Clarkston No. 1 singles player Nicole Janek returns a serve against Rochester’s Kelsey Dieters during their championship match at the Division 1 regionals at Rochester Thursday. (The Oakland Press/JOSE JUAREZ)

Lakers prevail at loaded regional

It was a tale of two strengths that enabled four teams from the regional to qualify for the Division 1 state championship tournament.

West Bloomfield, Rochester, Troy and Clarkston all qualified for the state finals. Rochester and Clarkston got through on the strength of their singles play, while Troy and West Bloomfield excelled in doubles.

Rochester qualified for all four singles flight finals, while Clarkston qualified for two. Meanwhile, Troy qualified for the doubles finals in three flights, while West Bloomfield qualified in all four.

West Bloomfield won the regional with 26 points. In addition to their doubles dominance, the Lakers also made the final match in two of the single flights as well. Freshman Morgan Taylor won her No. 4 singles flight. It was one of four flight victories for West Bloomfield.

“I’m really ready for states. It was my goal today to win so our team can go to states,” Taylor said. “I’ve never been before and I tried really hard this year so that I could go there, and it’s going to be really exciting.”

Clarkston finished fourth at the regional earning 18 points, the minimum possible to qualify as an at-large. Clarkston coach Craig Judd was hoping to finish in the top two, but was pleased with his team’s performance.

“We’ve really trained really hard. We’ve practiced with focus and the girls are doing a great job of staying focused on tennis when we’re practicing, and I always tell them, ‘You play your matches the way you practice,’ and they’ve practiced extremely well,” Judd said. “I’d rather come out second, but we’re playing good teams so we’re happy to go to states however it takes.”

Judd said he’s never heard of four teams from the same regional ever qualifying in the past. However, Troy head coach Eric Strugis said he thought with the talent in the regional this could be the year. Sturgis’ team finished third at the regional with 20 points.

“These are some of the top five teams here in the state. Clarkston, Rochester and West Bloomfield have great teams. This was a tough regional,” Sturgis said. “I think it’s the toughest regional in the state and I knew we could get four teams out. A lot of people didn’t think we could and I think our team will be ready at the state tournament.”

Rochester finished second with 21 points, thanks to strong performances from freshman Kelsey Dieters, senior Adriana Lingl and sophomore Katarina Lingl, who combined to win the top three singles flights.

Adriana Lingl defeated Clarkston’s Alyssa Lucas, 6-3, 6-4, in the No. 2 singles finals. Lingl was excited at a chance to avenge a loss in last year’s regional that kept her team from the state tournament.

“It was amazing. I had beaten her twice more this season, but she’s a really tough player and it can go either way every time we play,” she said. “Especially since last year, I got so close, it was a three setter, this year it’s just such a relief to finally get that win.”

Katarina Lingl was happy she could help her sister finally reach the state finals in her senior season.

“I knew me and my sister were just going to play all-out because she’s been working at this for four years to try to get to states,” Katarina Lingl said. “Now we’re finally going so I’m definitely going to take advantage of it.”

While Adriana Lingl has waited four years to get to the state tournament, her teammate Dieters is going in her first season. Dieters feels that despite being a freshman, winning such a tough regional will give her the confidence she needs for the state finals.

“It’s definitely a confidence booster knowing that I have played some really tough matches and won,” Dieters said. “So I know that at states it will be more momentum knowing that I’ve won the matches before and I can come through no matter how far down I am in the standings.”

West Bloomfield’s No. 1 doubles team of seniors Nikki Bishop and Amanda Goldstone, picked up right where they left off last weekend. After winning the OAA I No. 1 doubles flight Saturday, Bishop and Goldstone won the No. 1 doubles flight again at the regional.

Bishop and Goldstone believe their focus has helped them to be successful, but noted that their goals are not yet complete.

“Well we’re feeling strong, we’re feeling confident,” Bishop said. “We’re going to take each match and try our best to defeat everyone we play.”

“Yeah definitely, it feels good to be regional champs,” Goldstone said. “But we can’t really get cocky for states, there are some really good teams out there.”