Country Day Reign Continues with 3-Peat
June 2, 2018
By Jeff Febus
Special for Second Half
HOLLAND – The Detroit Country Day dominance continues in MHSAA girls tennis.
The Yellowjackets captured their third consecutive Lower Peninsula Division 3 championship Saturday afternoon at Hope College, posting a final team score of 38 points. Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood – an eight-time Division 3 girls tennis title winner – was second with 22 points followed by Ada Forest Hills Eastern with 21.
A year after claiming 39 out of a possible 40 points at the Finals, Country Day reverted to near-perfect form as it claimed all four singles flights and three of the four doubles flights.
Country Day entered the day owning only one of the top seeds in the four doubles flights, but pulled upsets at No. 1 and No. 4. Seeded second, Heather Zimmerman and Nina Khaghany pulled off the upset win at No. 1 doubles, defeating the top-seeded tandem of Kate Cao and Amelia Smith of Cranbrook Kingswood 5-7, 6-4, 6-1.
At No. 4 doubles, the second-seeded duo of Anushri Radhakrishnan and Maria Sicilia from Country Day topped Cranbrook Kingswood’s top- seeded team of Simrin Nagaraju and Mia Inakage 3-6, 6-2, 6-2. Country Day also won at No. 3 doubles as its team of Maya Nassif and Ruhi Nayak downed Allegan’s team of Delaney Heckman and Maddy Layton 6-4, 6-2 in the final.
“I thought our doubles teams really rose to the occasion today,” said Country Day head coach Jessica Stencel. “We had a couple of two seeds and a four seed, and the two seeds came up with the upsets.”
Stencel noted that the upset at No. 1 doubles was filled with emotion. “We had lost to them two times in straight sets during the regular season, so it was a really emotional match for (our No. 1 doubles),” said Stencel. “They knew they had to play really well to win. They rose to the occasion and didn’t look back. We’re really proud of them because it was the best tennis they played all year.”
In singles action, the Yellow Jackets came in with the top seed in all four flights and held serve. “In singles we had a few obstacles today, but our singles players fought like they have all year,” Stencel said. They’re really talented girls, so it wasn’t a surprise that we came out on top there.”
Leading the charge was freshman Julia Fleigner, who did not drop a set during the weekend and cruised to a 6-3, 6-1 victory over third-seeded Claire Danko of Grand Rapids Catholic Central in the championship final. “She’s a great leader and a top-20 player individually in the country,” said Stencel. “She’s such a great girl, and we’re really lucky to have her.”
According to Fleigner, playing in front of teammates made a difference. “It was great. It’s amazing to work with this team and be state champions together,” she said. “It’s the best feeling. There were definitely some nerves today. There’s a little bit of pressure being here on the big stage, but it’s better to be out here with the team and feeling the support.”
Fleigner’s championship at No. 1 singles came a year after current teammate Monique Karoub won the No. 1 singles crown. The emergence of Fleigner provided Country Day greater firepower but also bumped the reigning No. 1 singles champion down a flight. A junior, Karoub won the No. 2 singles title with a 6-0, 6-3 win over Deena Haddad of Flint Powers Catholic.
“She’s a competitor. No one is going to be happy from going from No. 1 to No. 2 when they’re that much of a competitor,” said Stencel of her junior captain. “Monique also has a lot of respect for Julia. They know each other well off the court. When Julia took that number one spot, she was happy for her but she knew that she still had a big position on the team. No. 1 singles doesn’t get more points than No. 2 singles. She’s a very good sport about things. She’s a team captain. She’s well respected by her teammates. I can’t speak enough positive things about her.”
Despite playing at the No 1 singles spot before, Karoub felt nerves of her own Saturday. “I was really nervous,” said Karoub. “I get nervous coming out here every year. There was a lot more pressure knowing that since I won (No. 1 singles) last year I should be able to win it at a lower spot, but I was able to use that pressure to help me. I just used what my coaches were telling me. We’re a close-knit team, and the support of my teammates really helps.
