Dunlap brings home a national tennis trophy again.
THE Eagles women’s tennis team accumulated 27 points finish third in the IHSA Class 1A girls’ tennis state finals SATURDAY. That matches third place in 2023, which was an all-time record for the program.
Metamora finished 12th in 1A, while Richwoods was in a field of 42 in Class 2A. Morton, in 1A, and Washington, in 2A, did not earn team points.
Previously: Here are the 17 area high school girls tennis players who qualified for IHSA state
“It was an incredible, long day, and now we have a long way to go home,” Dunlap coach Pat Gornik said. “This ride is a little easier, though, when you have a third-place trophy strapped to the seat next to you.
“This was one of the most exciting events for us. We had high hopes. We had to keep earning points all day today to make sure we didn’t lose a place in the team to the The University of Chicago was truly a total team effort.
Here’s a look at how Peoria area tennis players performed this weekend in the state finals:
Class 1A double
• The Dunlap sisters’ doubles tandem of senior Carolina Gusso and sophomore Isabella Gusso won six matches and battled into the state game for fifth place in the consolation bracket. There they were eliminated 6-4, 2-6, 10-3 in a tiebreaker against Kennedi Taylor and Natalie Beck of Glen Carbon Father McGivney.
They beat a Marian tandem in the consolation semifinals, won a consolation quarterfinal against a Hinsdale South duo in which two of three sets were decisive, won a third-round match against Marian, a match second round against Olney and an opening match. -match against Metamora duo Mia Whitfield (junior) and Amelia Cooper (senior).
• The Dunlap doubles tandem of Maya Baman and Melaina Humbles won a first-round match against Marian, beat Metamora duo Olivia Bradford and Ellie Schaffer in the second round, then were stopped in the third round of the championship by a tandem of Chicago (university). . They were eliminated in a loss to Triad in the fourth round of the consolation bracket, a match that went to a third set tiebreaker.
• Metamora’s Bradford and Schaffer won two consolation matches before being eliminated in the fourth round by a Teutopolis tandem.
Class 1A Singles
• Dunlap’s Yu finished fifth with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Jane Carter (Elmhurst Timothy Christian). Yu advanced through the championship bracket to the quarterfinals before losing to Chicago (University) senior Paola Almeda, 6-3, 6-2. Almeda then reached the state championship game.
• Dunlap junior Alassea Michel battled to the consolation quarterfinals, where she was eliminated by Casey’s Elise Derome, 6-4, 6-1.
• Metamora junior Lexi Burton lost her first championship match, then defaulted in her first consolation match.
Last season: Dunlap girls tennis makes history by leading Peoria area players to IHSA state finals
• Morton sophomore Chloe Kendall won her first-round match, lost in the second round to Yu (6-0, 6-1) and was eliminated in the second round of consolation play by Ruthie Manor, Highland senior.
• Metamora junior Lauren Poole won her opening match against Dixon’s Grace Ferguson in a 10-6 third-set tiebreaker, then lost to Hinsdale South’s Addy Filipiak in the second round. In consolation, she won her third-round match, then exited with a 6-1, 6-2 loss to Marian senior Kaitlin Remke.
Class 2A double
The Richwoods and Washington High School doubles tandems had a tough outing at state.
The Knights’ tandem of Theresa Bartelme and Olivia Reynolds lost an opening match to a pair from Lake Forest. They fought back to win two consolation matches, beating Rockford Guilford tandem Yeva Ksenafontova and Laci Belknap, 6-3, 6-2, then edging Edwardsville tandem Veda Kommineni and Albina Selimi, 7-6 (2), 6-0. The Knights tandem was eliminated in the third consolation round by a Barrington tandem.
Washington’s tandem of senior Annabelle Hiel and senior Anica Roozenboom lost its opener to Wheaton Warrenville South. They were eliminated with a loss to a freshman duo from Palatine Fremd in their first consolation match.
Peoria-area athletes earn all-state honors
Dunlap’s sensational freshman singles player Anna Yu earned first-team all-state honors, as did the Eagles’ doubles tandem of sisters Carolina Gusso and Isabella Gusso. … Dunlap’s Alassea Michel was second-team all-state, and doubles tandem Maya Baman and Melaina Humbles were third-team all-state. … Metamora’s Lauren Poole was third team all-state in singles, while doubles tandem Olivia Bradford and Ellie Schaffer were third team all-state.
Dave Eminian is the Journal Star’s sports columnist and covers Bradley men’s basketball, the Rivermen and the Chiefs. He writes the sports column Cleve In The Eve for pjstar.com. He can be reached at 686-3206 or [email protected]. Follow him on X.com @icetimecleve.
This article was originally published on Journal Star: State of IHSA Women’s Tennis: How Peoria-area players fared at state
