By By ADAM FISHER / Niles Daily Star
Though neither won the coveted state championship this weekend, both Buchanan and Brandywine had their best ever seasons in girls' tennis this year.
At Friday and Saturday's Division 4 state finals in Grand Rapids, the Bucks placed two flights in the quarterfinals. Five other flights made it into the second round. Buchanan's performance netted seven points, good enough for 10th in the state.
Brandywine had a flight advance to the semifinals and one to the quarterfinals, finishing with five points, 14th in the state.
Dowagiac finished with six points and in 12th place. Detroit Country Day won the team state championship with 35 points, almost double the 19 points of North Muskegon and Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett.
The best finish from local players came from the Bobcats No. 3 doubles team of Nikki Cooper and Courtnay Schlutt. The duo advanced to the final four before falling to Battle Creek Pennfield.
Cooper and Schlutt finished fourth in the state, the highest ever for a Brandywine flight. To do so, they had to rally from a 5-2 third set deficit in the quarterfinals against a seeded team. Cooper and Schlutt finished 22-2 on the year.
For Buchanan, No. 2 singles player Jaclyn Mummaw, who was seeded sixth, received a bye in the first round and beat Sarah Plaisier in the second round 6-1, 6-2 to advance to the quarterfinals.
In the quarters, Mummaw fell 6-3, 6-0 to the eventual state champion, Chelsea Fosse of North Muskegon, seeded third.
Also for the Bucks, the No. 2 doubles team of Hannah Flood and Nicole Moyer advanced to the quarterfinals with a first round bye and a victory in the second round over the team from Wyoming Kelloggsville.
Flood and Moyer lost to the state runners-up from Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett 6-2, 6-2 in the quarterfinals.
For Brandywine, also scoring points was the No. 4 doubles team of Ashley Valentine and Jamie Bartuska.
They made it to the quarterfinals before losing in three sets to the team from Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett.
Valentine and Bartuska finished with a final record of 19-4 on the season.
Because of rain, Friday's matches were played at indoor facilities scattered around Grand Rapids. Brandywine head coach Joe Marazita said being separated was tough on his team, but he was still impressed with the way his players handled the situation.
For Dowagiac, No. 2 singles player Barbara Laing advanced into the semifinals before falling. She took All-State honors by finishing in the top four.
For complete results, see Scoreboard on Page 9.