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The Chisago Lakes girls tennis team capped a remarkable fall by sending three players to the MSHSL Class AA State Tournament last week at the University of Minnesota’s Baseline Tennis Center. Freshman Claire Mickelson qualified in singles, while junior Anna Hageman and sophomore Claire Beaver represented the Wildcats in doubles play.

It marked the first time in program history that Chisago Lakes had both a singles and doubles entry at state — a milestone reflecting the team’s growth and balance this season.

Mickelson drew a difficult first-round assignment in fifth-seeded Madeline Bergerson of Hill-Murray. Bergerson’s power and consistency kept Mickelson on the defensive, and the freshman fell 6-0, 6-0.

In the consolation round, Mickelson faced Sienna Szerda of Blake and showed plenty of grit before bowing out 6-1, 6-1. Despite the losses, the experience provided valuable lessons for the promising ninth-grader.

In doubles, Hageman and Beaver entered the tournament as a confident pairing after a nice section run. Their opening match came against familiar foes in the winners from their section, Mattelyn Seppi and Ayla Troutwine from Rock Ridge. The Wildcat tandem hung close early but dropped the first set 6-4 and couldn’t recover in a 6-1 loss in the second.

Moving to the consolation bracket, Hageman and Beaver squared off against Hattie Fullhart and Dillyn Lill of Fergus Falls. The duo again found themselves in long rallies but ultimately fell 6-1, 6-2 to close their state run. Fullhart and Lill would go on to win the consolation championship.

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