Raiders end GNC duals with a whitewash of Red Robins

MEDFORD GIRLS TENNIS

The Medford Raiders could enter next weekend’s Great Northern Conference girls tennis tournament in fifth place in the team standings after securing a 7-0 sweep over Antigo Tuesday in the team’s final dual meet of league play.

Medford had little trouble with the visiting Red Robins, taking all seven matches in straight sets to finish 3-4 in GNC duals. Medford is 6-11 overall.

By adding 14 points Tuesday, the Raiders have collected 48 points in the dualmeet portion of the GNC season, two behind Columbus Catholic, who is 3-3 and has one dual remaining, and six behind Stevens Point Pacelli, who is 5-1 and has a dual today against last-place Phillips.

The Raiders currently lead sixth-place Newman Catholic, but the Cardinals still have two duals to finish with Columbus Catholic and Antigo before next weekend.

Lakeland (6-1) holds a 72-62 lead over Rhinelander (5-1), but the Hodags are in prime position to catch the T-Birds today, Thursday, when they visit 1-4 Antigo.

The conference tournament is set for Sept. 24 in Antigo.

In singles play Tuesday, Raider Morgan Huegli took the most competitive match, beating Antigo’s Sierra Oelke in flight one 6-3, 6-2. Makayla Motte won a close first set 6-3 and dominated the second set 6-1 in the number-two match. Audrey Ruesch eased to a 6-1, 6-0 win over Julia Volpentesta at number-three and Christine Czeshinski crushed Evie Trabant-McKenna 6-0, 6-0 in flight four. In doubles, Raiders Myah Smith and Masaeda Krug were 6-0, 6-2 winners over Molly Neufeld and Elena Bushiere in flight one. Alyssa Brandner and Eryka Seidl controlled their number-two match with Anna Vandeweerd and Hailey Warren 6-1, 6-1 and Chloe Werner and Madison Clarkson improved to 4-0 together at number-three with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Hailey Burhop and Maddy Ratliff.

The Raiders now get a well-deserved week-long break before cranking things back up again Tuesday with a non-conference dual against Regis-McDonell in Eau Claire. Medford hosts a 1:30 p.m. triangular with Ashland and Wisconsin Rapids Assumption on Sept. 22.

Lakeland 5, Medford 2

Medford got wins from Huegli and its number-three doubles team in a 5-2 loss Monday at GNC-leading Lakeland. The meet was postponed three days after getting rained out on Friday.

Huegli’s victory was a straight-set 6-4, 6-1 decision over Sarah Barton at number- one singles. The win for Werner and Clarkson was much closer.

Ali Timmerman and Charley Cleveland beat the Raider duo 6-2 in the first set of the flight-three doubles match. They nearly finished things off in the second set, but Werner and Clarkson stayed alive by winning the tiebreaker 7-5 to win the set 7-6. The third set also was about as even as it gets, but Werner and Clarkson pulled it out 7-5 to take the match.

The T-Birds were in control most of the way in the rest of the matches.

In doubles, sisters Julianna and Kristina Ouimette were 6-2, 6-1 winners in flight one over Smith and Krug, while Hailey Curtis and Cassidy Cleveland took down Seidl and Brandner 6-1, 6-1 in flight two.

In singles, Maria Gironella, who has played in flight one in the past, was a 6-2, 6-3 winner over Motte in flight two, Phoebe Wirtz downed Ruesch 6-4, 6-0 in flight three and Norah Strassburg swept Czeshinski in flight four 6-0, 6-0.

Lakeland improved to 6-0 in GNC duals with Monday’s win, but lost 4-3 at Pacelli on Tuesday.

Columbus 5, Medford 2

The three closest matches all went the home team’s way Thursday when Columbus Catholic defeated Medford 5-2.

The Lady Dons have shown themselves to be one of, if not the most improved team in the GNC this fall. This was Columbus Catholic’s first win over Medford since a 4-3 victory late in the 2016 season.

Medford’s wins came on the doubles side of the lineup sheet. Seidl and Brandner teamed up for a dominant 6-0, 6-0 win over Denali Volkman and Emily Boyer in flight two. Chloe Werner and Madison Clarkson teamed up for the second time this fall in flight three and earned their second win together, beating Emma Alcott and Madi Wittman 6-2, 6-1.

The flight-one doubles match was a tight one, but Columbus Catholic’s strong number-one combination of Maria Elizabeth Garcia-Moya and Declyn Tracy outlasted Smith and Krug 6-4, 6-4.

Maria Laura Garcia-Moya defeated Huegli 6-1, 6-2 in the number-one singles match and Akosua Yeboah was a 6-3, 6-0 winner over Motte in the number-two match.

Maggie Callahan had to go to three sets before beating Czeshinki in a back-andforth flight-four match. Callahan took the first set 7-5, Czeshinski answered with a 6-2 win, then Callahan took the decisive third set 6-4. The number-three match was competitive too with Columbus Catholic’s Lizzy Gruenloh defeating Ruesch 7-5, 6-3.