Milbank Area Girls Tennis Squad Earns Sportsmanship Award at State
THE MILBANK AREA girls tennis team received the team sportsmanship award at the state Class A tennis tournament Monday-Tuesday, October 4-5. Team members are, back row, left to right, Amelia Pederson, Hope Karels, Alexis Ninneman, Hattie Muellenbach, Marion Mischel, Elsie Seffrood and Ashlyn Lamp. The team is coached by Abbey Trapp, front left, and Steve Stemsrud, front right.
Milbank Area Girls Tennis Squad
Earns Sportsmanship Award at State
The Lady Bulldog tennis team wound up the season at the state Class A tournament in Sioux Falls on Monday-Tuesday, October 4-5. The team tallied 79.5 points and finished 11th in the standings.
Hattie Muellenbach claimed fourth place in flight one of singles competition and Hope Karels was the runner-up in the consolation bracket in flight three. Karels teamed up with Marion Mischel to win the flight two doubles consolation championship.
The Bulldogs were selected as the 2021-2022 team sportsmanship award recipients. “This is one of the highest achievements at the state tournament level as it shows character, kindness, and respect for other players on and off the courts,” said Coach Abbey Trapp. “The girls played hard and it was a great tournament.”
Muellenbach, a senior, defeated Ellen Boomgarden of Lennox in first round action, 6-0, 6-0. She posted a 6-2, 6-4 win over Emma Jury of Vermillion in quarterfinal play but lost to Ella Hancock of Rapid City Christian, 6-0, 6-1, in a semi-final contest and finished fourth.
Alexis Ninneman, senior, flight two, lost to Savanah Shipley of Madison, 6-1, 6-2, in first round action and had a bye in the second of consolation play. She lost to Rebeccah Anglin of Spearfish, 10-9, in her final match.
Hope Karels, sophomore, flight three, lost to Kara Weiss of Pierre, 6-2, 6-1, the first round and had a bye in second round of consolation play. She defeated River Haskell of Aberdeen Roncalli, 10-4, to advance to the consolation championship but lost to Emily Westenberg of Sioux Falls Christian, 10-5.
Marion Mischel, senior, flight four, defeated Halle Karmazin of Sioux Falls Christian, 7-6 (2), 4-6, 10-7. Moving into the winners’ bracket she lost to Julia Platt of
Mitchell, 60-, 6-1, and to Frannie Kouri of Yankton, 10-8.
Elsie Seffrood, junior, flight five lost to Caitlin Ott of Pierre, 6-0, 6-0; had a bye, and lost to Christian Rowe of Madison, 10-4
Amelia Pederson, sophomore, flight six, lost to Carissa Ott of Pierre, 6-1, 6-0; lost to Laura Frost of Spearfish, 10-2.
Doubles
Flight One – Muellenbach/Ninneman lost to Mondloch/Anglin, Spearfish, 6-2, 6-4; bye; lost to Rubish/Heinen of Huron, 10-6.
Flight Two – Mischel/Karels lost to Crawford/Geyer, Rapid City Christian, 6-3, 6-4; bye; defeated Huck/Iszler, Spearfish, 10-4; defeated Doom/Westenberg, Sioux Falls Christian, 10-7. Consolation champions.
Flight Three - Seffrood/Pederson lost to Buehner/Buehner, Lennox, 6-2, 6-0; bye; lost to Kretchman/Madsen, Aberdeen Roncalli, 10-3.
Mitchell took home the team title with 499.5. Rounding out the top five were Rapid City Christian, 408; Yankton, 406.5; Pierre T.F. Riggs, 289, and St. Thomas More, 249.5.
