Homestead freshman topples teammate

Madison – Andie Weise couldn’t help but look ahead.

When the girls state tennis tournament brackets were released, the Homestead freshman noticed a potential Division 1 quarterfinal match against senior Katya Mikhailenko – also from Homestead.

“I saw that right away,” Weise said. “I was nervous but like excited at the same time because it was an opportunity for me to get to the semifinals. I don’t like playing my teammates, obviously, but I’m really happy with the result.”

That’s because the result was a 7-6, 6-1 upset victory for the 11th-seeded Weise (35-2) over the third-seeded Mikhailenko (30-2) on Friday afternoon at the Nielsen Tennis Stadium.

“We were both on top of our game,” Weise said. “I think I played really well. Even if I lost a point, I would keep plugging away and hitting the next ball the same as I did the last one, not like changing my game.”

Weise plays No. 2 singles for Homestead and Mikhailenko holds the No. 1 spot, so they hit with each other every day in practice.

“We both know our weaknesses and our strengths,” Weise said. “And I knew her strength was her serve, and she has really good volleys. But I also knew her backhand wasn’t as strong, and she likes being the aggressor and does not like being on offense. So I tried playing offensive and hitting to her backhand more.”

It worked against Mikhailenko, who finished fourth at state last year after winning state doubles in 2014.

“I’m happy but sad at the same time,” Weise said. “I mean, it’s disappointing we had to run into each other in the quarterfinals. I think we both could have made it to the semifinals and play each other there. I’m happy that I won. But I feel bad because this is her senior year and it was her time, I guess. She really wanted to do well.”

The only other area girl to reach the semifinals Saturday was fifth-seeded Emma Corwin of Brookfield East. She defeated No. 4 Logan White of Divine Savior Holy Angels, 5-7, 6-2, 6-1.

There are also two local participants in the Division 1 doubles semifinals, and both are North Shore Conference rivals.

Top-seeded Frankie LaLonde and Sasha Shapsis of Homestead (30-1) will face No. 4 Elise Gerard and Annabelle Crowley of Nicolet (28-7) at 9:45 a.m. Saturday.

Each won three matches Friday to set up their sixth meeting this season. Homestead is 4-1 against Nicolet, including a victory in the conference tournament at No. 1 doubles.

“Obviously they’re a great team and all of our matches are very, very close, so hopefully I think we’ll do pretty well,” LaLonde said. “Even if we don’t win, I think it’ll be a close match.”

DIVISION 2

Two-time defending state champion Claire Czerwonka, a senior at Kenosha St. Joseph, improved to 30-0 by winning both matches, 6-0, 6-0.

“I wasn’t expecting to win every match 0 and 0, but I was expecting to win them,” she said. “So going 0 and 0 was pretty great. Hopefully, I can continue that.”

The Lancers also have the area’s highest remaining seed in doubles, as No. 2 Megan Setter and Kaitlyn Kalinka face No. 3 Catherine Raster and Kate Mrochinski of Catholic Memorial in the semifinals.

This is the third straight season the Crusaders are at state. They were seeded fifth last year but lost in the second round.

“That was a big disappointment,” Mrochinski said. “So we knew we had to go out with confidence, take care of it, because we knew we had the capability to beat the teams that we were playing.”

DIVISION 1

Quarterfinal singles

Emily Luetschwager, Stevens Point, def. Sarah Benoy, Stoughton, 6-0, 6-1. Emma Corwin, Brookfield East, def. Logan White, Divine Savior Holy Angels, 5-7, 6-2, 6-1. Andie Weise, Homestead vs. Katya Mikhailenko, Homestead. Isabelle Lee, Bay Port, def. Catherine Lindsay, Eau Claire Memorial, 6-2, 6-1.

