BISMARCK -- The Dickinson High girls tennis team was patient through hours of waiting inside due to rain on Thursday and had high hopes to qualify the team to go to the state tournament on Friday.
However, the wind was taken out of the Midgets' sails after Bismarck won 4-1 early Friday morning at the West Region Tournament.
"I think it took its toll on the kids as they started to play their second and third matches of the day," Dickinson head coach James Kramer said.
The one match Dickinson won in the dual was Lindsey Bakken and McKenna Love teaming up to beat Jenna Andre and Kate Well 4-6, 6-2, 6-2. The Midgets kept it interesting, though, with No. 3 singles and No. 1 doubles going three sets.
Bakken used the momentum from the morning and put it toward her No. 1 singles match. The junior took a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Minot's Lathasha Klein. Bakken was then defeated in the quarterfinals by No. 1 seed Kayla Barke of Williston, 2-6, 4-6.
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Bakken needs one win today to advance to the state tournament. If she wins all of her matches today, she'll finish the tournament in fifth place.
"Lindsey ended up getting a pretty good seed," Kramer said. "She'll have to bounce back tomorrow morning, be consistent, and hopefully, have a chance to get to her first state tournament."
Despite only having one competitor left in the tournament, Kramer said this tournament provided the ability for his players to grow and mature at the varsity level.
"We tried to use this tournament as a learning tool for next year," he said. "I think a lot of these kids understand what it takes to take that next step and get to the next level."
Bismarck 4, Dickinson 1
Singles: 1, Tyne Oberlander, B, def. Shaelynn Roller 6-0, 6-1. 2. Rachel Dodd, B, def. Ireland Jung 6-1, 6-2/ 3. Lauryn Andre, B, def. Kayla Wallace 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7-4).
Doubles: 1. Rachel Schumaier/Kayla Steffes, B, def. Meryl Kovacs/Mariah Jorda 6-2, 6-7 (12-14), (10-8). 2. Lindsey Bakken/McKenna Love, D, def. Jenna Andre/Katie Well 4-6, 6-2, 6-2.
Individuals
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Second round: Lindsey Bakken, D, def. Lathasha Klein, Minot, 7-5, 6-3.
Quarterfinals: Kayla Barke, Williston, def. Bakken, 6-2, 6-4
