SL, Ludington share Lakes 8 tennis title

Mon, May 12, 2008

Spring Lake's varsity girls tennis team had to settle for sharing the Lakes Eight Conference championship after placing second in Saturday's league meet, held at Fruitport.

The Lakers swept through their regular-season conference schedule with a 5-0 mark, losing just one game in the process. Ludington, which was second at 4-1 during the regular season, snuck up and edged the Lakers by a mere three points at Saturday's conference meet to earn a share of the league title.

The Lakers won three of the four singles flight championships as Lindsey Gardner at No. 2, Kristie Landan at No. 3 and Michelle Meyer at No. 4 singles were all unbeaten on the day.

Ludington won at first singles, then swept the doubles flights to win the tournament title.

Gardner faced Fremont's Lauren Huissen in the conference championship match at second singles and scored a 6-0, 6-2 victory.

Landan, the top seed, overpowered Ludington's Christian Purcell in her flight championship match, 6-0, 6-1.

Michelle Meyer made it 3-for-4 in the singles flights for Spring Lake as she upended Jenna Hackworth of Ludington, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5.

The Lakers also beat Ludington at No. 3 doubles, as Hamati and Reiter topped Britteny Bratschi and Rose Green, 6-3, 6-3.

At No. 1 singles, Ludington's Kayla Castellani, the No. 2 seed, upset the Lakers' top-seeded Georgeanne Larsen, 6-2, 6-2.

The Lakers were also runners-up at No. 1 doubles, where Meghan Reiter and Katelyn Schram suffered a 2-6, 7-5, 6-3 loss to Ludington's Meghan Killips and Katelin Anderson in the championship match.

At second doubles, Spring Lake's Mary Hamati and Emma Gilbertson were dominated by Ludington's Shelly Nielsen and Mallory Pehrson, 6-0, 6-0.

Sophia Hamati and Ashley Reiter fell to Ludington's Britteny Bratschi and Rose Green at third doubles, 6-3, 6-3.

Spring Lake's Danielle Fisher and Ashley Bond finished runner-up to Ludington's Fiona Boller and Abby Wroble at fourth doubles, 6-2, 6-1.