Also claiming singles titles for Country Day were Elle Hartje and Alexis Nardicchio. Hartje was a 6-0, 6-0 winner over Claire VerBrugge of Forest Hills Eastern at No. 3 singles, while Nardicchio was a 6-0, 6-0 winner over Avneet Deol of Forest Hills Eastern at No. 4.
Cranbrook Kingswood was the lone school to break through the Country Day brigade, winning the title at No. 2 doubles. The Cranbrook Kingswood team of Sophia Moustakas and Abby Foltyn won a spirited 7-6 (4), 6-4 match over Allegan’s tandem of Emma Phillippus and Nicole Galloway. The victory allowed Cranbrook Kingswood to seal second place in the final team standings.
“It’s always tough to beat a team with an all-star lineup like Country Day, but I thought we competed extremely well,” said Cranbrook Kingswood head coach Steve Herdoiza. “I am happy with our performance. All in all the weekend was a great success. It gives us confidence for next year. We came together as a group and really peaked at this tournament. I think we played some of our best tennis here. We are a junior-laden team, so I think next year we will be full of confidence.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Detroit Country Day’s Julia Fleigner returns a volley during a No. 1 singles match Saturday at Hope College. (Middle) Cranbrook Kingswood’s Kate Cao returns a low shot at No. 1 doubles. (Click to see more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Preview: Multiple Contenders Set to Pursue 1st-Time Finals Championships
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
May 28, 2025
In a sport frequently dominated at the Finals level by a handful of power programs, we could see a few emerge to join that group this weekend.
The top-three ranked teams in Lower Peninsula Division 1 all are seeking a first MHSAA Girls Tennis Finals championship, as is Division 2 top-ranked Farmington Hills Mercy.
Conversely, Ann Arbor Greenhills returns a significant portion of last season’s lineup as it plays for a fourth-straight Division 4 title, and Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood and Detroit Country Day are favorites again in Division 3 having combined to win the last 14 team championships in that bracket.
All four divisions will compete Friday and Saturday over multiple locations, with semifinals and finals to be played at the first sites listed below in each. Play begins between 8:15-8:30 each morning.
Below is a glance at the highest-ranked teams in each division and a few more highly-seeded flight contenders. Click for full brackets and more from MHSAA.com.
LP Division 1 at Byron Center West Sports Complex & Grand Rapids South Christian
Top-ranked: 1. Utica Eisenhower, 2. Novi, 3. Rochester Adams.
Utica Eisenhower: The Eagles made their strongest run at a first championship last season, finishing runner-up for the first time and six points off the lead. They are seeded at six flights this weekend with three top seeds – reigning No. 1 singles champion Gabriella Sadowski again at that flight now as a junior, freshman Morgan Emerick at No. 2 singles and junior Alexis Gabriel and senior Alayna Aamodt at No. 2 doubles; Gabriel was part of the No. 1 doubles champion last year. Two more doubles pairs are seeded third.
Novi: The Wildcats are seeking their first Finals team title as well after tying for fourth the last two seasons. Seven of eight flights are seeded with two top seeds and two seconds – junior Rebecca Liu earned the top line in No. 4 singles, and seniors Alice Chen and Rashi Bajpai are top-seeded at No. 1 doubles; Chen was part of last season’s runner-up pair at No. 1. Juniors Kyra Thomas and Samaara George are second-seeded for the second year in a row, this time at No. 2 doubles after reaching the semifinals at No. 4 in 2024.
Rochester Adams: The Highlanders are playing for a second Finals championship after winning Class A in 1987. They tied for eighth last season but enter this weekend with four seeded flights led by top-seeded juniors Joanna Ouyang and Monika Camaj at No. 1 doubles and second-seeded senior Nicole Fu at No. 1 singles. Fu has finished No. 1 singles runner-up the last three seasons, losing to Sadowski in three sets last year but more recently winning their May 8 match in two sets.
Isabella Barretto, Rochester Hills Stoney Creek senior: She’s seeded third at No. 1 singles and will try to break up a Sadowski/Fu rematch. Her only loss came to Sadowski, and she defeated Fu in April.
