“Even though we didn’t walk away with first place or a team spot at state, I’m really proud of everyone on the team for giving it their all to pull off second place,” Emily Kowaleski, senior, said. After months of preparation, the girls varsity tennis team took on their biggest rivals at the sectional competition on Wednesday, Oct. 6 at Oconomowoc High School. Only four points behind Arrowhead High School, the Mighty Highlanders placed second overall, sadly not qualifying for the team state competition.

However, individual players Anna Kreynin, senior, and Katya Mikhailenko, junior, qualified for the individual state competition on Thursday, Oct. 15 through Saturday, Oct. 17 at the Nielsen Tennis Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin.

Kreynin, one singles, won her final match against Cedarburg High School’s Jennifer Skonieczny, where she qualified for the state tournament. Mikhailenko, two singles, also won her finals match against Cedarburg, playing Frankie Lalonde, where she too qualified for state.

Alyssa Boyer, sophomore, three singles, defeated her Arrowhead opponents in her finals match, but, however, didn’t officially qualify for state. Although only one and two singles are allowed automatic spots in the competition, Boyer might possibly get a special qualifier and be able to compete. Helen Watkins, sophomore, four singles, lost to Arrowhead in her final match, getting second place.

“Even though the team and I got second, it was still a big accomplishment because we got way farther this year than we did last year,” Watkins said.

One doubles, consisting of Lexi Heth, junior, and Madeline Slicker, senior, lost to Waukesha South High School in their first match, but might also gain a special qualifier to play in the state competition. Emma Wade, senior, and Kowaleski, two doubles, placed third, and Tricia Engel, junior, and Shannon Burke, senior, three doubles, also placed third.

“We are all really proud of one another for giving it our all and doing our best. We also did better this year than last year, so hopefully we can continue to improve and win as a team next season,” Engel said. Last year, the team was in worse shape, and two of the team’s best players, Kreynin and Mikhailenko, played doubles instead of singles. They placed third overall in the 2014 sectionals competition.

This year, even though they did not make it to team state, placing second was a big accomplishment for the team.

“Overall, the whole team did very well. We were runner up in our sectional and placed ahead of Cedarburg, the number one team in the state all season, a huge achievement for the Highlanders,” Slicker said. The team achieved a lot this season and had a great final match to finish it off.