Updated: October 21, 2012 - 6:48 p.m.
MADISON, Wis. (Blugolds.com) – For the second year in a row, the UW-Eau Claire women's tennis team took second place at the WIAC Championship at Nielsen Tennis Stadium. Additionally, Katie Gillman (Jr.-Red Wing, Minn.) won the No. 3 singles title.
The Blugolds claimed second with 51 points while they finished with 48 a year ago. UW-Whitewater won its sixth straight WIAC title, accumulating 62 points this year. The Warhawks won three doubles titles and five singles championships today.
Gillman, who was the runner-up at No. 3 singles each of the last two years, was able to win a very closely contested championship match to take the title today. Facing No. 1 seed Jackie Vitale in the title match, Gillman came away with a 6-7 (4), 7-6 (6), 6-4 victory. She won two matches convincingly to make it to the championship match.
Three other Blugolds earned runner-up status in their respective singles flights. Taylor Heltne (Sr.-Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Simley) took second in the No. 1 spot, falling 5-7, 6-0, 6-0 to Whitewater's Sydney Divelbiss in the championship match. At No. 2, Gretchen Bachmeier (Sr.-Eau Claire, Wis./North) was second, falling to Alexandra Bayliss of Whitewater 6-1, 6-0. Maddie Johnson (So.-Lakeville, Minn./South) was runner-up at No. 4 as she fell 6-2, 6-2 in the title match to Whitewater's Megan Kasten.
At No. 5 singles, Mary Frassetto (Jr.-Oshkosh, Wis.) came in third place. She won her first round match but fell in the second round. In the third place match, she defeated UW-Oshkosh's Erica Van Riper 6-1, 7-6 (2).
In the No. 6 singles flight, Colleen McCullough (Fr.-Maple Grove, Minn./Osseo) finished in fourth place, falling to Oshkosh's Karlie Laveau 6-2, 7-5 in the championship match.
In doubles play, two Blugold pairs earned runner-up status.
In the No. 1 bracket, Heltne and Gilman dropped the title match 8-4 against Whitewater's Divelbiss and Bayliss. The Blugold duo won two matches to advance to the championship match. Gillman and Heltne were also runners-up at last year's championship.
Bachmeier and Johnson took second place in the No. 2 flight. The duo dropped the championship match to Kasten and Vitale of Whitewater, 8-2. A season ago the pair finished fourth.
At No. 3, Frassetto and Paige Kuepers (Fr.-Green Bay, Wis./Southwest) took third place with an 8-0 victory in the third place match against River Falls' Makayla Newberry and Hannah Klimek.
Following the conclusion of the championship, Johnson was named to the All-Sportsmanship Team while Heltne was named the Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete, the first Blugold to earn Scholar-Athlete honors since Allison Hover in 2002-03.
This was the final competition for the Blugolds this fall. They will be back in action next spring, beginning with a Spring Break trip to Hilton Head Island, S.C. where Eau Claire will play four matches March 17-21.
View WIAC Championship Website
WIAC Women's Tennis Championship: Day One Complete; Blugolds Play Well
Updated: October 20, 2012 - 9:16 p.m.
MADISON, Wis. (Blugolds.com) - The UW-Eau Claire women's tennis team competed well on day one of the 2012 WIAC Championship at Nielsen Tennis Stadium. The final day will get underway at 9 a.m. Sunday.
In singles competition, all six Blugolds won first round matches and will compete in the second round Sunday.
In doubles play, more matches were contested and two Blugold pairs advanced to championships. The No. 1 group of Taylor Heltne (Sr.-Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Simley) and Katie Gillman (Jr.-Red Wing, Minn.), along with the No. 2 duo of Gretchen Bachmeier (Sr.-Eau Claire, Wis./North) and Maddie Johnson (So.-Lakeville, Minn./South) won two matches each today and will compete in championship matches Sunday. Mary Frassetto (Jr.-Oshkosh, Wis./West) and Paige Kuepers (Fr.-Green Bay, Wis./Southwest) will play in a third-place match tomorrow.
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Updated: October 19, 2012
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (Blugolds.com) - The UW-Eau Claire women's tennis team will compete at the 2012 WIAC Championship, held Oct. 20-21 at Nielsen Tennis Stadium in Madison, Wis. The 41st meeting of league squads will also decide six singles champions and three sets of doubles winners.
