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| The University of Minnesota Maroon won the 2009 USTA Northern Tennis on Campus Section Championship. © Christine Buysse |
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| Peter Carlson and Kayla Holzer of North Dakota were the Sportsmanship Award winners. © Lisa Mushett |
The University of Minnesota Maroon defeated Carleton College 30-6 in the championship match of the USTA Northern Tennis On Campus Section Championship at Life Time Fitness – Lakeville in Lakeville, Minn. Both Minnesota and Carleton advance to the 2009 Tennis on Campus National Championships April 16-18 in Surprise, Ariz.
"We are wonderfully excited about going to Arizona," Minnesota maroon team captain Mai Lan Leong said. "I think we have a very strong team this year. It was our goal to play on stadium court in Arizona where they played the Fed Cup last month. Now we have a chance to do it."
Twelve teams from eight different schools were entered in this weekend's tournament including Carleton, Gustavus Adolphus, two teams from North Dakota State, two from Minnesota and North Dakota, South Dakota, two from Wisconsin-Stout and Wisconsin-Superior.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the tournament was Carleton. Carleton received the wild card into the Gold Division after placing second in its round-robin bracket to Minnesota Gold. Seeding in the gold bracket is based on overall winning percentage making the two University of Minnesota schools play each other in the semifinals and Carleton playing Gustavus. Against Gustavus, Gustavus held an 11-10 lead after doubles and a 22-16 lead after singles meaning Carleton needed to win the mixed doubles 6-0 to force a super tiebreaker. The Carleton duo of William Muellor and Sarah Besse did just that, and then won the supertiebreaker 7-4, sending Carleton to the championship match and ultimately Arizona.
"It is surreal," Carleton team captain Steve Landkamer said. "We started thinking that we might have a shot after the Minnesota match yesterday (they lost to Minnesota Gold 25-24), but we were never expecting to make it to Arizona. It is insane!"
University of Minnesota Gold finished third with a 26-19 victory over Gustavus, while North Dakota State A defeated North Dakota State B 30-20 in the Silver Division Championship.
The tournament uses the World TeamTennis format consisting of men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles and one mixed doubles team. A team must have a minimum of two men and two women. Teams play a round robin format with the winners of the three flights plus a fourth wildcard team advancing to the Gold Division bracket. The remaining eight teams play in the Silver Division.
Peter Carlson of North Dakota A and Kayla Holzer of North Dakota B were the Sportsmanship Award winners, while Carleton won the Team Spirit Award. Nicole Ollig of UW-Superior was the winner of a K Factor premium racquet.
For complete brackets from Saturday, click here.
Results from Saturday
Pool 1
North Dakota A def. UW-Stout Blue 25-20
Minnesota Maroon def. North Dakota St. B 30-3
Minnesota Maroon def. North Dakota A 30-3
Minnesota Maroon def. UW-Stout Blue 30-6
North Dakota St. B def. North Dakota A 22-17
UW Stout Blue def. North Dakta State 25-15
Pool 2
North Dakota B def. UW-Stout White 25-24
Gustavus def. North Dakota State A 23-19
Gustavus def. UW-Stout White 30-10
North Dakota State A def. North Dakota B 30-6
Gustavus def. North Dakota B 30-9
North Dakota State A def. UW Stout White 29-11
Pool 3
Carleton def. South Dakota 30-7
Minnesota Gold def. UW-Superior 30-8
South Dakota def. UW-Superior 26-29
Minnesota Gold def. Carleton 25-24
Minnesota Gold def. South Dakota 29-10
Carleton def. UW-Superior 30-5
Results From Sunday
Silver Bracket
North Dakota State A def. UW-Superior 30-6
UW-Stout Blue def. North Dakota B 21-20
UW-Stout White def. North Dakota A 24-23
North Dakota State B def. South Dakota 23-15
North Dakota State A def. UW-Stout Blue 30-10
North Dakota State B def. UW-Stout White 23-21
Gold Bracket
Minnesota Maroon def. Minnesota Gold 30-4
Carleton def. Gustavus 23-22
Championship: Minnesota Maroon def. Carleton 30-6