The Forester women's tennis team concluded play at the Midwest Conference Championships with the league's singles tournaments in Madison, Wisconsin, on Sunday. Sophomore Melika Celebic avenged an early season loss in the title match at #1 to once again stake her claim as the league's top player.
Celebic did not lose a game to Beloit College's top player in a 6-0, 6-0 quarterfinal victory and eliminated St. Norbert College's best 6-3, 6-1 in the semifinals. Celebic's only loss to a conference player during the season was at Lawrence in early September and she got her revenge by edging out the Viking's top player 7-5, 6-4 on Sunday to repeat as MWC champion at #1 singles.
The Foresters also had a runner-up performance by freshman Aimee Fadden at #3. She eeked out a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Carroll University in the quarterfinals and prevailed 6-2, 6-4 against St. Norbert in the semifinals. She then fell to Grinnell College's #3 player 7-5, 5-7, 6-2 in the championship match.
Junior Nonie Carson, senior Lauren Stroner, and freshman Nicole Stroner advanced to the semifinals at #2, #5, and #6, respectively. Carson won 6-1, 6-0 against Ripon in the quarterfinals before suffering a narrow 4-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 defeat to Carroll University. Lauren Stroner triumphed 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 against Lawrence in the quarterfinals but then dropped a 6-2, 7-6 (7-2) decision to Carroll. Nicole Stroner defeated her Carroll counterpart 4-6, 6-2, 6-0 but fell 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to Grinnell.
Senior Deepika Ramachandran was defeated 3-6, 6-4, 6-0 by St. Norbert in the quarterfinals but claimed the consolation title by blanking the #4 player from Illinois College 10-0 in the semifinals and knocking off her opponent from Carroll 10-6 in the final.
Lake Forest finished the weekend's doubles and singles tournaments with 63 points, the second-highest total in the league behind conference champion Grinnell's 96. St. Norbert, which placed third in Friday's team tournament, also ranked third in points with 47. Lawrence finished fourth with 55 points and Carroll rounded out the top half of the league standings with 40.
The Foresters will lose Lauren Stroner, Ramachandran, and fellow seniors Natalie Atroshenko and Michelle Stroner to graduation in May.
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