Girls tennis: Litchfield doubles team takes 3rd at state

Oct. 30—MINNEAPOLIS — Litchfield seniors Isla Dille and Molly Patten capped off their prep careers with a third-place finish in doubles at the state Class A girls tennis tournament Friday afternoon.

Dille and Patten were the second seed and secured a 6-2, 6-2 third-place victory against fifth-seeded Emelia Klanderud and Alison Slama of Fairmont at InnerCity Tennis.

They fell short of a state championship appearance with their 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 semifinal loss to third-seeded Therese Bauer and Rylee Thieren of Lake City.

Bauer and Thieren then lost 6-3, 6-2 to top-seeded Abbey Perry and Addie Berman of Breck in the championship. It marked the second consecutive state doubles title for Perry and Berman.

In singles play, Yellow Medicine East junior Brianna Nelson finished as the Class A state consolation runner-up. She opened with a 6-2, 4-6, 1-0 (2) win against Minnewaska sophomore Ari Quelle before dropping the consolation championship match 7-5, 6-3 against Red Wing’s Lorilei Hartman.

Minnenaha Academy’s Chloe Alley won the state title. She beat Elizabeth Shores of St. James 6-1, 6-2 in the Class A final. Cannon Falls’ Livia Tennessen defeated Reese Foley of Visitation 6-0, 6-1 in the third-place match.