GRAND FORKS, N.D. - The Fargo Shanley-Oak Grove-Park Christian girls tennis team reached a milestone for the second consecutive season.
The Deacons earned the school's first-ever team victory Thursday in the North Dakota state girls tournament at Center Court Fitness. Shanley edged Mandan 3-2 before falling to Bismarck Century 4-1 in the semifinals.
The Deacons will play Williston for third place at 9 a.m. today.
Century will play four-time defending champion Grand Forks Red River at 9 a.m. today in the finals. Fargo North and West Fargo's state tournaments ended with two losses each.
"I'm not as happy as I hoped I would be," said Shanley coach Vern Baardson. "It's huge. I'm very pleased."
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The Deacons have come a long way since Baardson took over the team three years ago.
Baardson said he challenged his struggling team at a practice last year to hit the ball over the net 10 times before playing for the point.
The suggestion was met with laughter, Baardson said.
"We have never been able to sustain a rally," he said. "By the end of the practice, they started hitting 15 balls over. At the end of the year, one girl and I hit 150 over before playing the point. That was literally the turning point for our team."
Shanley's hard work paid off with its first ever trip to the state tournament last year. Now, they have a different attitude about their place in North Dakota high school tennis.
"They wanted this," Baardson said. "And they thought they could do it. We used to celebrate if we won a game. Now we're disappointed about losing to the No. 1 seed in the West. We are just so grateful."
Red River is going for a state record tying fifth consecutive crown. The Roughriders defeated Dickinson and Williston 5-0 on Thursday. Century advanced to the title match with a 5-0 victory over Fargo North and the win against Shanley.
Red River won five team championships from 1992-96.
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Roughriders junior Liza Wischer will begin her quest today for a state-record fifth straight singles title. Wischer is tied with former Red River standout Sarine Weingarten with four in a row.
Brynne Wischer, Liza's sister, is looking for a record-tying third consecutive doubles title. The Red River senior is partnered with Amirah Ahmed for the second year in a row.
Both the individual and doubles tournaments begin at 2 p.m.
TEAM TOURNAMENT
First round
Bismarck Century def. Fargo North 5-0
Singles
No.1: Welk, BC, def. L. Karlins, 6-2, 6-2; No. 2: Horner, BC, def. Thompson, 6-2, 6-1; No. 3: Larson, BC, def. B. Karlins, 6-0, 6-1
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Doubles
No. 1: A. Goodin/Kalvoda, BC, def. Bergstrom/Larson, 6-2, 6-0; No. 2: S/ Goodin/Bosch, BC, def. Bikka/Gustafson, 2-6, 6-3, 6-3
Fargo Shanley-Oak Grove-Park Christian def. Mandan, 3-2
Singles
No. 1: Rognlien, FS, def. Schulz, 6-2, 6-1; No. 2: Porter, FS, def. Nohner, 6-2, 6-2; No. 3: Goter, M, def. Irsfeld, 7-5, 6-2
Doubles
No. 1: M. Baker/S. Baker, FS, def. Neubauer/Gietzen, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4; No. 2: Bauor/Porter, M, def. Flowers/Jordahl, 6-3, 6-4
Grand Forks Red River def. Dickinson, 5-0
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Singles
No. 1: L. Wischer, RR, def. Sticka, 6-0, 6-0; No. 2: Mullally, RR, def. Hutchins, 6-1, 6-0; No. 3: Rankowski, RR, def. Galipean, 6-3, 6-1
Doubles
No. 1: B. Wischer/Ahmed, RR, def. Rerseramer/Sipma, 6-3, 6-4; No. 2: Misialek/Arnason, RR, def. Duna/Zubke, 6-1, 2-6, 6-3
Williston def. West Fargo, 5-0
Singles
No. 1: John, W, def. Hennessy, 6-2, 6-2; No. 2: Doggett, W, def. Sell, 6-3, 6-1; No. 3: Anderson, W, def. Kyllo, 6-1, 1-6, 6-2
Doubles
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No. 1: Cronin/Denne, W, def. Fearing/Bertsch, 6-3, 1-6, 6-0; No. 2: Dai/Ahmed, W, def. Slemin/Jundt, 6-1, 6-2
Losers bracket
Mandan def. Fargo North, 4-1
Singles
No. 1: Karling, FN, def. Gretzen, 6-3, 6-3; No. 2: Neubauer, M, def. Thompson, 6-1, 6-4; No. 3: Schulz, M, def. Harrison, 6-1, 7-6 (6)
Doubles
No. 1: Bauer/Porter, M, def. Bergstrom/Larson, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4; No. 2: Goter/Nohner, M, def. Bilska/Gustafson, 6-2, 6-2
Dickinson def. West Fargo, 3-2
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Singles
No. 1: Sticka, D, def. John, 7-5, 6-5; No. 2: Doggett, WF, def. Hutchins, 6-3, 7-5; No. 3: Galipear, D, def. Anderson, 6-2, 6-3
Doubles
No. 1: Reisenamer/Sipma, D, def. Cronin/Denne, 6-0, 6-1; No. 2: Dai/Ahmed, WF, def. Duna/Zubke, 6-4, 7-6 (2)
Semifinals
Bismarck Century def, Fargo Shanley-Oak Grove-Park Christian, 4-1
Singles
No. 1: Welk, BC, def. Rognlien, 6-1, 6-0; No. 2: Horner, BC, def. Porter, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2; No. 3: Kalvoda, BC, def. Irsfeld, 6-1, 6-5
Doubles
No. 1: M. Baker/J. Baker, FS, def. A. Goodin/Kalvoda, 2-6,6-3,6-3; No. 2: S. Goodin/Bosch, BC, def. Flowers/Jordahl, 6-2, 6-4
Grand Forks Red River def. Williston, 5-0
Singles
No. 1: L. Wischer, RR, def. Hennessy, 6-2, 6-1; No. 2: Mullally, RR, def. Sell, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4; No. 3: Ronkowski, RR, def. Slemin, 6-1, 6-2
Doubles
No. 1: B. Wischer/Ahmed, RR, def. Kyllo/Jundt, 6-1, 6; No. 2: Gilbraith/Arnason, RR, def. Fearing/Bertsch, 6-1, 6-0
Readers can reach Forum reporter Heath Hotzler at (701) 241-5562
