St. James dethrones Fairmont for Section 2A tennis crown

ST. PETER -- St. James Area mentor Les Zellmann and his Saints' girls tennis team have qualified for every sectional team championship meet since 2001.

Next stop for the St. James Area netters -- the Class A state team quarterfinals on Tuesday, Oct. 25, at the Reed-Sweatt Tennis Center in Minneapolis against an opponent to be determined.

"Actually, this is the first time we've advanced to the state team tournament since 2018," said Zellmann, whose program earned a dozen consecutive state team bids from 2005-16.

The No. 1-seeded Saints captured two doubles matches and three more in the singles bracket, highlighted by Maya Kulseth's section-clinching point, to dethrone the 2021 Section 2 champion Fairmont Cardinals by a 5-2 decision on Thursday at the Swanson Tennis Center on the Gustavus Adolphus College campus in St. Peter.

"Give Fairmont head coach Laura Olsen credit for getting her team back to the section finals this year," said Zellmann, who lost to Olsen's Cardinals in the 2021 sectional championship. "After graduating six of her top 10 from last year's state-qualifying team, she did a great job of rebuilding this fall."

Ironically, Blue Earth Area defeated St. James Area in the 2020 sectional finale, but due to the covid pandemic, a state meet was not held. The Bucs also defeated the Saints for both the 2017 and 2019 sectional crowns.

"Qualifying for state never really gets old," said a grinning Zellmann, who will be inducted into the Minnesota State High School Coaches Association's Hall of Fame at 4:30 p.m. Saturday at the Sheraton West Hotel in Minnetonka. "These girls put in a lot of hard work to achieve their goal of advancing to the state team tournament this season, and I'm proud of their dedication and efforts."

Keyana Haler delivered the Saints' initial team tally by defeating Solveig Senf at No. 2 singles, 6-1, 6-2, before St. James Area's third doubles combination of Mariah Mireles and Mika Wessels fended off a second-set comeback by Fairmont opponents Lilly Laven and Paige Linse, 7-5. The Saints' No. 3 duo posted a 6-1 first-set win.

Allison Bluedorn and Alexis Brekken then netted the Saints' third team point by outslugging the hard-hitting tandem of Anika Haugen and Hope Klanderud in a first doubles clash, 7-5, 6-3.

Kulseth then secured St. James Area's state team bid by outdueling Fairmont's Elly Stegge in a good-to-the-last-shot third singles battle, 6-2, 7-6 (7-2). Stegge stayed within striking distance throughout the second segment before rallying to win Game 12 to knot the score at 6-all. Kulseth persevered in the tiebreaker by a five-point margin of victory.

Johanna Petschke and Abi Peyman then generated Fairmont's first team point of the sectional championship at second doubles. Petschke and Peyman reeled off three consecutive game wins to rebound from a 5-4 first-set deficit to defeat Dani Trapero and Mykela Hanson. Peyman and Petschke then netted a 6-1 second-set decision to claim the team tally.

Eva Romsdahl captured the Saints' final point by shutting out Brynn Gustafson at first singles before Fairmont eighth-grade phenom Emelia Klanderud captured her second match of Day 2 of the Section 2A Team Meet.

Klanderud battled Lily Ciske back-and-forth to 6-all in the opening set of their fourth singles dual before capturing a 7-2 win in the tiebreaker.

Klanderud then trailed 3-2 and 4-3 in the second set before rallying for a 6-4 comeback win behind three consecutive game wins for Fairmont, which ended its team portion of the season with a 14-8 record.

In the sectional semifinals, Emelia Klanderud garnered the go-ahead team point at 3-2 for Fairmont by downing Blue Earth Area's Lauren Survis at fourth singles, 6-4, 6-1.

Petschke and Peyman displayed their comeback skills at second doubles against Erika Gaydon and McKinley Hanson to clinch the Cardinals' eventual 4-3 semifinal win over the Bucs.

Petschke and Peyman coasted to an opening 6-0 set win before Gaydon and McKinley Hanson displayed their mettle by answering with a 6-3 second-set victory. Ironically, Petschke and Peyman caught their second wind and bounced back for a 6-0 third-set win to claim the winning fourth team point.

Laven and Linse triggered Fairmont's doubles sweep against the Bucs by defeating Addison Prescher and Erin Prescher, 6-1, 6-0, at the No. 3 position in the lineup.

Haugen and Hope Klanderud added the No. 1 doubles point by serving a 6-1, 6-2 loss to Ashlyn Klinkner and Carol Schrader.

Addison Armstrong, Olivia Dutton and Grace Hanson swept the top three singles matches for Blue Earth Area, respectively.

Armstrong displayed her all-around arsenal by downing Gustafson at the top spot, 6-0, 6-0, while Dutton's overall court coverage helped pace a 6-1, 6-0 second singles win over Senf. Grace Hanson then fended off Stegge at the No. 3 position in the singles division, 6-2, 6-3.

Blue Earth Area ended the season with a 9-12 record.

Fairmont, Blue Earth Area and St. James Area all return to the Swanson Tennis Center in St. Peter at 9 a.m. today for Day 1 of the two-day Section 2A Individual Meet. Each program gets two entrants in both the singles and doubles brackets.

Section 2A Team Meet

Championship

St. James Area 5, Fairmont 2

Singles Bracket

• Eva Romsdahl (SJA) def. Brynn Gustafson, 6-0, 6-0.

• Keyana Haler (SJA) def. Solveig Senf, 6-1, 6-2.

• Maya Kulseth (SJA) def. Elly Stegge, 6-2, 7-6 (7-2).

• Emelia Klanderud (FMT) def. Lily Ciske, 7-6 (7-2), 6-4.

Doubles Bracket

• Alexis Brekken-Allison Bluedorn (SJA) def. Anika Haugen-Hope Klanderud, 7-5, 6-3.

• Johanna Petschke-Abi Peyman (FMT) def. Dani Trapero-Mykela Hanson, 7-5, 6-1.

• Mariah Mireles-Mika Wessels (SJA) def. Lilly Laven-Paige Linse, 6-1, 7-5.

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Semifinal

Fairmont 4, Blue Earth Area 3

Singles Bracket

• Addison Armstrong (BEA) def. Brynn Gustafson, 6-0, 6-0.

• Olivia Dutton (BEA) def. Solveig Senf, 6-1, 6-0.

• Grace Hanson (BEA) def. Elly Stegge, 6-2, 6-3.

• Emelia Klanderud (FMT) def. Lauren Survis, 6-4, 6-1.

Doubles Bracket

• Anika Haugen-Hope Klanderud (FMT) def. Ashlyn Klinkner-Carol Schrader, 6-1, 6-2.

• Johanna Petschke-Abi Peyman (FMT) def. Erika Gaydon-McKinley Hanson, 6-0, 3-6, 6-0.

• Lilly Laven-Paige Linse (FMT) def. Addison Prescher-Erin Prescher, 6-1, 6-0.