Linn-Mar Girls Tennis

Schluetter wins twice in Lions' loss

IOWA CITY - Ann Schluetter posted a pair of wins for Linn-Mar in the Lions' 7-2 loss to Iowa City West in girls tennis Thursday.

Schlueter won at No.6 singles and teamed with Jessica Carpenter for a win at No.3 doubles.

IOWA CITY WEST 7, LINN-MAR 2

Singles
Elana Wilson (ICW) def. Ashley Smith, 10-8
Megan Jens (ICW) def. Gabi Botsford, 10-0
Britani Langland (ICW) def. Mackenzie Luehring, 10-5
Maria Burtch (ICW) def. Emily Jones, 10-4
Erin Weathers (ICW) def. Raquel Kragel, 10-7
Ann Schluetter (LM) def. Navya Manning, 10-4

Doubles
Wilson/Jens (ICW) def. Botsford/Luehring, 10-3
Langland/Burtch (ICW) def. Smith/Jones, 10-6
Schluetter/Jessica Carpenter (LM) def. Weathers/Hannah Smigel, 10-6

Linn-Mar girls blank Rams, 9-0

DUBUQUE - The Linn-Mar girls tennis team swept all nine matches against Dubuque Senior in a Mississippi Valley Conference meet in Dubuque Tuesday.

Ashley Smith, Gabi Botsford, Mackenzie Luehring, Emily Jones and Raquel Kragel won their singles matches for the Lions. Ann Schlueter won by default.

LINN-MAR 9, DUBUQUE SENIOR 0

SINGLES
1. Ashley Smith (LM) def. Ashton Stoppelmoor, 11-9.
2. Gabi Botsford (LM) def. Olivia Vogt, 10-3.
3. Mackenzie Luehring (LM) def. Gabriel Daoud, 10-2.
4. Emily Jones (LM) def. Brandi Peter, 10-0.
5. Raquel Kragel (LM) def. Jenna Geisler, 10-0.
6. Ann Schlueter (LM) won by default.

DOUBLES
1. Smith/Botsford (LM) def. Stoppelmoor/Vogt, 10-5.
2. Kragel/Schlueter (LM) def. Daoud/Peter, 10-1.
3. Luehring/Jones (LM) won by default.

Kennedy thwarts Lions' state tourney bid

It wasn’t exactly the way Kennedy’s Sarah Lasecki wanted to prepare for the state team tennis tournament, but at least she’ll be there with her team and with a doubles partner for the third straight year.

Although she lost both her singles and doubles matches in the regional finals against Linn-Mar on the Kennedy courts Saturday afternoon, Lasecki’s teammates picked up the slack.

They combined to topple the Lions, 5-3, in the Class 2A regional final to advance to the state team tournament for the fourth straight year and the 10th time in the last 13 years. The Cougars (13-3) have been to the state semifinals eight times during that stretch.

Kennedy will play Washington in a first round state meet match Monday at 3 p.m. at Jefferson.

Meanwhile, Lasecki will team with Lindsay Minder next weekend in state doubles competition. As a junior, it will be Lasecki's third time at state with her third partner.

She finished third as a freshman with Christina Goeddel and fourth last year with Kali Hildebrand. Both losses came against teams from Muscatine.

Lasecki has been named to the MVC division first team the last two years and was on the second team as a freshman. She was picked on the all-Metro team her first two seasons.

Until she and Minder lost to Katie Rakers and Jenna Myers of Linn-Mar Saturday afternoon, the duo had been beaten only twice this season.

“We make a good team,” said Lasecki, who plays No. 1 singles for Kennedy. “I’m better at doubles than singles, and I like it better, too. I get to play the net more. And that’s what I enjoy most.”

Kennedy Coach Joe Benedict said it’s been a good combination this year. “They complement each other,” he said. “They’re able to play off each other’s strengths.”

Despite the setback Saturday, Lasecki said she’s confident going into state doubles play. That meet is May 31 and June 1 at the University of Iowa in Iowa City.

“It all depends on the draw we get,” she explained. “We were lucky the last two years we didn’t get the big guns right off.

“Lindsay and I are playing real well. So I’m hoping we’ll go pretty far.”

Linn-Mar blanked Mason City/Newman, 5-0, in the regional semifinals Saturday. Kennedy advanced with a 5-0 victory over Waterloo West.

