Wausau West’s Bailey qualifies for state tournament at WIAA Division 1 girls tennis sectional

Wausau Pilot & Review

EAU CLAIRE – Wausau West’s No. 1 singles player Mia Bailey earned an automatic berth into next week’s state tournament after competition at a WIAA Division 1 girls tennis sectional on Wednesday at the Menard Tennis Center.

The top four finishers in No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles, and the top finisher at No. 2 singles and doubles at each of the eight Division 1 sectionals qualify for the 2024 WIAA State Individual Tennis Tournament, which will be held Oct. 17-19 at Nielsen Tennis Stadium in Madison. A maximum of 16 additional singles players and doubles teams, which were eliminated earlier in the tournament series, may be chosen as well. The complete brackets for the individual state tournament will be released Friday.

Eau Claire Memorial won the team title with 48 points and moves on to the 2024 WIAA State Team Tennis Tournament, which will also be at Nielsen Tennis Stadium in Madison, on Oct. 25-26.

Bailey won all three of her matches in straight sets, dropping just two games in all, to take the No. 1 singles sectional title. Bailey defeated Katelyn Anderson of Eau Claire Memorial 6-0, 6-1, in the finals.

West’s other three entries at the sectional were eliminated. Lilly Wittwer finished second at No. 2 singles, losing in the finals to Natalie Schovil of Eau Claire Memorial 7-6 (4), 6-3, and West’s No. 1 doubles team of Rachel Harder and Mallory Smogoleski lost their first match to Ann Runck and Raina Fort of Hudson 6-2, 2-6, 10-3.

West’s Carmen Ghidorzi finished third at No. 4 singles after winning the third-place match over Emma Ekstrand of Stevens Point 6-2, 6-0.

D.C. Everest’s Brooklyn Costa lost both of her matches in straight sets at No. 2 singles.