Oct. 25—MINNEAPOLIS — Rochester girls tennis history could be made later today.
Mayo and Lourdes are both playing for state championships beginning at 4 p.m., the Spartans at the University of Minnesota’s Baseline Tennis Center, the Eagles at Reed-Sweatt Tennis Center.
A Rochester state girls tennis sweep — Mayo in Class 2A, Lourdes in Class 1A — would be a first for the city.
Mayo, which is looking for its first state girls tennis championship, turned in a dominant performance in Wednesday’s morning’s semifinals. The Spartans blasted No. 5-seed Maple Grove 6-1. It will play the Edina (No. 2 seed) and Minnetonka (No. 3) winner for the state title.
Mayo has beaten both those teams twice this year, Edina 6-1 and 5-2, and Minnetonka 7-0 and 5-2. The Spartans enter the championship a perfect 25-0.
Lourdes, which is gunning for its second straight state girls tennis title and 15th overall, used a sweep in singles to push to the 5-2 win over St. James.
Caroline Daly, Elyse Palen, Erin Witter and Taylor Elliott all were straight-sets winners. Taylor Seelhammer and Ellie Leise also secured a win at No. 2 doubles.
Lourdes (29-16) will play the winner between No. 2 seed Blake and No. 3 Pine City for the state championship today.
This is Lourdes’ 29th straight year in the state tournament. For Mayo, it is the 26th time in the last 27 years that it’s been there.
—At U of M’s Baseline Tennis Center
SEMIFINALS
Mayo 6, Maple Grove 1
Singles: Claire Loftus (M) def. Maddie Larsen (MG) 6-0, 6-2; Aoife Loftus (M) def. Summer Ode 6-0, 6-0; Malea Diehn (M) def. Megan Parker 6-0, 6-0; Ana Medina (M) def. Rylee Toms 6-0, 6-0. Doubles: Nandini Iyer/Keely Ryder (M) def. Char Bakke/Amelia Larsen 6-1, 6-3; Peyton Weigelt/Lexi Helmer-Jahnke (MG) def. Diane Meunier/Bergen Jacob 6-2, 4-6, 10-4; Charlotte Colby/Audrey Aney (M) def. Livia Walseth/Addison Doherty 6-1, 6-2.
—At Reed-Sweatt Tennis Center
SEMIFINALS
Lourdes 5, St. James 2
Singles: Caroline Daly (L) def. Keyana Haler 6-1, 6-0; Elyse Palen (L) def. Elizabeth Shores 6-0, 6-0; Erin Witter (L) def. Maya Kulseth 6-1, 6-1; Taylor Elliott (L) def. Lily Ciske 6-1, 6-0. Doubles: Allison Bluedorn/Alexis Brekken (SJ) def. Molly Suino/Katherine Sieve 6-2, 6-4; Taylor Seelhammer/Ellie Leise (L) def. Dani Trapero/Mykela Hanson 6-2, 6-3; Alivia Romsdahl/Ellie Anderson (SJ) def. Kaydra Quimby/Ashley Wagester 6-3, 6-1.
