Kovacs lone Midget still playing

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BISMARCK — Freshman Meryl Kovacs, who started the season on the junior varsity, is the lone Dickinson High girls tennis player with a shot to reach the Class A state tournament going into today’s final round at the West Region Tournament.

Kovacs won three of her four singles matches Friday and faces Alicia Beck of Bismarck St. Mary’s today with the winner earning a trip to the state tournament.

“For a freshman who is seventh on our team to improve throughout the year and be playing in the state-qualifying round, that’s pretty impressive,” Dickinson coach James Kramer said.

Kovacs defeated Minot’s Kendra Collins 1-6, 6-2, 6-2 in the opening round, lost to Jamestown’s Sarah Muhs 6-1, 6-1 in the second round but battled her way back in the consolation brackets, beating teammate Reanna Peterson 6-3, 6-3 and Mandan’s Kaitlyn Slavick 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.

The doubles team of Brooke Lietzke and Mariah Jorda claimed an opening-round comeback win over Minot’s Danielle Foster and Katie Wilson, 3-6, 7-6 (7-1), 7-5 before losing 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 to Mandan’s Shelby Gustafson and Amanda Hillstrom in the quarterfinals and succumbing to Mandan’s Catie Cordova and Heather Ripplinger 6-4, 6-1 in the consolation round.

After losing in the opening round, Sydney Smutzler and Alex Simonieg staged 5-7, 6-3, 6-1 comeback win over Jamestown’s Anna Larson and Bailee Graves to continue their day. They lost out in the consolation quarterfinals.

Peterson and Dickinson singles player Lindsey Bakken were eliminated after two matches.

“Our doubles played really well all weekend, we just had heartbreaking losses in the (consolation) quarterfinal round,” Kramer said.

Singles

First Round

Jenna Reed, J, def. Reanna Peterson, D, 6-2, 6-0. Rachel Schumaier, B, def. Kaitlyn Slavick, Man, 6-4, 6-1. Alyssa Wolf, C, def. Megan Sherven, Min, 6-4, 6-1. Keyenna Enget, W, def. Lindsey Bakken, D, 6-3, 6-0. Meryl Kovacs, D, def. Kendra Collins, Min, 1-6, 6-2, 6-2. Emily Schauer, B, def. Maria LeFevre, J, 2-6, 6-2, 6-3. Anne Dickson, C, def. Kayla Buck, W, 6-1, 6-4. Kayla Barke, W, def. Barbara Senger, Man, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.

Second Round

Caitlin Bakke, SM, def. Reed, 6-1, 6-0. Rachel Dodd, B, def. Schumaier, 6-3, 6-0. Alicia Beck, SM, def. Wolf, 6-7 (1-7), 7-6 (7-5), 7-5. Mary Roller, SM, def. Enget, 6-0, 6-0. Sara Muhs, J, def. Kovacs, 6-1, 6-1. Cayla Cordova, Man, def. Schauer, 6-4, 6-3. Ban Dodin, Min, def. Dickson, 6-3, 6-0. Sarah Janes, C, def. Barke, 6-1, 6-3.

Quarterfinals

Bakke def. Dodd, 6-1, 6-0. Roller def. Beck, 6-2, 6-0. Muhs def. Cordova, 6-3, 6-0. Janes def. Dodin, 6-0, 6-0.

Consolation First Round

Kovacs def. Peterson, 6-3, 6-3. Slavick def. Schauer, 6-1, 7-5. Sherven def. Dickson, 6-1, 6-0. Barke def. Bakken, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3. Collins def. Reed, 6-2, 6-3. Schumaier def. LeFevre, 6-4, 6-0. Wolf def. Buck, 6-0, 6-2. Enget def. Senger, 6-3, 6-1.

Consolation Second Round

Kovacs def. Slavick, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. Sherven def. Barke, 6-2, 6-0. Schumaier def. Collins, 6-2, 6-2. Wolf def. Enget, 6-1, 6-4.

Doubles

First Round

Erin Black-Halie Hall, Min., def. Jenna Andre-Jazmyn Oban, B, 6-2, 6-2. Keely Kleven-Jaden Lynch, W, def. Catie Cordova-Heather Ripplinger, Man, 6-4, 6-1. Courtney Brackin-Kelly Swanberg, C, def. Anna Larson-Bailee Graves, J, 6-2, 6-0. Mariya Krumm-Erin Benz, SM, def. Sydney Smutzler-Alex Simonieg, D, 6-1, 6-4. Tyne Oberlander-Alek Haugen, B, def. Rachael Scott-Paige Fettig, C, 6-1, 6-0. Tori Brucker-Kathryn Malaktaris, SM, def. Kara Fix-Erin Mullowney, J, 6-4, 7-6 (9-7). Brooke Lietzke-Mariah Jorda, D, def. Danielle Foster-Katie Wilson, Min, 3-6, 7-6 (7-1), 7-5. Shelby Gustafson-Amanda Hillstrom, Man, def. Cassidy Owens-Danielle Hodenfield, W, 6-4, 6-2.

Quarterfinals

Black-Hall def. Kleven-Lynch, 6-1, 6-0. Brackin-Swanberg def. Krumm-Benz, 6-1, 6-2. Oberlander-Haugen def. Brucker-Malaktaris, 6-3, 6-0. Gustafson-Hillstrom def. Lietzke-Jorda, 6-2, 2-6, 6-4.

Consolation First Round

Cordova-Ripplinger def. Andre-Oban, 6-2, 6-3. Smutzler-Simonieg def. Larson-Graves, 5-7, 6-3, 6-1. Fix-Mullowney def. Scott-Fettig, 7-5, 6-4. Foster-Wilson def. Owens-Hodenfield, 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (11-9).

Consolation Quarterfinals

Cordova-Ripplinger def. Lietzke-Jorda, 6-4, 7-5. Brucker-Malaktaris, def. Smutzler-Simonieg, 6-2, 6-4. Krumm-Benz def. Fix-Mullowney, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4). Foster-Wilson def. Kleven-Lynch, 6-1, 6-2.

Tags: high school tennis, dickinson midgets, sports