Mayo, Lourdes romp in first round of respective state girls tennis tournaments

On October 24th, Rochester’s two representatives in the Class 2A and 1A girls tennis tournaments showcased their talent in the quarterfinals. It was a dominating performance from Mayo and Lourdes.

Mayo, ranked and seeded number one in Class 2A, swept aside unseeded Bemidji with a 7-0 victory at the University of Minnesota’s Baseline Tennis Center. In the Class 1A event at the Reed-Sweatt Tennis Center, Lourdes, also ranked and seeded first, defeated unseeded Luverne with the same 7-0 scoreline.

The unbeaten Spartans (24-0) of Mayo won all of their matches in straight sets. They will now face the winner of the match between No. 4 seed Elk River and No. 5 seed Maple Grove in the semifinals, scheduled for 8 a.m. on Wednesday. The winners of the semifinals will compete in the state championship at 4 p.m. the same day. The bottom half of the Class 2A bracket features No. 2 seed Edina and No. 3 seed Minnetonka.

With Mayo making it to the state tournament for 26 out of the last 27 years, they are the favorites to win their first state girls tennis championship.

Defending Class 1A state champion Lourdes had an equally comfortable time in their first-round dual at the Reed-Sweatt Tennis Center. Even their closest match was won in straight sets, with Molly Suino and Katherine Sieve securing a 6-4, 6-2 victory at No. 1 doubles.

Lourdes now prepares to face No. 4 seed St. James at 8 a.m. on Wednesday. In the bottom half of the bracket, they could potentially face No. 2 seed Blake, a team many consider equal or superior to Lourdes. The championship match is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Wednesday.

In a remarkable upset, Lourdes defeated Breck 4-3 in last year’s state championship, claiming their first title since 2010. The Eagles have qualified for the state tournament for an impressive 29 consecutive years.

At the University of Minnesota’s Baseline Tennis Center:

Mayo 7, Bemidji 0

Singles: Claire Loftus (M) defeated Lila Collins 6-0, 6-0; Aoife Loftus (M) defeated Lacy Busch 6-0, 6-0; Malea Diehn (M) defeated Kamryn Kraemer 6-0, 6-2; Ana Medina (M) defeated Brooke Mulholland 6-0, 6-0.

Doubles: Nandini Iyer/Audrey Aney (M) defeated Ericah Folden/Claire Erdal 6-2, 6-2; Keely Ryder/Bergen Jacob (M) defeated Lydia Omberg/Brooklyn Dietz 6-0, 6-2; Charlotte Colby/Diane Meunier (M) defeated Lauren Kline/Lydia Olson 6-1, 6-2.

At the Reed-Sweatt Tennis Center:

Lourdes 7, Luverne 0

Singles: Caroline Daly (L) defeated Augusta Papik 6-2, 6-0; Elyse Palen (L) defeated Sarah Stegenga 6-0, 6-1; Erin Witter (L) defeated Morgan Hadler 6-0, 6-0; Taylor Elliott (L) defeated Addyson Mann 6-0, 6-1.

Doubles: Molly Suino/Katherine Sieve (L) defeated Cassi Chesley/Roselynn Hartshorn 6-4, 6-2; Taylor Seelhammer/Ellie Leise (L) defeated Emma Nath/Corynn Oye 6-1, 6-0; Kaydra Quimby/Ashley Wagester (L) defeated Rayann Remme/Katia Jarchow 6-2, 6-0.