ABOVE: Allison Slama [left] and Emelia Klanderud celebrate securing bronze in section tournament. Submitted photo.

ST. PETER – Though the Fairmont girls tennis team’s season came to an end, the individual sections brought an unlikely duo to the individual section tournament.

Emelia Klandrud and Allison Slama were that unlikely duo who managed to secure third place in the individual section tournament.

Despite losing six seniors last year, the coaching staff had full confidence in the roster they had.

“The four girls that were coming back played kind of our lower positions last year,” said assistant coach Tim Slama. “We lost one of our top girls. So, coming in we knew that we were going to have a very young team, we knew the top teams in the section were very experienced and bringing some of their top girls back. So, I think we were very impressed with the girls that stepped up, we knew we were going to have a younger team, and I think overall we did really well.”

The team closed out its season with a record of 10-7. In a bit of a rebuilding year, the team is expecting Emelia Klanderud, Allison Slama, Ella Wubbena, Madisyn Peyman, Carly Gustafson, and Katherine Zelaya to return next year, further strengthening the Fairmont roster.

“One of our matches with USC was 3-4, and one of the matches we lost, they had two match points to win it, so we were real close,” said coach Slama. “So I think a 10-7 record was really good for how young we were and for the girls that we lost and that just will build on next year, because next year we’ll still be young, but we’ll have six girls returning next year who played kind of our top spots. I think that bodes well for next year when we have a lot of our girls returning and our top players.”

Despite the team’s early exit from the section round that didn’t stop Fairmont’s top two singles players from pairing up and throwing a valiant run at the individual section level. Emelia Kalderud (14-6) and Allison Slama (17-4) as singles players liked their odds teaming up heading into the tournament.

“The seniors were really good. Everybody was super helpful and I’m hoping that maybe next year I can make it to the state tournament,” said Allison Slama “Well, it was actually pretty exciting. It’s fun to do that at this age. And I knew that I could just play my best and what would happen would happen.”

Klanderud and Allison Slama finished third defeating River Valley and St James before falling before falling to Maple Rivers’ Macy Sohreand Kelsey Jaeger 4-6, 2-6. Landing them in the third place match where they defeated St. James Alivia Romsdahl and Ellie Anderson 6-2, 6-1.

The girls plan to come back better and stronger next year hoping to extend the playoff run further.

“Next season we’ll, for the individual tournament, we’ll have to just wait and see how the season goes next year,” said Klanderud. “Well, a lot of things can change over the summer within myself, within our team, within other schools as well. So, we’ll just have to wait how the season goes next year before I can make a decision about individuals next year.”