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North Branch 5, Chisago Lakes 2

North Branch used a strong performance in singles to knock off rival Chisago Lakes in a girls tennis matchup Tuesday, Sept. 15.

The Vikings won three of the four singles matches and took two of three in doubles to come away with a 5-2 victory over the Wildcats.

North Branch’s Rebekah Wurdemann set the tone at first singles, defeating Claire Mickelson 6-1, 6-1. Evelyn O’Donnell followed with a convincing 6-0, 6-1 win over Anna Hageman at second singles.

Eliana Smit gave the Vikings another point at third singles, topping Kinsley Daugs 6-1, 6-2.

Chisago Lakes got on the board at fourth singles behind Ella Smith, who turned in a dominant performance in a 6-0, 6-0 victory over Ainslee Hunter.

The closest matches of the day came in doubles.

At first doubles, North Branch’s Charlotte Santjer and Julia Schlagel battled past Elsa Behnke and Harlow Larson 7-6 (8), 6-0. June Peterson and Sophia Podoll added another Vikings victory at second doubles, defeating Annika Smith and Makenna Thorsen 6-4, 6-2.

The marathon match of the day came at third doubles, where Chisago Lakes’ Felicity Griffin and Lilly Smith outlasted Cosette Trampe and Libby Zderad.

Griffin and Smith grabbed the opening set in a tiebreaker 7-6 (4), before the North Branch duo answered with a 7-6 (9) win in the second. The Wildcats eventually prevailed 10-7 in the deciding match tiebreaker to earn Chisago Lakes’ second point of the day.

Wildcats bounce back with a pair of sweeps

The Chisago Lakes girls tennis team bounced back in a big way last week, sweeping Columbia Heights and Princeton on back-to-back days without dropping a match.

The Wildcats started the run Wednesday, Sept. 16, with a dominant 7-0 win over Columbia Heights. Chisago Lakes didn’t drop a single game in the match, winning all seven spots by identical 6-0, 6-0 scores.

Claire Mickelson, Harlow Larson, Kinsley Daugs and Ella Smith swept through the four singles spots. In doubles, Anna Hageman and Elsa Behnke won at No. 1, Annika Smith and Makenna Thorsen cruised at No. 2 and Felicity Griffin and Lilly Smith completed the shutout at third doubles.

The Wildcats kept rolling Thursday, Sept. 17, sweeping Mississippi 8 Conference foe Princeton 7-0.

Mickelson had the toughest battle of the day at first singles. After splitting the first two sets with Emily White, Mickelson prevailed 10-4 in the deciding tiebreaker.

Larson won 6-2, 6-2 at second singles, Daugs earned a 6-1, 6-2 victory at third singles and Ella Smith remained dominant at fourth singles with another 6-0, 6-0 sweep.

Chisago Lakes also swept doubles play. Hageman and Behnke won 6-0, 6-1, Smith and Thorsen earned a 6-1, 6-3 victory and Griffin and Lilly Smith closed out the Wildcats’ second straight sweep with a 6-2, 6-0 win.

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