WATERTOWN – Aberdeen Central advanced to a pair of title matches and earned places at every flight Tuesday during the Eastern South Dakota Conference Tennis Tournament in Watertown.
The Golden Eagles finished fourth as a team behind champion Mitchell, Yankton, and Watertown.
“It feels weird to be a little disappointed when all nine flights finished fourth or better,” said Central coach John Vogel.
In addition to a pair of runner-up finishes, Central also grabbed three third-place finishes and four fourth-place finishes.
“To make a difference you have to get some championships,” Vogel said, “and we just weren’t able to get those today.”
Chloe Ladner was in both of the finals for the Golden Eagles. She finished second at fourth flight singles, and then teamed with Reese Comstock for a runner-up finish at second flight doubles.
“It’s always fun when you make a final,” Vogel said.
One of the big highlights of the day was a semifinal win by Ladner and Comstock over a squad from Yankton.
“Two dubs to make their final, they had to beat a team from Yankton who clobbered them earlier in the year and that’s always fun,” Vogel said.
In the end Central finished about where they were seeded going into the tournament.
“We didn’t really surprise anybody,” Vogel said, “but we didn’t disappoint, either.”
Central will now spend the next week gearing up for the State AA Tournament Oct. 10-11 in Rapid City.
SINGLES
First Flight
JULIA KNIE: lost to Ellie Zink, Watertown, 10-2; def. AnneClaire Rubish, Huron, 8-0. THIRD PLACE.
Second Flight
AVERY TENNANT: lost to Carsyn Weich, Mitchell, 10-4; lost to Leyla Meester, Watertown, 8-7 (10-3). FOURTH PLACE.
Third Flight
REESE COMSTOCK: lost to Faith Berg, Watertown, 10-5; def. Katie Morgan, Mitchell, 8-2. THIRD PLACE.
Fourth Flight
CHLOE LADNER: def. Paw Kler Moo, Huron, 10-8; lost to Elly Clement, Mitchell, 10-6. SECOND PLACE.
Fifth Flight
SARAH KNIE: lost to Matteah Graves, Mitchell, 10-4; lost to Hannah Frye, Harrisburg, 8-5. FOURTH PLACE.
Sixth Flight
ASHLEY ORTEGA: lost to Mia Larson, Mitchell, 10-2; lost to Hope Gabel, Harrisburg, 8-4. FOURTH PLACE.
DOUBLES
First Flight
JULIA KNIE-AVERY TENNANT: def. Kriech-Scholten, Brandon Valley, 10-8; lost to Zink-Meester, Watertown, 10-1; def. Mastel-Welch, Mitchell, 8-5. THIRD PLACE.
Second Flight
REESE COMSTOCK-CHLOE LADNER: def. Muth-Lovro, Harrisburg, 10-6; def. Mitzel-Gordon, Yankton, 10-6; lost to Clement-Graves, Mitchell, 10-7. SECOND PLACE.
Third Flight
MADY HOLMAN-ESTELLE RIGGS: def. Bowers-Mayer, Pierre, 10-3; lost to Morgan-Larson, Mitchell, 10-4; lost to Weiss-Smith, Watertown, 8-4. FOURTH PLACE.
