MINNEAPOLIS, Minn (KWAD) – The Minnesota State High School Tennis Tournament is underway, and two Lakes Area programs — Fergus Falls and Alexandria Area — are proudly representing their communities on the biggest stage in prep tennis.

The five-seed Fergus Falls Otters opened play Tuesday morning at Lifetime Bloomington South, facing off against 7AA Champion Rock Ridge in the Class AA Team Championship. It’s been a breakthrough season for the Otters, who fought through a strong Section 8AA bracket to earn their first state appearance since the format expanded.

Four-seed Rock Ridge slipped past Fergus Falls 4–3 in a three-hour grinder that swung on the final doubles court. Rock Ridge grabbed a 3–1 edge out of singles, but the Otters roared back with two wins in doubles to tie the dual at 3–3 before the deciding point went to the Wolverines at No. 3 doubles.

Singles

• #1: Rock Ridge’s Mayme Scott (11) def. Layla Zosel (12), 6–1, 6–0

• #2: Rock Ridge’s Ellie Dimberio (8) def. Hattie Fullhart (12), 6–2, 6–1

• #3: Rock Ridge’s Alice Johnson (9) def. Ali Bredenberg (11), 6–2, 6–2

• #4: Fergus Falls’ Lana Frederick (10) def. Signe Millard (10), 6–2, 7–5

Doubles

• #1: Fergus Falls’ Ashtyn Lill (12) / Ruby Ellison (12) def. Ayla Troutwine (12) / Mattelyn Seppi (12), 6–3, 4–6, 6–2

• #2: Fergus Falls’ Carsyn Lill (9) / Dillyn Lill (9) def. Emmi Peterson (11) / Nina Paulsen (11), 6–2, 2–6, 7–6(3) (clinched a third-set breaker to level the dual 3–3)

• #3 (decider): Rock Ridge’s Kiri Milos (11) / Erin Troutwine (10) def. Kaia Ness (11) / Ella Black (11), 3–6, 7–5, 6–2

Fergus Falls will fall to the consolation bracket and will face the loser of the top-seed Mahtomedi vs St. Peter at 4:00 tonight. If the Otter wins, they’ll play for fifth place at noon on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the Alexandria Cardinals are competing in the Class AAA Tournament at the Baseline Tennis Center on the University of Minnesota campus.
Five-seed Alexandria opened play Tuesday morning against four-seed Mounds View Mustangs, the Section 5AAA champions. The Cardinals, who have been steadily rising through the Class AAA ranks in recent years, earned their first trip to state by winning the Section 8AAA title earlier this month.

The Mustangs took all four singles flights to set the tone, but the Cardinals responded with grit in doubles, winning two of three—including a match tiebreak at #2 before Mounds View took the match 5-2 to advance to tomorrow’s semi-finals against top-seeded Rochester Mayo.

Singles

• #1: Rory Wahlstrand (MV, 12) def. Addison Stevenson (Alex, 11), 6–2, 6–1

• #2: Reese Wahlstrand (MV, 10) def. Kennedy Stevenson (Alex, 9), 6–0, 6–1

• #3: Stella Fagerlee (MV, 11) def. Bentley Kriel (Alex, 11), 6–1, 6–2

• #4: Saina Makin (MV, 11) def. Samantha Whaley (Alex, 10), 7–5, 6–3

Doubles

• #1: Sonam Bhaskar (10) / Mikenna Peloquin (10) MV def. Cadence Simon (12) / Carleigh Lueck (12), 6–2, 1–6, 6–2

• #2: Sofia Kostinovski (11) / Julia Choi (9) Alex def. Lucy Witte (11) / Lily Eken (11), 2–6, 6–4, 10–7

• #3: Chloe Tilstra (12) / Audrey Halverson (11) Alex def. Hope Stark (12) / Alexis Dummer (11), 5–7, 6–3, 6–2

Alexandria will play again later this afternoon in the consolation bracket, facing Cambridge-Isanti at 4:00.

What’s next (Wednesday, Oct. 22)

• Class AA (Lifetime Bloomington South): Semifinals 8:00 & 10:00 a.m.; Championship 4:00 p.m.; 3rd Place 2:00 p.m.; 5th Place 12:00 p.m.

• Class AAA (Baseline): Semifinals 8:00 & 10:00 a.m.; Championship 4:00 p.m.; 3rd Place 2:00 p.m.; 5th Place 12:00 p.m.

• Class A (Reed-Sweatt): Semifinals in the morning; Championship 4:00 p.m.; 3rd Place 2:00 p.m.; 5th Place 12:00 p.m.

The individual tournaments starts on Thursday.