Oct. 11—RAPID CITY — The Mitchell High School girls tennis team closed out the season with a top-five finish at the Class AA state championships.
The Kernels finished the two-day tournament in fifth place with 284 points. Mitchell tennis also had three runner-up finishes in singles play, along with a third-place result. All matches on Day 2 were contested at the Sioux Park Tennis Courts.
In singles play, Elly Clement posted a runner-up finish in Flight 4. A state champion at No. 2 doubles last year, Clement defeated Aberdeen Central’s Chloe Ladner 6-3, 6-3 in the semifinals, but was bested by Rapid City Stevens’ Madison Marsh 6-3, 6-3 in the final.
Matteah Graves also reached the finals at No. 5 singles, taking down Sioux Falls Lincoln’s Lily Statema 6-4, 6-3. In the finals, Stevens’ Bella Nelson took down Graves 6-1, 6-3. At No. 6 singles, Mia Larson dispatched Stevens’ Brooke Cadwallader 6-3, 6-1 in the semifinals, before falling in the finals to Lincoln’s Momo Welch Okawa 6-4, 6-4.
In the top flights, Carsyn Weich posted a third-place finish at No. 2 singles. Falling to eventual Flight 2 runner-up Leyla Meester of Watertown, Weich defeated O’Gorman’s Lucy Koziara 10-9 (8) in the third-place match. Both Megan Mastel and Katie Morgan reached the fifth-place semifinals at No. 1 and No. 3 singles, respectively.
For the Kernels in doubles action, Larson and Morgan finished in fourth place after Watertown’s Jade Smith and Cayda Weiss defeated the pair in the Flight 3 third-place match 10-5. Clement and Graves won the fifth-place match at No. 2 doubles 10-6 over Yankton’s Addison Gordon and Paige Mitzel. At No. 1 doubles, Mastel and Weich reached the fifth-place semifinals.
Rapid City Stevens won its seventh girls tennis championship and its third in the past four years, finishing with 509 points, and winning four singles and two doubles titles. Sylvie Mortimer and Ella Potvin won titles at No. 2 and No. 3 singles, respectively, while Arabella Scott and Elena Braun won the No. 2 doubles title. Nelson and Marsh won at No. 3 doubles.
Sioux Falls Lincoln finished in second place with 366 points, producing one flight champion. Yankton (311.5) finished in third, as Nora Krajewski was victorious at No. 1 singles and at No. 1 doubles with Sabrina Krajewski. Watertown (294.5) came home in fourth in front of Mitchell. O’Gorman (270), Aberdeen Central (249), Sioux Falls Jefferson (167), Harrisburg (137), and Brandon Valley (114.5) completed the top-10.