Rory Hoyle, Clarkston freshman: She missed out on the Wolves’ 2024 team title run by a year, but enters her first Finals seeded second at No. 1 singles and having played all three contenders seeded higher in this bracket.
Other returning flight champions: Charlotte Partchenko, Clarkston senior (No. 4 singles last season, No. 2 this weekend); Nainika Jasti, Troy junior (No. 2 doubles last season, No. 1 singles this weekend).
LP Division 2 at Kalamazoo College & Western Michigan University
Top-ranked: 1. Farmington Hills Mercy, 2. Birmingham Seaholm, 3. Midland Dow.
Farmington Hills Mercy: The Marlins are another team seeking a first Finals championship, having finished Division 1 runner-up in 2013 and placing third but just one point out of second a year ago in Division 2. All eight flights are seeded fifth or higher, with two top seeds and three seconds. The entire singles lineup is back from last year – senior Megan Sullivan at No. 1 (seeded second), followed by juniors Keira Kirkland (seeded second at No. 2), Alexa Dueweke (seeded fifth at No. 3) and Gabby Owens (seeded first at No. 4) – and Owens is the reigning champion at No. 4 while Sullivan was runner-up at No. 1 last season and Kirkland fell in the No. 2 final in three sets. Seniors Penelope Livermore and Reese Sinawi are seeded second at No. 3 doubles after finishing second at No. 4 last year, and freshman Anna Naida and sophomore Olivia Wiljhelm are seeded first at No. 4 this weekend.
Birmingham Seaholm: The Maples have 13 top-two team finishes over the last 19 seasons, including finishing runners-up last season and in 2022 and Division 2 champion in 2023. Junior Kate Crowley and sophomore Cate French are the team’s lone top seed, at No. 3 doubles, but Seaholm also has five second-seeded flights. Senior Jordyn Lusky and junior Lucy Jen are seeded second at No. 1 doubles after winning No. 3 last season, while junior Anna Olekszyk is teaming with sophomore Sophia Arndt on the second-seeded No. 3 pair and sophomores Katie Joyce and Alina Villaire are teaming up for a second seed at No. 4; Joyce and Olekszyk won the No. 4 championship last spring.
Midland Dow: The Chargers won two Division 1 titles and finished second twice between 2015-18 and are seeking their first top-two Finals team finish since that run; they placed fifth in Division 2 a year ago. Dow is seeded in six flights, with senior Tessa Wood and junior Sachi Togashi on the top line at No. 2 doubles.
Dalina Kokoshi, Grosse Pointe South freshman: She enters her first Finals with a 24-1 record and only loss to Stoney Creek’s Barretto in mid-April.
Andrea Wang, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern senior: Last season’s No. 2 singles champion (and No. 3 runner-up in 2022) is seeded third at No. 1 singles with her only Division 2 loss to Kokoshi at the end of April.
Lauren Jaklitsch & Morgan McKenzie, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern seniors: The top-seeded pair at No. 1 doubles is the reigning champion at No. 2, and Jaklitsch also was part of the No. 2 runner-up as a sophomore.
Additional returning flight champion: Harriet Ogilvie, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern senior (No. 3 singles last season, No. 2 singles this weekend).
LP Division 3 at University of Michigan, Liberty Athletic Club & Chippewa Club
Top-ranked: 1. Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood, 2. Detroit Country Day, 3. Bloomfield Hills Marian.
Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood: After seeing its two-year title run end with a runner-up finish (four points back) last year, Cranbrook is the favorite again with all eight flights seeded and four doubles players back who won championships a year ago. Five flights are seeded first, starting with seniors Ava Clogg and Chiara Martella at No. 1 doubles; Clogg was part of the No. 3 doubles champ in 2022 and Martella the No. 2 singles runner-up in 2023. Seniors Sophia Kouza and Madeline Day are top-seeded at No. 2 doubles – Kouza a champion at No. 2 the last two years and Day part of the winning pair at No. 3 last season – and seniors Michelle Chen and Jessica Hall are second-seeded at No. 3 doubles after winning No. 4 last year and finishing runner-up in 2023. Senior Katelyn Dubrowsky and sophomore Brianna Giudici are seeded first at No. 4 this time. Cranbrook also has the top seeds at the top two singles flights with senior Chloe Qin at No. 1 and freshman Caroline Liu at No. 2. Qin was part of the No. 1 doubles runner-up as a freshman in 2022, and in her return this fall has lost only to Sadowski in early April.
