Irish Celebrate Homecoming Sky High

Negaunee was focused on getting to the championship matches in all eight flights at the Upper Peninsula Division 1 Finals. They won the team title because of their success doing so.

The Miners finished as U.P. Finals winners for the fourth straight year, edging Westwood by one point in Wednesday’s tournament at Westwood.

Negaunee picked up wins at No. 2 singles and No. 1 and 2 doubles. They made the finals in all four singles and all four doubles flights.

“Every girl knew their job was to make it to finals and then play their best tennis and leave it all out there. I am so proud of every flight for going out and doing just that,” Negaunee coach Megan Kerkela said. “We had three flights end in a win, but it was a team effort. Without every girl making the final, we would not have been able to pull out a win.”

Negaunee’s Rheana Nelson overcame a first-set loss to defeat Westwood’s Morgan Schneider 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 at No. 2 singles. 

“Rheana Nelson had the longest final of the day,” Kerkela said. “She was the first to start and the last to finish. Rheana hasn’t been in a third-set situation yet this year, but anything can happen at U.P.s. Today she was able to play one ball better and show how consistent she can be.”

Clare O’Donnell and Nicole Kerkela took the No.1 doubles title in a three-set final win over Escanaba’s Aubrey Elliot and Brooklyn Hackleman, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4. 

“One doubles might have had the best comeback of the day,” Coach Kerkela said. “They were down 1-4 in the third set, but they did not quit. Nicole had some great shots at the net, which were really a turning point in the match. Clare did a great job of staying consistent at the baseline and played smart tennis.”

And Sadie Rogers and Olivia Richards took down Westwood’s Makenna Olson and Ella Stacy 6-4, 6-3 in the No. 2 doubles championship match.

“(They) were unstoppable all year and they continued that through today,” Kerkela said. “They are a fierce combo, both strong athletes who aren’t afraid to be aggressive.”

Westwood took home victories at No. 3 and 4 singles and No. 3 and 4 doubles. 

“I thought our team played great today,” Westwood coach Sarah Zindler said. “I know we lost by one point, but we actually won four finals.”

None of the Westwood winners had played on the Patriots’ senior-heavy varsity roster last year.

“I think just all season they developed so much because everything was new to them,” Zindler said. “And so their growth was a lot higher than someone that’s been there forever.”

Westwood’s Lyn Magnuson won the No. 3 singles final 6-2, 6-0 over Negaunee’s Stella Lenten. Magnuson finished the season undefeated at 3 singles with the win.

Magnuson, a sophomore, was never satisfied — if she won 6-3, 6-2, she wanted to win 6-1, 6-1 next time.

“I think that helped her focus — when you get up in a match, instead of giving up a few games because it’s no big deal, she had these goals for herself within the match, of no, I don’t want to drop more than a game in this set,” Zindler said. “And all season long, she was just impossible to beat.”

Patriots junior Emmi Hamel took the No. 4 singles final 6-3, 6-4 over the Miners’ Adelyn Chapman. 

“Emmi, at 4 singles, is one of the most competitive girls on the team,” Zindler said. “And she just has some fire and spunk in her that you know that when she goes out there she’s going to compete for every single point whether she’s winning or losing.”

Hamel defeated Negaunee twice during the year but lost to Chapman in Mid-Peninsula Conference action last week.

“From that, she just mentally had to get herself in the right headspace, to be confident enough to go out there and just say, ‘I’m not losing today,’” Zindler said. 

Westwood’s Tessa Burke and Emmi Carlson won 6-2, 7-6 (2) in the No. 3 doubles final over Negaunee’s Victoria Poutanen and Rebecca Lammi. They lost their first set in the semifinal to Marquette’s Charlyee Swajanen and Eva Dewitt, and they were down three games in the second set before coming back to win 6-4, 7-5.

Both Burke and Carlson are freshmen who picked up a racket this summer for the first time. They went to summer camp and open hits.

“I could just tell by how they developed and mentally, they’re both athletes playing other sports, that they just had the mental capabilities to jump into a varsity lineup, which is not an easy thing as a freshman, especially when you’re the only freshmen on the team,” Zindler said. “I just said from the start, you two are going to play together and you’re going to figure it out.”

Westwood sophomore Emerson Williams and junior Lauren Michaud-Richards won the No. 4 doubles final over Negaunee’s Paige O’Donnell and Maia Brunette. Williams and Michaud-Roberts had not beaten Negaunee before, but they did at the most important time.

Williams was new to the tennis team this year.

“She hadn’t played before, so when she first started the season, she wasn’t necessarily the best player, but she just developed so much quicker than people that had played before,” Zindler said. “And I noticed right away that she had an athleticism, especially at the net that you can’t really teach people. Just her ability to read the ball, paired with Lauren’s great ground strokes from the back.”

They were up and down all season, but Zindler said the coaches knew their potential was great.

“To see them finally put matches together today, I’ve never seen them play as well as they played today,” Zindler said. “There’s no better time to play your best than at U.P.s.”

Zindler was also impressed with Schneider at No. 2 singles. Nelson hasn’t lost in years, Zindler said.

“Morgan has had to play her a bunch of times, and today she pushed her to three sets,” Zindler said.

Kingsford’s Aubrie Moore defeated Negaunee’s Liliana Saunders 6-2, 6-1 at No. 1 singles for the Flivvers’ only flight win of the day.

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(Photo courtesy of Negaunee High School.)