Eight Downriver-area teams headed to Temperance Bedford on Wednesday, May 18 for the Division 2, Region 10 meet.
Trenton qualified for the state finals with a runner-up finish. The Trojans came away with 18 points and were behind only host Bedford (23).
The D2 state meet is set for June 3-4 with matches at Hope College and Holland Christian.
Allen Park (12) and Gibraltar Carlson (12) tied for third place while Wyandotte Roosevelt (11) took fourth and Southgate Anderson (10) placed fifth. Riverview (4) and Riverview Gabriel Richard (4) tied for sixth and Lincoln Park (0) rounded things out for the day.
Reese Blackledge of Wyandotte Roosevelt was the No. 1 singles champion. In the finals, she faced Julia Martin of Bedford and dropped the first set 6-1. However, Blackledge responded with wins of 6-3 and 6-3 to come away with Top Gun honors in the region.
To advance to the finals, Blackledge knocked off Sophia Kacorzyk of Trenton (6-2, 6-0) in the semifinals. Brooke Posey of Allen Park reached the other semi and fell to Martin (6-2, 6-2).
Another singles champion from the area came at No. 4 singles with Ava Ball of Roosevelt. She topped Trenton’s Cecily Sawicki in the finals (6-4, 6-3). To advance, Ball survived a battle with Bedford’s Ashley Davis in the semis. (6-4, 4-6, 7-6) Sawicki topped Danica McCoy of Anderson (6-4, 6-4).
At No. 2 singles, Jillian Paryaski of Trenton finished runner-up in the finals against Sophia LaPointe of Bedford (6-2, 6-1). Paryaski defeated Bella Chiles of Richard (6-3, 6-2) in the semis and Andrea Linn of Allen Park fell to LaPointe (6-1, 6-1).
Allen Park’s Jenna Goch was runner-up at No. 3 singles to Lilly Nudi of Bedford (6-0, 6-1). Both semifinal matches were a battle. Goch topped Daniela Davis of Trenton in (6-7, 6-4, 7-5) while Riley Tarnowski of Roosevelt fell to Nudi (7-5, 5-7, 6-2).
Area teams accounted for three championships in doubles action.
From Trenton, Gabby Penny and Jessica Cooper won the No. 2 doubles title with a win over Lauren Spano and Delaney Brown of Carlson in the finals (6 – 1, 1 – 6, 7 – 6). Cooper and Penny got by Elise Hamblin and Chloe Knapp of Riverview in the semis (6-3, 6-2). Spano and Brown defeated Jessica Schully and Miranda Moore of Bedford (6-1, 6-1) in the other semifinal.
Trenton’s Natalie Anderson and Ava Raupp won the No. 3 doubles championship. The duo topped Lia Stith and Brooklyn Roldan in the finals (6-0, 7-5). In the semis, Anderson and Raupp got by Alexis Pomponio and Sarah Pasko of Anderson (6-3, 6-0) and Stith and Roldan goty by Lucy Conlan and Lauren Werblansky of Bedford (6-3, 4-6, 6-1).
Anderson’s Mia Liangos and Kejsi Sulaj claimed the No. 4 doubles championship at the regional. They knocked off Rylie Sulewski and Delaney Boller in the finals (6-3, 6-3). To reach the championship match, Liangos and Sulaj defeated Trenton’s Ava Holt and Ashley Brendl in the semis (6-3, 6-2). Sulewski and Boller survived a battle with Brooke Johnson and Lindsay Canning of Allen Park in the other semifinal (6 – 2, 6 – 7, 7 – 5).
At No. 1 doubles, Kamren Bell and Nadia Papalas of Carlson finished runner-up. The talented duo fell to Samantha Clark and Hanah Kudzia of Bedford (5-7, 6-2, 6-3). Bell and Papalas got out of the semifinal with a win over Caroline Hinds and Sheala Roberson of Allen Park (6-1, 6-2). Anderson’s Mirysa Thacker and Ariana Vasquez reached the other semifinal and fell to Clark and Kudzia (6-0, 6-0).
Grosse Ile qualifies for state finals in D3
Grosse Ile served as host for D3, Region 19 on Thursday, May 19 and qualified for the state finals with a second-place finish overall.
The Red Devils (14) were behind only first-place Chelsea (24) and well ahead of third-place Milan (7).
This year’s D3 state meet is scheduled for June 3-4 with matches at Midland Tennis Center and Midland High School.
While Chelsea swept all eight flights, Grosse Ile had six runner-up finishes along the way.
At No. 1 singles, Katie Kobiljak fell to the Bulldogs’ Amanda Dorsey (6-0, 6-2) in the finals. Kobiljak reached the championship match with a semifinal win over Ellie Ferrante of Airport (6-0, 6-1).
Sara Whitty was runner-up at No. 2 single for the Red Devils. She was defeated in the finals by Anne-Marie Begola (6-1, 6-1). In the semis, Whitty knocked off Makayla Ridner of Airport (6-2, 6-1).
Ava Tucker of Grosse Ile ran into Chelsea’s Ines Grego in the finals (6-0, 6-0). Tucker got by Sam Cortez of Pinckney in the semis (6-4, 6-0).
The Devils’ Payton Thayer reached the championship match, where she was defeated by Chelsea’s Haley Hopkins (6-0, 6-0). Thayer took down Julia McGee of Pinckney in the semis (6-1, 6-0).
At No. 1 doubles, the Grosse Ile duo of Allie Heckman and Allison Darzniak reached the finals and fell to Adrienne Delongand Amelia Loveland (6-0, 6-1). Heckman and Darzniak got by Kelsey Knape and Jada Moore of Tecumseh in the semis (6-3, 6-2).
The Devil duo of Natalia Cusumano and Grace Mans placed second at No. 2 doubles, falling in the finals to Meghan Bareis and Megan Boughton (6-4, 6-4). One round earlier, Cusumano and Mans defeated Kaitlyn Pfeifferand Ryan Legier Demond of Milan (6-1, 6-0).
At No. 3 doubles, Grosse Ile’s Livvie Heckman and Grace Kuzmiak fell in the semis.
The Devils’ No. 4 doubles team of Lucie Neilsen and Annie Dame also fell in the semis.
Huron picked up its point in No. 4 doubles, as Adrianna Skene and Rachel Bulifant won in the first round over Aubrey Baur and Sophie Becker of Pinckney (6-4, 7-5).
Woodhaven and Taylor compete at AA Huron
Woodhaven and Taylor High were at Ann Arbor Pioneer on Thursday, May 19 for the D1, Region 3 meet.
The Warriors (2) and Griffins (2) tied for seventh place and the meet champ was Pioneer (32).
For Woodahven, No. 3 singles player Heidi Klindt and No. 4 singles Lindsey Arntson each won their first match of the day. Arntson won her match over Savannah Abraham of Taylor (5-7, 6 – 4, 6 – 2).
For Taylor, Madison Vance won her first match of the day at No. 2 singles. Shayla King and Kailee June won their first match at No. 1 doubles.