Detroit Country Day: The reigning team champion will play for its third title in five years and with two flight winners returning to the singles lineup – senior Sophia Grzesiak seeking a repeat at No. 1 and junior Helen Benjamin at No. 4 after winning No. 3 last season. Benjamin is seeded first in her flight, and Grzesiak second. The Yellowjackets’ singles lineup also features second-seeded freshman Chloe Conniff at No. 2 and top-seeded Karishma Vakhariya at No. 3, and last season’s No. 2 singles runner-up sophomore Quinn Norlander is teaming with senior Katie Han – last year’s No. 4 singles champion – as the second-seeded No. 1 doubles pair.
Bloomfield Hills Marian: The Mustangs improved from fifth in 2023 to fourth a year ago as they seek their first team title since 2016 in Division 2. All eight flights are seeded again and six flights third or higher led by top-seeded sophomores Stella Glorio and Lexa Hindo at No. 3 doubles. Glorio was part of the No. 4 doubles runner-up last season, and senior Audrey Agbay is joined by senior Alex Freitag as the third-seeded pair at No. 2 doubles after Agbay was part of the runner-up at No. 3 a year ago.
Additional returning flight champion: Samantha Bieber, Chelsea junior (No. 2 last season, No. 1 this weekend).
LP Division 4 at Midland Tennis Center & Midland High School
Top-ranked: No. 1 Ann Arbor Greenhills, 2. Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, 3. Wixom St. Catherine.
Ann Arbor Greenhills: The Gryphons are seeking a fourth-straight Division 4 championship after claiming last year’s by 11 points. Senior Maddie Morgan and sophomore Ellie Kim are back and seeded first at Nos. 1 and 2 singles, respectively, after winning those flights last year (and Morgan winning No. 1 the last two seasons), and three of eight doubles players also were part of flight champions in 2024. Freshman Hazel Morgan at No. 3 and sophomore Nina Malani at No. 4 round out an all top-seeded singles lineup; Malani was part of the No. 1 doubles champ last spring. Senior Shangyang Xia and junior Danica Rakic-Dennis are the top-seeded No. 1 doubles pair after they won the Nos. 3 and 4 singles flights, respectively, a year ago. Junior Lauren Ye and sophomore Alyssa Hong are top-seeded at No. 3 doubles, Ye having partnered with Malani for that No. 1 doubles title and Hong part of last year’s No. 4 champ, and seniors Meera Pandey and Meera Tewari are seeded first at No. 4 this time. The only unseeded flight is No. 2 doubles with seniors Sophia Kleer and Jessica Shi, and Kleer was part of the champion at that flight last season.
Pontiac Notre Dame Prep: The Fighting Irish are coming off their best Finals finish, placing second last season, and they are seeded fourth or higher at every flight with four second seeds. Among those second seeds are senior Erin Delaney and junior Adriana Johnson at No. 3 doubles after Delaney was part of last season’s champion at that flight. Sophomore Ana Jarvis at No. 3 singles, sophomore Gemma Hofley and freshman Regina Carpenter at No. 2 doubles and freshmen Vanessa Artinian and Elena Vandieren at No. 4 also are second-seeded.
Wixom St. Catherine: The Stars are pursuing a first top-two Finals finish after tying for fifth a year ago. Six flights are seeded, led by senior Lily Wolocko and freshman Loren Nafso on the top line at No. 2 doubles and juniors Julia Ivezaj and Stephanie Lisch second-seeded at No. 1. Ivezaj was part of the No. 2 doubles runner-up in 2023.
Mary-Kate Ansley, Traverse City St. Francis junior: The second-seeded player at No. 1 singles reached the semifinals last season as the fourth seed at the top flight.
PHOTO Farmington Hills Mercy's Keira Kirkland drives a forehand during last season's LPD2 championship match at No. 2 singles. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)