WORTHINGTON -Seedings for the South Section 2AA tournament is Sunday, and the Worthington Trojans prepared for it Thursday with a dominating 7-0 victory against New Ulm.
In their final regular season match of the season at the middle school tennis courts, WHS won all seven of its varsity matches in straight sets. Now the focus is on the post-season, and head coach Mike Marquardt believes he knows exactly how the Trojans will be situated after Sunday - in the No. 6 spot, preparing to go on the road to play the third-seeded team from the south.
Last year the Trojans were seeded No. 7 heading into sub-sectional play, and the year before that they were No. 8.
“If we keep working, we’ll be the No. 1 seed in about five years,” Marquardt said Thursday.
Worthington’s regular season lessons paid off on a windy Thursday afternoon against New Ulm. Emily Williamson defeated the Eagles’ Maya Sarkar 6-1, 6-0 at No. 1 singles. Teammate Rachel Drietz was a 6-3, 6-2 winner over Miriam Jakel at No. 2 singles. Laura Wetering rolled past Taylor Boldman 6-1, 6-0 at third singles, and at the fourth spot Paige Stewart topped Rose Dobie 6-1, 6-3.
The Trojans had similar success in doubles. Sarah Janssen and Makensie Carstensen beat New Ulm’s Emma Vranich and Gracelyn Sarkar 6-3, 6-2 at No. 1 doubles. Brianna Kempema and Annie Lesnar beat Jane Arnoldt and Sara Guymon 6-0, 6-1 at No. 2 doubles. And at No. 3 doubles, Miranda LeBrun and Alicia Khatt took care of Abby Franholtz and Sicily Trullilnger 6-4, 6-4.
After the match, Marquardt praised his players for taking what they’ve learned in practice and applying it to matches. It’s not always easy, he said, to try new things in a match when those new things don’t always pay off immediately. But now, he said, those techniques are paying dividends just in time for sub-section tournament play.
Worthington will open sub-section team play on Tuesday at the higher seeded team. Sub-section individual competition starts Oct. 12 at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter.
In junior varsity competition Thursday, the following Worthington doubles teams won matches against their New Ulm counterparts: Kelly Newman and Anna Kill, Coral Owens and Becca Christensen, Apiew Alwal and Maer Abella, Quinn Bents and Whitney Donkersloot, and Kaitlin Brunk and Makayla Ebbers.
