[Results]

[Championship Page]

MADISON, Wis. – Grinnell continued its stellar play throughout the weekend as the Pioneers claimed four singles champions on the final day of play at the 2012 Midwest Conference Women’s Tennis Championships. Carroll notched the other two wins in the competition that was held at the Nielsen Tennis Stadium in Madison, Wis.

Grinnell captured the first championship of the night in the No. 6 flight as freshman Julia Rumley won her third title of the weekend to go along with her team and doubles championships. Rumley defeated Ripon’s Veronica Myers 6-0, 6-1 and then won her semifinal match against Melissa Heeren 6-3, 6-0. Rumley then won her tightest match of the night against Brittany Dudzik of St. Norbert 6-3, 6-2.

The No. 4 flight was the next decided as Grinnell once again won gold, this time over Cornell. Hanna Feldman won the title after a 6-0, 6-3 win in her quarterfinal match against Ali Heiring (Lawrence) and then downed Megan Rosenberg without surrendering a point in straight sets. She finished her championship run with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Kara Middleton. The title was the third for Feldman in singles competition as she entered the tournament after winning back-to-back No. 5 flight titles in 2011 and 2010.

Catherine Fitch continued the Grinnell run in the singles competition as she was triumphant in the No. 5 flight with a 3-6, 6-, 6-2 comeback win over Julia Patzin of Carroll. She started her title run by defeating Beloit’s Emma Koeppel in straight sets (6-0, 6-0) and then downed Gracie Mullins in the semifinals (6-2, 6-3). The championship was Fitch’s second as she won the No. 6 flight in 2010.

The first player non Grinnell student-athlete to win an individual championship on Sunday when Abigail Pellett won the No. 1 flight championship over Lake Forest’s Melika Celebic 6-3, 6-3. Pellett surrendered only one point in a 6-0, 6-1 win over Kristen Huffman in the quarterfinals and a 6-4, 6-0 win over Trina Capelli in the semifinal match. Pellett was a runner-up last season in the No. 1 flight.

For the fourth time in as many years Constanza Alarcon won gold in the singles competition as she won the No. 3 flight this season. Alarcon defeated Knox’s Emily Tyl 6-0, 6-0 in the quarterfinals before beating Hannah Geoffrey 6-0, 6-1 in the semifinals. She completed her run with a comeback 2-6, 6-0, 6-3 victory over Carroll’s Alyssa Larson. Alarcon won the No. 3 title in 2009 and won back-to-back championships in the No. 2 flights in 2010 and 2011.

The night finished off with a second Carroll victory, this time in the No. 2 flight thanks to Kate Rasmussen who defeated Grinnell’s Clothilde Thirouin 1-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7-3).Rasmussen won her title after defeating Alyssa Zavislak (Cornell) 6-0, 6-3 in the quarterfinals and Christi Valicenti 6-4, 6-3 in the semifinals. This was Rasmussen’s first singles championship in her first visit to the finals since 2009 when she lost in the No. 4 flight.

Beloit and Ripon were both recognized for their sportsmanship all season, and in the tournament, receiving the team Sportsmanship Award for the 2012 season. Carroll Head Coach Craig Mours was also named 2012 Midwest Conference Women’s Tennis Coaches of the Year. Both awards were voted on by the member coaches at this weekend’s championship.

The team standings after the tournament are as followed:
1)Grinnell –  96
2)Lake Forest – 51
t3)Carroll – 78
t3)St. Norbert – 45
5)Cornell – 33
6)Beloit – 28
7)Lawrence – 27
8)Knox – 20
9)Monmouth – 14
10)Illinois Col. – 11
11)Ripon – 10