Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
MIDDLEBURY - What started out as the Northern Lakes Conference girls tennis tournament turned out to be nothing more than a Northridge/Plymouth dual match.
Girls from Northridge and Plymouth squared off in every championship match.
That this happened should not have been surprising. Both spent most of the season ranked in the top 20. Northridge went 6-0 in the NLC, while Plymouth finished second at 5-1, the lone loss coming to the Raiders.
Northridge again proved superior Saturday, claiming the NLC Championship by finishing first with 53 points. Plymouth was second with 50.
"It didn't really surprise me that Northridge and Plymouth played in all the finals matches," Warsaw coach Jeannie Glunt said. "When we played Plymouth, we knew they would only get better. And Northridge has a nice, nice team.
"We were hoping for third place."
Concord, NorthWood, Warsaw and Wawasee were left to fight over third place. Wawasee, which finished last in the NLC last season, claimed it with 28 points. Warsaw, which played fourth last year, again settled for fourth this year with 22 points.
Warsaw and Wawasee each played for three third places. Wawasee came away with three, while Warsaw had none.
Wawasee's Mandy Perzanowski took third by beating Warsaw's Krista Coppes 6-3, 6-2. Wawasee's other third places came from its doubles teams. The No. 1 doubles team of Kardia Senskspiel and Laura Lundin beat Concord's Kelli Swinhart and Angie Everett 6-0, 7-5. The No. 2 doubles team of Kim Troup and Steph Shivers beat Warsaw's Abbie Simmons and Kara Kesler 6-2, 5-7, 7-6 (7-0).
"We played Wawasee during the regular season, and they beat us (4-1)," Glunt said. "Both times our No. 2 doubles team played them, it went three sets and a tiebreaker."
Warsaw finished with three fourth places. Coppes and No. 3 singles player Heather Van Puffelen, as well as its No. 2 doubles team, placed fourth.
Warsaw was shorthanded. Aynsley Small, Warsaw's No. 2 singles player, got sick Friday and never competed. Junior varsity player Kim Fluke filled in and claimed fifth place.
"Kim went in and did as well as anybody could have expected," Glunt said.
Warsaw is at Culver Girls Academy at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Wawasee hosts Whitko at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.
NorthWood hosts Jimtown at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.
1998 NLC GIRLS TENNIS TOURNAMENT
Team results - 1. Northridge 53, 2. Plymouth 50, 3. Wawasee 28, 4. Warsaw 22, 5. Concord 15, 6. NorthWood 14, 7. Goshen 8
Individual results
No. 1 singles
First place -ÊKelsey Crews (P) def. Susie Plank (NR) 6-4, 6-3
Third place -ÊMandy Perzanowski (WAW) def. Krista Coppes (WAR) 6-3, 6-2
Fifth place -ÊLisa Robertson (G) def. Anna Metz (NW) 6-2, 6-3
No. 2 singles
First place -ÊSarah Mater (NR) def. Heather Easterday (P) 7-5, 6-1
Third place -ÊAyako Yoshinoya (NW) def. Brooke LeMaster (C) 1-6, 6-3, 6-1
Fifth place -ÊKim Fluke (WAR) def. Kara Mathew (WAW) 1-6, 6-3, 6-0
No. 3 singles
First place -ÊJennifer Springer (NR) def. Rachel Waybright (P) 6-2, 6-1
Third place - Jen Lantzer (NW) def. Heather VanPuffelen (WAR) 7-5, 6-3
Fifth place -ÊShanda Bucher (WAW) def. Julie Stump 7-5, 0-6, 6-2
No. 1 doubles
First place -ÊLynndi Aker/Erica Delp (P) def. Megan Godfrey/Carrie Herbster (NR) 4-6, 6-2, 6-2
Third place -ÊKardia Senskspiel/Laura Lundin (WAW) def. Kelli Swinehart/Angie Everett (C) 6-0, 7-5
Fifth place -ÊKim Paczkowski/Brooke Westover (WAR) def. Andrea Troup/Megan Thomas (G) 6-7 (5-7), 7-5, 6-4
No. 2 doubles
First place -ÊDana Smith/Traci Brubaker (NR) def. Sara Hochstetler/Sara Mayronne (P) score not available
Third place - Kim Troup/Steph Shivers (WAW) def. Abbie Simmons/Kara Kesler (WAR) 6-2, 5-7, 7-6 (7-0)
Fifth place -ÊSara McNamara/Dawn Riggs (C) def. Mary Jordan/Stephanie Schmidt (G) 6-4, 7-6 (9-7)
1998 NLC DUAL MATCH RECORDS
1. Northridge 6-0
2. Plymouth 5-1
3. Wawasee 3-3
3. Warsaw 3-3
5. Goshen 2-4
6. Concord 1-5
6. NorthWood 1-5
1998 NLC STANDINGS
(Combining dual matches and tournament)
1. Northridge
2. Plymouth
3. Wawasee
4. Warsaw
5. Concord
6. NorthWood
7. Goshen