KENNEDY 6, LINN-MAR 3

Singles
1. Katie Rakers (LM) def. Sarah Lasecki, 6-3, 6-2.
2. Jenna Myers (LM) def. Katherine Thompson, 7-5, 6-1.
3. Lindsay Minder (K) def. Ashley Smith, 6-4  3-6, 1-0.
4. Alexa Mitchell (K) def. Mackenzie Luehring, 6-0, 6-1.
5. Rachel Gilman (K) def. Gabi Botsford, 6-4, 6-7, 1-0.
6. Melanie Abzug (K) def. Emily Jones, 2-6, 6-1, 1-0.

Doubles
1. Rakers/Myers (LM) def. Lasecki/Minder, 6-3, 6-2.
2. Mitchell/Thompson (K) def. Smith/Botsford, 7-6, 6-1.
3. Gilman/Abzug (K) def. Luehring/Jones, 4-6, 6-3, 1-0.

LINN-MAR 5, MASON CITY 0

Singles
1. Katie Rakers (LM) def. Adriana Velez, 6-0, 6-0.
2. Jenna Myers (LM) def. Ashley Gutting, 6-0, 6-0.
3. Ashley Smith (LM) def. Rakiah Bonjour, 6-2, 6-1.
4. Mackenzie Luehring (LM) def. Ashley Cordle, 6-1, 6-2.
5. Gabi Botsford (LM) def. Ashley Rottinghous, 6-1, 6-3.
6. Emily Jones (LM) def. Heather Hines, 6-1, 6-4.

Botsford 2nd in regional singles tourney

BETTENDORF -- Linn-Mar's Gabi Botsford finished second in singles and the Kennedy doubles team of Sarah Lasecki and Lindsay Minder were second in doubles Thursday in a Class 2A singles and doubles regional girls tennis tournament.

Rachel Herman of Davenport Central beat Botsford, 7-6(5), 7-5, in the singles final.

Herman ousted the Lions' Ashley Smith, 6-1, 7-6 (7-3), in the semifinals. Smith defaulted in the third-place match.

Kennedy's Rachel Gilman was eliminated by Herman in the second round, 6-4, 6-1. She won her first-round match.

Melanie Abzug of Kennedy lost her first-round match.

Bettendorf's Dana Waterman and Ali Grampp downed Lasecki and Minder, 6-2, 6-1, in the doubles final.

The Linn-Mar doubles team of Katie Rakers and Jenna Myers finished third after losing to Waterman and Grampp, 4-6, 6-2, 6-0, in the semifinals.

The Linn-Mar doubles team of Mackenzie Luehring and Emily Jones won their first-round match before losing in the second round.

Kennedy's doubles team of Katherine Thompson and Alexa Mitchell won their first-round game, but were beaten by Rakers and Myers in the second round.

The top two finishers in singles and doubles advance to the Class 2A individual state meet at the University of Iowa in Iowa City on May 31 and June 1.

SINGLES

First Round
Abi Gehrls (North Scott) def. Melanie Abzug (CRK), 6-1, 6-0
Rachel Gilman (CRK) def. Hoai Pham (Davenport West), 6-4, 6-1

Second Round
Gabi Botsford (LM) def. Thuy Nguyen (Davenport West), 6-2, 7-5
Ashley Smith (LM) def. Hannah Bankson (Bettendorf), 6-1, 6-0
Rachel Herman (Davenport Central) def. Gilman (CRK), 6-1, 6-0

Semifinals
Botsford (LM) def. Emily Speer (Bettendorf), no scores
Herman (DC) def. Smith (LM), 6-1, 7-6 (7-3)

Third Place
Speer (Bett) def. Smith (LM), default

Championship
Herman (DC) def. Botsford (LM), 7-6 (7-5), 7-5

DOUBLES

First Round
Mackenzie Luehrring/Emily Jones (LM) def. Libby Burken/Samantha Napier (Davenport West), 6-3, 6-2
Katherine Thompson/Alexa Mitchell (CRK) def. Claire Rayburn/Carly Saveraid (DC), 6-0, 6-0

Second Round
Sarah Lasecki/Lindsay Minder (CRK) def. Megan McPherson/Penny Constantinou (Bett), 6-4, 6-1
Emma Shie/Anastazia Zunic (DC) def. Luehring/Jones (LM), 6-2, 6-0
Katie Rakers/Jenna Myers (LM) def. Thompson/Mitchell (CRK), 6-2, 6-2

Semifinals
Lasecki/Minder (CRK) def. Shie/Zunic (DC), 6-4, 4-6, 7-5
Dana Waterman/Ali Grampp (Bett) def. Rakers/Myers (LM), 4-6, 6-2, 6-0

Third Place
Rakers/Myers (LM) def. Shie/Zunic (DC), 6-2, 6-2

Championship
Waterman/Grampp (Bett) def. Lasecki/Minder (CRK), 6-2, 6-1