Third-round singles

Emily Luetschwager, SP, def. Karolina Lungova, Madison West, 6-2, 6-0. Lats Sysouvanh, Sun Prairie, def. Sarah Benoy, STO, 7-5, 6-7(5), 6-4. Logan White, DSHA, def. Molly Plummer, Pulaski, 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-1. Emma Corwin, BE, def. Sabrina Tang, Stevens Point, 6-2, 6-3.

Andie Weise, Homestead, def. Sasha Semina, Brookfield Central, 6-0, 6-4. Katya Mikhailenko, Homestead, def. Gabrielle Lee, Bay Port, 7-6(5), 6-1. Catherine Lindsay, ECM, def. Amy Drame, Nicolet, 6-2, 7-5. Iabelle Lee, BP, def. Ashley Buzaitis, Green Bay Southwest, 6-1, 6-0.

Quarterfinal doubles

Frankie La Londe/Sasha Shapsis, Homestead, def. Amanda Newman/Hailey Munz, Monona Grove, 6-3, 6-3. Elise Gerard/Annabelle Crowley, Nicolet, def. Claire Rotherham/Mary Zakowski, Notre Dame de la Baie, 6-2, 6-3. Emily Pepperl/Devon Bourget, Eau Claire Memorial, def. Bailey Chorney/Autumn Facktor, Waunakee, 6-3, 6-1. Christina Price/Kiki Risgaard, Neenah, def. Marli Stellhorn/Emma Koppa, Nicolet, 6-2, 6-0.

Third-round doubles

Frankie La Londe/Sasha Shapsis, HOM, def. Alyssa Boyer/Bridget Brown, Homestead, 6-1, 6-0. Amanda Newman/Hailey Munz, MG, def. Emily Edsell/Erica Casper, Oshkosh West, 7-5, 6-3. Elise Gerard/Annabelle Crowley, NIC, def. Paige Schultz/Peyton Westcott, Arrowhead, 6-2, 6-1. Claire Rotherham/Mary Zakowski, NDDLB, def. Jaida Drame/Mia Bohlen, Nicolet, 1-6, 6-3, 6-1.

Bailey Chorney/Autumn Facktor, WAU, def. Amanda Skonieczny/Hailey Haws, Cedarburg, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2. Emily Pepperl/Devon Bourget, ECM, def. Laura Nicholas/Hoi Ming Lee McVey, Madison West , 6-1, 6-2. Marli Stellhorn/Emma Koppa, NIC, def. Sarah Koltermann/Megan Phillips, Mukwonago, 6-4, 6-2. Christina Price/Kiki Risgaard, NEE, def. Kendra Halverson/Sydney Johnson, Stoughton, 6-0, 6-0.

Second-round doubles

Frankie La Londe/Sasha Shapsis, HOM, def. Bryce Bigelow/Madalyn Bigelow, Kenosha Tremper, 6-0, 6-1. Alyssa Boyer/Bridget Brown, HOM, def. Carly Wolff/Maria Korkos, Brookfield East, 6-2, 6-4. Emily Edsell/Erica Casper, OW, def. Ally Bensen/Meredith Vande Zande, West Bend East, 6-1, 6-0. Amanda Newman/Hailey Munz, MG, def. Maddie Clark/Ally Hujanen, Middleton, 6-1, 6-2. Elise Gerard/Annabelle Crowley, NIC, def. Melina Schaetz/Anne Rieke, West Bend East, 6-1, 6-0. Paige Schultz/Peyton Westcott, ARR, def. Emily Choinski/Jenna Koepp, Watertown, 6-1, 6-1. Claire Rotherham/Mary Zakowski, NDDLB, def. Gabby Majinski/Kate McCormick, New Berlin Eisenhower, 6-2, 6-1. Jaida Drame/Mia Bohlen, NIC, def. Dani Lester/Ali Menard, Whitefish Bay, 1-6, 6-3, 6-1.

