By By SCOTT NOVAK / Niles Daily Star
NILES – A trio of teams advanced to the state tennis finals May 30-31 in East Lansing by finishing with 18 or more points at the Division 4 regional on Friday.
Brandywine won the regional championship with 28 points, after winning the No. 4 doubles title Saturday morning at Buchanan High School.
"Who could have predicted that two kids who never touched a racquet before March would end up conference and regional champions," Brandywine coach Joe Marazita said. "What a great outcome as they are hard workers and team players."
The Lady Bobcats, who won their third championship in the past four years, will be joined by Dowagiac and Buchanan. It was the second straight regional title for Brandywine.
The Chieftains and Lady Bucks tied for second. Both would have advanced regardless of their finish because of their 18 points.
Any team that scores 18 or more points at the regional automatically advances to the state finals.
Bridgman finished fourth with 15 points, while Schoolcraft was fifth with nine points, Lake Michigan Catholic sixth with six points and Coloma seventh with five points.
Constantine, Cassopolis and Eau Claire rounded out the order of finish.
The Lady Bobcats won five of the eight flight championships. Buchanan won a pair of flights, while Dowagiac grabbed the other championship.
Winning championships for the Lady Bobcats were Brittney Patterson at No. 2 singles, Aubrey Espick at No. 3 singles, Lynette Earl and Nichole Coshow at No. 2 doubles, Katie Irons and Ashley Light at No. 3 doubles, along with Brooke Fore and Lauren Leonard at No. 4 doubles.
The Lady Bucks took the top spot at No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles.
Courtney Miller as the champion for Buchanan at No. 1 singles, while Mary Martin and Brianne Weldy won the No. 2 doubles championship.
Dowagiac's championship came at No. 4 singles with Macy Howard. It was Howard's championship game gave the Chieftains their 18th and final point.
Miller's victory at No. 1 singles gave the Lady Bucks enough points to advance.
Even though Buchanan didn't win the title, coach Cuppy Mace felt like a winner.
In the fall of 2006, Mace was unable to coach her team in the state finals after suffering a heart attack.
The day the Lady Bucks were leaving for the finals, Mace came home from the hospital.
"Now, it's just wonderful to be going with them, and my son (Stephen) is my assistant," Mace said. We had a lot of freshmen and new faces to start the season and one of our first matches was against Brandywine. They beat us 8-0. If we had a few more weeks, it might be a totally different story."
Brandywine's Joe Marazita and Bridgman's Janie Colton were named co-regional Coaches of the Year.
MHSAA Division 4
Regional Tennis Tournament
Team Scores
1. Brandywine 28; 2. Dowagiac 2. Buchanan 18; 4. Bridgman 15; 5. Schoolcraft 9; 6. Lake Michigan Catholic 6; 7. Coloma 5; 8. Constantine 3; 9. Cassopolis 1; 10. Eau Claire 0
Flight Results
Singles
No. 1: Courtney Miller (BU) d. Amanda Klutts (BR) 6-2, 6-2; Semifinals: Klutts d. Amelia Harrison (BW), 1-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-0; Miller d. Michelle Urbanski (DO), 6-0, 6-2; No. 2: Brittney Patterson (BW) d. Elizabeth Kolden (DO) 7-6 (7-4), 6-1; Semifinals: Patterson d. Kristine Gordon (BU) 6-2, 6-0; Kolden d. Jill Bender (BR) 6-1, 6-3; No. 3: Audrey Espick (BW) d. Ami Sarao (DO) 5-7, 6-3, 6-4; Semifinals: Espick d. Lauren Foley (LMC) 6-2, 6-1; Sarao d. Joey Dreitzler (BU) 6-1, 6-3; No. 4: Macy Howard (DO) d. Ariel Prescott (BW) 7-5, 2-6, 6-2; Semifinals: Prescott d. Kirsten Smallwood (BU) 6-0, 6-1; Howard d. Bethany Blodgett (SC) 6-3 7-6 (7-2)
Doubles
No. 1: Mary Martin-Brianne Weldy (BU) d. Jamie Bartuska-Jo Ferenczi (BW) 0-6, 6-2, 6-3; Semifinals: Bartuska-Ferenczi d. Ellie Lyman-Sam Wells (BR) 6-0, 6-1; Martin-Weldy d. Lija Krieves-Lauren Wolfe (SC) 7-6 (7-5), 6-1; No. 2: Lynette Earl-Nichole Coshow (BW) d. Kristan Stelmasiak-Kaitlyn Tyrakowski (DO) 6-3, 6-2; Semifinals: Earl-Coshow d. Taylor Broekma-Kirsten Frey (SC) 4-6, 7-6 (7-1), 6-1; Stelmasiak-Tyrakowski (DO) d. Taylor Henry-Nash Hughes (BU) 7-6, 7-5 (6-4).; No. 3: Katie Irons-Ashley Light (BW) over Greta Englund-Megan Hauck (BR) 4-6, 6-2, 6-4; Semifinals: Englund-Hauck d. Sam Haner-Ashley Devereaux (BU) 6-1, 7-5; Irons-Light d. Kirstyn Rickard-Alex Nelson (SC) 6-4, 7-5; No. 4: Lauren Leonard-Brooke Ford (BW) d. Emily Kamp-Lindsey Clements (BR) 6-3, 6-2; Semifinals: Kamp-Clements d. Conner-Boelcke (LMC); Leonard-Ford d. Jessica Hargett-Christina Hamacher 6-4 6-2