Mourning Those Who Contributed Much

KINGSFORD — West Iron County is used to competing for Upper Peninsula tennis titles. Going into Wednesday’s Division 2 Finals, the Wykons had finished first or second 31 times at the season-concluding event. 

The Wykons won their 14th championship after finishing runner-up three of the previous four years. They won five of the eight flights in Kingsford to finish ahead of Norway, which won the other three flights, and Ishpeming. Both finished five points behind West Iron, tied for second place.

“Amazing, absolutely amazing what they pulled off,” WIC coach Jen Schive said. “We won some, we lost some, but in the end, we are a team and we’re a U.P. championship team. I’m pretty proud of that. I couldn’t have asked for anything more from them today.”

West Iron finished with victories at No. 1 and 3 singles along with 1, 2 and 4 doubles. That 4 doubles team may have impressed their coach the most.

They weren’t expected to win, but Marlee Benson and Rochelle Bear advanced through all three matches of the day, capping it with a 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory over Ironwood’s Lily Magdziak and Lucy Stehlik in the final.

“I’m really proud of everybody that got a title, but this 4 doubles team, wow did they step up today,” Schive said. “I think I told them a hundred times, ‘I can’t believe it. You did it.’”

She didn’t settle on 3 and 4 doubles teams until about midway through the season. Both pairs learned to play together in a hurry.

“Having them win a U.P. title is huge, absolutely huge,” she said. 

They were pretty happy as well.

“It’s unreal,” Benson said.

The No. 4 pair lost the first set 6-2. Bear said their mindset was just to put that behind them and move on to the next.

“I don’t even know, I’m amazed right now,” she said of winning. 

WIC’s Grace Smith picked up a dominating win at No. 1 singles, 6-0, 6-0 over Norway’s Jordyn Moln.

“I’m proud of myself. I worked hard for it,” Smith said. “I’m a sophomore, but last year I lost.”

That was in the final at No. 2 singles. Smith took her sister Kaitlyn’s spot at the stop flight after Kaitlyn won as a senior last year.

“She stepped in, and she seems to be filling the role just fine,” Schive said. “She has an excellent little short shot, she can switch up her game, which is nice. I just know she’s ready to keep on with a very successful tennis career.”

Schive said Smith was worried about Ironwood’s Jacinta Lauzon in the semifinals because of their competitive matches during the regular season, but she won those sets 6-4, 6-2.

“There were times where she doubted herself, but I did not,” Schive said. “I knew she had what she needed. Just making sure she had the confidence, the mentality, to know herself. Very proud of her.”

West Iron’s Destiny Lemery and Aubrey Richardson won the No. 1 doubles final 6-3, 6-0 over Ishpeming’s Stella Nerlfi and Ava Lapin.

“Destiny had some good net shots and some hard hits down the alley and the line. And her serves were good,” Richardson said.

“(Richardson) does really good alley shots and angle shots,” Lemery added.

Schive said they play well together and communicate, and it translated into a great year for them. As for what they did well Wednesday — “Oh the net,” she said. “I’ve been telling them all year — ’Put it away, put it away, save yourself some energy.’ And they did that, they did just that, beautiful net game.”

West Iron’s No. 2 doubles team of Julia White and Olivia LaMay won 6-3, 6-2 over the Hematites’ Lilly Ryan and Janelle Seelen.

“I have Julia who is a beautiful long stroke, she can get it, and Olivia in the right place at the right time, she can take care of it at the net,” Schive said.

Erin Kolbas made it two titles at singles for West Iron, clinching at the No. 3 flight. She defeated Ishpeming’s Frankie Stetson 7-6 (1), 6-4 in the final.

“It’s been a long journey,” Kolbas said. “I tore my ACL and meniscus last year. Not playing last year and then now playing this year, it’s been a long road.”

Norway took the other three wins, at 2 and 4 singles and 3 doubles. Ella Wojtowicz defeated Ishpeming’s Sophia Nerlfi 6-4, 6-4 at No. 2.

“It’s nice because it took four years,” Wojtowicz said. “Lots of tries, lots of losing, but I got there. My goal this year was just to make myself proud, it wasn’t really to win anything. But winning is a plus.”

Her coach, Cassandra Gustafson, was happy to see her career end with a championship.

“She has had some ups and downs over the years, but she has really put in a lot of work in the offseason to get where she’s at, so I’m really proud of her,” Gustafson said. 

Jessa Rossler took the final match at No. 4 singles 6-4, 6-2 over Ishpeming’s Camryn Miller.

“I won last year, too, so I was really hoping I would this year,” Rossler said. “At first, I kept hitting it to the net with the wind; it was kind of hard to judge it. But once I got used to that, I think I hit some better shots and it turned out well.”

Norway’s No. 3 doubles team of Emily Carlson and Myah Gilroy defeated Ishpeming’s Lydia Seelen and Jenessa Eagle 7-6 (4), 6-4 in the final. The matchup was similar to last year’s when Norway’s duo lost to Lydia and Janelle Seelen in the final.

“They really wanted it,” Gustafson said. “They really wanted it bad. They’ve been playing together two years straight, so they’re solid and jelled together.”

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PHOTOS (Top) West Iron County celebrates its UPD2 championship Wednesday at Kingsford High School. (Middle) Ishpeming’s Stella Nerlfi gets to a ball at the net at No. 1 doubles. (Below) Norway's Jordyn Moln sends a volley during a No. 1 singles match. (Photos by Jason Juno.)