeshinski was well on her way to victory over Jojo Burke when Burke hurt her ankle in a freak injury suffered while retrieving a ball and had to retire with the score being 6-0, 5-0 at the time.
Smith and Krug settled in after some competitive points early and cruised past Megan Moffitt and Lainey Westlund 6-1, 6-0. It was the same story for Seidl and Brandner in their numbertwo match with Ali Vittone and Mikayla Bigo, which they won 6-1, 6-0. Kierstyn Halopka and Ashley Hernandez teamed up for their first win together at numberthree doubles. It was a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Briteny Kastern and Jaiden Erickson.
Assumption beat Ashland 6-1 in the day’s third dual meet.
The Great Northern Conference championships at Lakeland were postponed from Saturday to today, Thursday, with much better weather expected today. With all the dual meets now complete, Medford goes into today’s action sitting in sixth place in the standings with 48 points, well ahead of Antigo (10) and Phillips (8). The Raiders have work to do today to move up as they trail Columbus Catholic by six points and Newman Catholic by eight.
Rhinelander goes into the meet in first place with 76 points, four more than Lakeland and eight more than Stevens Point Pacelli.
From there, it’s on to WIAA Division 2 post-season play. That starts Tuesday with the eight-team subsectional meet hosted by Altoona. Flight-one semifinalists and finalists from all other flights will advance to the sectional meet two days later hosted by Regis-McDonell. There, flight-one semifinalists, flight-two champions and the team champion will qualify for state competition.
Both post-season meets are scheduled to start at 9 a.m.
