All-area girls tennis team
The Homestead girls tennis team returned to winning state championships and Kenosha St. Joseph senior Claire Czerwonka won another WIAA Division 2 title, earning her and several Highlanders a spot on the Journal Sentinel all-area team.
Homestead finished with a 27-0 record after beating Neenah in the final for its first championship since winning five in a row from 2008-’12, and Czerwonka was just the seventh girl and first since 2008 to earn at least three consecutive titles.
The Lancers almost became the second Division 2 school and first since Greendale in 1996 to have a singles and doubles champion in the same year, but Kaitlyn Kalinka and Megan Setter had to settle for second place.
Nicolet’s Elise Gerard and Annabelle Crowley were the Division 1 state runner-up for the second straight year as well.
The coach of the year is Milwaukee Reagan’s Eli Kelley, who was also selected for the state award by the Wisconsin High School Coaches Association. Kelley led his team to the City Conference championship after Milwaukee King had won it the previous 20 years.
FIRST TEAM
Singles
Claire Czerwonka, sr., Kenosha St. Joseph: She won state with a 30-0 mark and did not lose a set all season. Her high school record was 115-8.
Emma Corwin, sr., Brookfield East: Corwin ended with a 24-5 record after placing third at state (Division 1).
Andie Weise, fr., Homestead: Weise lost to Corwin to take fourth with a 38-4 mark.
Logan White, soph., DSHA: Her fifth-place showing at state (Division 1) gave her a 27-4 record.
Doubles
Elise Gerard, sr., Annabelle Crowley, soph., Nicolet: The Knights finished 30-9 and also helped the team reach the semifinals in the team state tournament.
Frankie La Londe, jr., SashaShapsis, fr., Homestead: They were 33-3, highlighted by a third-place finish at state (Division 1).
Megan Setter, soph., Kaitlyn Kalinka, jr., St. Joseph: The Lancers were 22-4 after losing to Madison Edgewood in the final.
SECOND TEAM
Singles
Katya Mikhailenko, sr., Homestead
Riley Strauss, jr., University School
Sasha Semina, jr., Brookfield Central
Olivia Czerwonka, soph., St. Joseph
Doubles
Marli Stellhorn, sr., Emma Koppa, soph., Nicolet
Catherine Raster, sr., Kate Mrochinski, sr., Catholic Memorial
Amanda Skonieczny, jr., Hailey Haws, fr., Cedarburg
HONORABLE MENTION
Singles
Amy Drame, soph., Nicolet; Jordan Schifano, fr., DSHA; Allison Brankle, jr., Brookfield East; Elianne del Campo, fr., Brookfield Central; Natalie Yang, fr., Homestead; Emily Horneffer, soph., Brookfield East; Marie Major, soph., Brookfield Academy; Rachel Anderson, jr., Racine St. Catherine’s; Giana Apostoli, soph., St. Joseph.
Doubles
Connie Terlizzi, sr., Alyssa Piek, jr., Wauwatosa West; Paite Schultz, sr., Peyton Westcott, jr., Arrowhead; Jenna Marget, sr., Kendall Martens, sr., Whitefish Bay; Alyssa Boyer, jr., Bridget Brown, fr., Homestead; Emily Hafemann, sr., Grace Amling, sr., Greendale Martin Luther; Kelsey Taugher, jr., Margaret Diedrich, soph., Catholic Memorial.
Editor's Note
Our area girls tennis player of the year, along with athletes of the year from all WIAA sports, will be announced as part of our inaugural high school sports awards show next spring. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Sports Awards will be held at 8 p.m. May 17 at the Pabst Theater. The show will feature various awards, entertainment and a special appearance from a celebrity guest. We will provide more details about the event in the coming weeks and months.