Amanda Skonieczny/Hailey Haws, CED, def. Jessica Liu/Devika Kamath, Madison Memorial, 6-1, 6-1. Bailey Chorney/Autumn Facktor, WAU, def. Sammy Johnson/Anna Wilgren, Hudson, 6-0, 6-3. Laura Nicholas/Hoi Ming Lee McVey, MW, def. Anna Nelson/Marissa Robson, Stoughton, 6-2, 6-0. Emily Pepperl/Devon Bourget, ECM, def. Allie Miller/Chole Woods, Union Grove, 6-1, 6-3. Sarah Koltermann/Megan Phillips, MUK, def. Jen Belilse/Allyson Verbauwhede, Manitowoc Lincoln, 7-6(5), 7-6(5). Marli Stellhorn/Emma Koppa, NIC, def. Erin Dobrzynski/Samantha Ramsey, New Berlin Eisenhower, 6-4, 6-3. Kendra Halverson/Sydney Johnson, Stoughton, def. Jenna Marget/Kendall Martens, Whitefish Bay, 6-4, 6-1. Christina Price/Kiki Risgaard, NEE, def. Amanda Dorsey/Grace Hackinson, Neenah, 6-1, 6-0.

DIVISION 2

Quarterfinal singles

Claire Czerwonka, Kenosha St. Joseph, def. Rachel Anderson, Racine St. Catherine’s, 6-0, 6-0. Emma Sango, Edgewood Sacred Heart, def. Olivia Czerwonka, KSJ, 6-1, 6-0. Laura Larrain, Newman Catholic, def. Jessica Inman, ESH, 6-2,6-4. Riley Strauss, University School, def. Jennifer Niemeyer, Xavier, 6-0, 6-1.

Second-round singles

C. Czerwonka, KSJ, def. Elodie Martin, Lakeland, 6-0, 6-0. Anderson, RSC, def. Josie Seelen, Regis, 7-5, 7-5. O. Czerwonka, KSJ, def. Giana Apostoli, KSJ, 7-5, 5-7, 6-4. Sango, ESH, def. Grace Gould, Racine Prairie, 6-3, 6-0.

Inman, ESH, def. Kayla Olson, Amery, 6-3, 6-3. Larrain, NC, def. Jenna Piaskowski, Roncalli, 6-4, 6-0. Niemeyer, XAV, def. Marie Major, Brookfield Academy, 6-1, 6-4. Strauss, US, def. Anna Dobbe, Luther, 6-1, 6-1.

Quarterfinal doubles

Abby Fox/Maddie Molitor, ESH, def. Nicole Froelich/Paulina Vaca, RON, 6-1, 6-1. Mackenzie Lindow/Erin Rice, East Troy, def. Jamie Lewis/Evelyn Heun, Kohler, 6-3, 6-2. Catherine Raster/Kate Mrochinski, Catholic Memorial, def. Milena Maroske/Whitney Treder, Whitewater, 6-4, 6-1. Megan Setter/Kaitlyn Kalinka, KSJ, def. Kelsey Taugher/Margaret Diedrich, XAV, 6-3, 6-1.

Second-round doubles

Fox/Molitor, ESH, def. Zoe Francis/Leah Schneck, US, 6-0, 6-0. Froelich/Vaca, RON, def. Kate David/Hannah Meyer, NC, 7-5, 6-4. Lewis/Heun, KOHL, def. Anna Koehl/Julua Grygleski, Pacelli, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2. Lindow/Rice, ET, def. Emily Hafemann/Grace Amling, Martin Luther, 6-4, 6-4.

Maruske/Treder, WW, def. Kate Seyer/Taylor Johnson, REG, 6-2, 2-6, 6-3. Raster/Mrochinski, CM, def. Grace Drake/Claire Stein, ESH, 6-2, 6-3. Taugher/Diedrich, XAV, def. Hannah Rosenbaum/Ellie Schmidt, 7-6 (5), 6-1. Setter/Kalinka, KSJ, def. Sarah Kinstler/Julia Hoffe, LUTH, 6-0, 6-0.