• 
• CLASS
• JOBS
• AUTO
• HOMES

Janesville Craig doubles team seeks payback at state

Photo

Photo by Dan Lassiter

Taylor Storbakken, left, and Hailey Smith are Craig High School's #1 doubles tennis team.

The WIAA girls individual state tennis meet is a great place to gain revenge.

At least that’s what Janesville Craig’s Division 1 doubles team of senior Hailey Smith and junior Taylor Storbakken (22-3) will be out to gain when they face Waukesha South juniors Karlie Laveaua and Erica Van Riper (19-9) at 5 p.m. Thursday at the Nielsen Stadium in Madison.

The individual state meet starts a 2 p.m. Thursday and continues Friday and Saturday at 8:30 a.m. each day.

Craig seniors Olivia Ehlers and Emily Reshower (15-9) face Franklin sophomores Elizebeth Brandes and Liv Lampone (13-5) in another Division 1 doubles match at 3:30 p.m. Meanwhile, Janesville Parker’s top doubles team, sophomores Maddie Theisen and Kristin Zeilinger (14-10), go against Appleton West seniors Hannah VanBehren and Jessie Hietpas (18-7) at 3:30.

Craig coach Camilla Owen said Smith and Storbakken took their lumps when they faced the Waukesha South team in mid-September in Waukesha.

“We did not play well at all,” Owen said. “I said, ‘Look, guys, we need to wake up.’ ”

At that point, Owen said their season could have gone down hill, but the pair responded by winning the next two matches.

Smith and Storbakken also lost big to Madison West in the regular season, but came back for a 6-4, 6-0 victory in the Big Eight Conference meet.

“When they saw the (state) draw, they said, ‘Good’ ” Owen said. “They figure they can beat the Waukesha South team, too.’’

Owen said Smith and Storbakken are prepared to make a statement.

“I think they are ready for it,” Owen said. “They are going to show (Waukesha South) they can play much better.’’

Ehlers and Reshower will end a four-year partnership.

“They don’t talk a lot,” Owen said. “You don’t know if they are up or down.’’

Ehlers and Reshower earned the No. 2 doubles sectional championship, which was a feather in their cap.

“That was really a nice surprise,” Owen said. “For them to win No. 2 doubles is fantastic.’’

Parker coach Justin Long also is elated over Theisen and Zeilinger receiving a special-qualifiers berth. Theisen and Zeilinger were selected on the basis of the their overall performances throughout the season against other contenders, even though they lost in the subsectional qualifying matches.

“It’s a great honor,” Long said. “The seeding committee must have seen something in these two hard-working girls.’’

Theisen and Zeilinger improved from 8-16 last season to 14-10 this year.

Theisen and Zeilinger are the first Parker doubles team to qualify for state since Long took over the program six years ago.

Fort Atkinson seniors Leah Dahl (23-1) and Olivia Harwick (23-0) will be key figures in Division 1 singles. Hartwick will play top 10 seed McKennah Edwards (23-1) of Fond du Lac at 2 p.m., while Dahl will face Rachelle Brick (26-7) of Glendale Nicolet at 4:30.

Dahl is a three-time state qualifier and two-time Badger Conference No. 1 singles champion.