The UW-Eau Claire women’s tennis team earned a third-place finish for a second consecutive season at the WIAC Championship after scoring a total of 15 points as a team at the Nielsen Tennis Stadium in Madison over the weekend.
The finalized team standings are determined by using a mix of the regular-season dual meet conference standings and the WIAC Championship results. The finish in the regular-season standings accounts for one-third of the criteria, while the conference championship accounts for the other two-thirds.
Top-seeded freshman Sarah Henderson at the No. 6 singles spot won the championship, defeating Rachael Wabers of UW- La Crosse 7-5, 6-3. Henderson is the first individual champion for the Blugolds at the WIAC Championship since Katie Gillman in 2012.
Senior Maddie Rossebo advanced to the final match of No. 4 singles where she was defeated by top-seeded Alicia Beck of UW-Whitewater 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (3). Rossebo finished second at No. 5 singles at last season’s WIAC Championship.
Senior Maddie Johnson took third place at No. 1 singles, defeating Erica Van Riper of UW-Oshkosh 6-3, 6-3 in the consolation match. It was the fourth top-three finish at the WIAC Championship for Johnson in her career, who finished second at No. 2 singles in 2013, second at No. 4 singles in 2012 and third at No. 4 singles in 2011.
Junior Colleen McCullough earned third place at No. 2 singles, defeating Bailey Sagen of Oshkosh 3-6, 6-3, 6-0. It was the second top-three finish for McCullough, who took third place at No. 4 singles in 2013.
Senior Nicole Pothen earned her first career top-three finish defeating Brianna Theobald of Oshkosh 6-2, 6-3 in the third place match at No. 3 singles.
Junior Paige Kuepers earned her second career top-three finish placing third at No. 5 singles defeating the fourth-seed Erin Lemmer of UW-Stevens Point 6-1, 6-4. Kuepers finished second at No. 6 singles in 2013.
In doubles, all three Blugold duos finished third in their seedings. Each pair of Blugolds won their third place match by similar 8-3 scores as well. At No. 1 doubles, the team of Johnson and Rossebo defeated Oshkosh. Pothen and Kuepers won No. 2 doubles over another pair from Oshkosh and McCullough/Henderson defeated a UW-Whitewater pair at No. 3 doubles.
Johnson was named the Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete at the end of the WIAC Championship. Johnson is the 10th Blugold to earn such high honors and the second in the last three years. Rossebo was also chosen to represent the Blugolds on the WIAC all-sportsmanship team.