ST. PETER, Minn. – The St. Catherine University tennis team competed across the ITA Midwest Regional Championships and Gustie Fall Invite, with the Wildcats picking up six victories between singles and doubles competition.
Anna Runck highlighted the Gustie Fall Invite for St. Catherine, advancing to the semifinals of Draw 8 with a pair of victories. Runck opened with a 4-0, 5-3 win over UW-River Falls' Jaimey Jessen-Olson before defeating Hamline's Emily Dreger 4-2, 4-2. Her run came to an end in the semifinals against St. Norbert's Allison Unverzagt in a three-set battle, 4-2, 0-4, 10-3.
Also in singles at the Gustie Fall Invite, Mylie Brandt pushed UW-Stevens Point's Eleanor Aitken to a match tiebreak before falling 2-4, 4-0, 13-11. Serenity Vang was defeated by Gustavus' Melat Tabara 4-0, 4-0, while Melanie Gravdahl fell to Bethel's Addie Carlson 4-0, 4-1.
In doubles play, Vang and Brandt dropped an 8-4 decision to Bethel's Emily Eisma and Carlson. Runck and Gravdahl battled Carthage's Jordan Miller and Huesca to a tiebreak before falling 8-7 (3).
At the ITA Midwest Regional, Ashley King opened singles competition with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Central's Sidney Peterson. King then met St. Olaf's Jana Mrdovic in the next round, falling 6-4, 6-1.
Faith Simon, seeded No. 17 in the draw, received a first-round bye before rallying for a 4-6, 6-3, 10-7 victory over Gustavus' Maya Brakhage. Simon's run ended against UW-La Crosse's Lily Jorgenson, 6-1, 6-2.
Brooklyn Keller, also seeded No. 17, received an opening-round bye before facing UW-Eau Claire's Magdalena Kristo. Keller claimed the opening set before Kristo rallied for a 1-6, 6-2, 14-12 victory.
Marie Pelletier went the distance with Carthage's Kamila Dobija, falling 7-5, 4-6, 10-7, while Lily Holmberg took the opening set against Macalester's Adel Schneider before dropping a 4-6, 6-2, 10-8 decision.
St. Catherine also collected two victories in the ITA doubles bracket. Simon and King opened with an 8-4 win over Luther's Jay Mascardo and Ale Villanueva before falling 8-4 to Gustavus' Karina Elvestrom and Rory Wahlstrand.
Keller teamed with Ryanna Steinhaus for an impressive 8-0 opening-round victory over St. Olaf's Alexandra Prisecaru and Zaylee Rose. The Wildcat duo was then eliminated by Carroll's Natasa Pupovac and Kate Trifilio, 8-2.
Pelletier and Holmberg rounded out the Wildcats' doubles entries, falling 8-1 to Gustavus' Brakhage and Noor Omar.
Gustie Fall Invite – Singles
- Anna Runck def. Jaimey Jessen-Olson (UW-River Falls), 4-0, 5-3
- Runck def. Emily Dreger (Hamline), 4-2, 4-2
- Allison Unverzagt (St. Norbert) def. Runck, 4-2, 0-4, 10-3
- Eleanor Aitken (UW-Stevens Point) def. Mylie Brandt, 2-4, 4-0, 13-11
- Melat Tabara (Gustavus) def. Serenity Vang, 4-0, 4-0
- Addie Carlson (Bethel) def. Melanie Gravdahl, 4-0, 4-1
Gustie Fall Invite – Doubles
- Eisma/Carlson (Bethel) def. Vang/Brandt, 8-4
- Miller/Huesca (Carthage) def. Runck/Gravdahl, 8-7 (3)
ITA Midwest Regional – Singles
- Ashley King def. Sidney Peterson (Central), 6-4, 6-1
- Jana Mrdovic (St. Olaf) def. King, 6-4, 6-1
- Magdalena Kristo (UW-Eau Claire) def. Brooklyn Keller, 1-6, 6-2, 14-12
- Kamila Dobija (Carthage) def. Marie Pelletier, 7-5, 4-6, 10-7
- Adel Schneider (Macalester) def. Lily Holmberg, 4-6, 6-2, 10-8
- Faith Simon def. Maya Brakhage (Gustavus), 4-6, 6-3, 10-7
- Lily Jorgenson (UW-La Crosse) def. Simon, 6-1, 6-2
ITA Midwest Regional – Doubles
- Simon/King def. Mascardo/Villanueva (Luther), 8-4
- Elvestrom/Wahlstrand (Gustavus) def. Simon/King, 8-4
- Keller/Steinhaus def. Prisecaru/Rose (St. Olaf), 8-0
- Pupovac/Trifilio (Carroll) def. Keller/Steinhaus, 8-2
- Brakhage/Omar (Gustavus) def. Pelletier/Holmberg, 8-1