The Minnewaska Area girls tennis team came up one win short of reaching the state tourney.  The Lakers, who were seeded second in Section 6A, beat Osakis in the team semifinals last Tuesday at Rogers, 5-2, before falling to the top-seeded Litchfield Dragons in the finals later in the day, 5-2.

The Lakers closed out the 2024 team portion of their season with an impressive 19-4 record, which included an 8-0 mark in the WCC to win a 10th-straight conference title.  “We played well, but Litchfield is a tough opponent and we knew it was going to be tough to beat them,” coach Tara Reichmann said.  “We just came up a little short.”

Litchfield beat Minnewaska earlier this season, 4-3.  Minnewaska came into the match as the third-ranked team in state Class A, while the Dragons were seeded fifth.

“We were hoping to pull out two singles wins and two in doubles,” coach Reichmann said.  When asked if it gets tougher to lose matches like this as she gets older, Reichmann confirmed by saying, “yes, it is tougher the older I get I think, because I know what a state experience is like and I want to share that with every person that comes through our program.

“Obviously, that doesn’t always happen, but certainly it’s our goal.”

Five Lakers still remain in contention for state berths in the Section 6A Individual Tourney.  Top-seeded Alia Randt and Megan Thorfinnson advanced to the semifinals after winning twice last Wednesday at Rogers, while also advancing to the section doubles’ semifinals is the team of Rachel Rankin and Avarie Uhde.

Those two teams are set to meet in the semifinals, Tuesday, Oct. 15, at Rogers, while two teams from Litchfield square up in the other semifinal match.

In singles, Olivia Danielson remains in contention after winning twice last Wednesday.  She is set to face the top-seeded player from Osakis in the semifinals, while Katy Vold lost in the opening round of singles and was eliminated.

“Individuals went well and all our players made the semifinals, except for Katy,” coach Reichmann said.  “We’re not excited about the teams having to play each other, but eventually, every team has to beat the other teams to make it to state.”

The Lakers were 8-0 in the WCC, while Montevideo was second with a 7-1 record, followed by LQP-DB (6-2), Benson-KMS (5-3), Morris Area-WCA (4-4), YME (3-5), Melrose Area and Sauk Centre (both 2-6) and MACCRAY (0-8).

Section team tourney

The Lakers fell to the Litchfield Dragons in the Section 6A title match, 5-2, last Tuesday at Rogers.  Minnewaska Area came into the match as the third-ranked team in Class A, while the Dragons were ranked fifth.

In a match earlier this year on Aug. 21, Litchfield also won 4-3.

Minnewaska Area did beat Osakis in the semifinals earlier in the day, 5-2.  Megan Thorfinnson earned a 6-3, 6-1 win at second singles and Olivia Danielson prevailed 6-0, 7-5 at third singles and the Lakers also swept the three doubles’ matches.

Avarie Uhde and Rachel Rankin won a close match at first doubles (7-5, 7-6, 10-4 tiebreaker), while Katy Vold and Addy Heid won easily at second doubles, 6-1, 6-1 and Katie Sorenson and McKenna Uhde pulled out a 6-1, 6-4 victory at third doubles.

•  In the championship match, the Lakers needed to win at least two singles’ matches and two in doubles.  That didn’t happen.

Earning the only win in singles was Olivia Danielson at third singles (6-0, 6-1) and winning the only match in doubles was the second doubles team of Katy Vold and Addy Heid (6-3, 6-3).

The Lakers did have several chances at another point, including a 6-1, 7-6 loss by Megan Thorfinnson at second singles, but the Dragons did not lose any other sets.

The State Girls Tennis Team Tourney is slated for Oct. 22-23 at the Read-Sweatt Tennis Center.

Individual first rounds

The Lakers have several chances of advancing someone to state after two doubles’ teams and one singles’ player advanced to the Final Four, set for Tuesday, Oct. 15 at Rogers.

Megan Thorfinnson and Alia Randt went 2-0 to reach the doubles’ semifinals, while Rachel Rankin and Avarie Uhde also went 2-0.

The two Minnewaska doubles’ teams are set to square off in the semifinals while two teams from Litchfield are in the other half of the bracket. 

In singles, Katy Vold fell in the first round to a player from NLS, while Olivia Danielson won both of her matches to advance to the semifinals where she’ll meet the top-seeded player from Osakis.

There is true-second in Section 6A so if any of Minnewaska’s entries lose in the semifinals, they still have a chance to win twice to earn a state berth.

Section 6A Team Tourney

Minnewaska 5, Osakis 2

SINGLES results: 

(1) Leah Maddock, Osakis def Alia Randt 6-1, 6-1  (2) Megan Thorfinnson, Min def Bella Weisser 6-3, 6-1  (3) Olivia Danielson, Min def Ava Drevlow 6-0, 7-5  (4) Faith Schmidtbauer, Osakis def Kaylen Blair 6-2, 6-0

DOUBLES results:  

(1)  Avarie Uhde-Rachel Rankin, Min def Jaclyn Dietrich-Maddi Bouldin 7-5, 6-7, 10-4  (2) Katy Vold-Addy Heid, Min def Morgan Baker-Mataya Moore 6-1, 6-1  (3) Katie Sorenson-McKenna Uhde, Min def Payton Drum-Mack. Steele 6-1, 6-4

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Litchfield 5, Minnewaska 2

SINGLES results: 

(1) Isla Dille, Litch def Alia Randt 6-3, 6-0  (2) Maya Wuotila, Litch def Megan Thorfinnson 6-1, 7-6 (7-5)  (3) Olivia Danielson, Min def Emma Wuotila 6-0, 6-1  (4) Marcella Bruning, Lit def Kaylen Blair 6-2, 6-2

DOUBLES results:  

(1)  Emma Knudsen-Molly Patten, Litch def Avarie Uhde-Rachel Rankin 6-1, 6-3  (2) Katy Vold-Addy Heid, Min def Brynn Nagel-Tayah Damerow 6-3, 6-3  (3) Elly Woelfel-Emily Michels, Litch def Katie Sorenson-McKenna Uhde 6-4, 6-1

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Section 6A Individuals

Minnewaska results:

SINGLES results: 

•  Olivia Danielson, Min def Addison Kemper, Melrose 6-0, 6-1; def Ari Surma, SJP 6-0, 6-4

•  Katy Vold, Min lost to Emma Freidel, NLS 6-3, 6-3 (eliminated)

•  FINAL FOUR:  #1-Leah Maddock, Osakis vs. Olivia Danielson, Min; #2-Isla Dille, Litch vs. Rachel Welle, Melrose

DOUBLES results:  

•  Megan Thorfinnson-Alia Randt, Min def Ramona Lurken-Tvrdik-Jenna Butkowski, Melrose 6-0, 6-1; def Ava Drevlow-Maddi Bouldin, Osakis 6-2, 6-0

•  Avarie Uhde-Rachel Rankin, Min def Ellan Fischer-Grace Berndt, BBE 6-0, 6-0; def Bella Weisser-Jaclyn Dietrich, Osakis 6-1, 6-0

•  FINAL FOUR:  #1-Megan Thorfinnson-Alia Randt, Min vs. Rachel Rankin-Avarie Uhde, Min; #2-Molly Patten-Emma Knudsen, Litch vs. Maya Wuotila-Emma Wuotila, Litch

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