ST. PETER -- Benson earned its first trip to the state girls' tennis tournament Thursday, upsetting Litchfield 4-3 at Gustavus Adolphus College.
Benson (18-2) advanced to the championship with a 5-2 victory over New London-Spicer in the semifinals.
"The girls are really excited," said Benson coach Don Brehmer. "They really played well and wanted to win this pretty bad."
The match was tied 3-3 with Benson's Jill Hagestuen, MacKenzie Weber and Abby Fragodt all winning at singles. The pressure was put on Lauren Alsaker and Chelsey Goff at 3-doubles. The freshmen were soundly beaten 6-0 by Litchfield seniors Carmen Sook and Lizzie Johnson in the first set, but rebounded to win the next two sets 7-6 (7-3), 7-5 to conclude a match that lasted two hours and 45 minutes.
Alsaker and Goff trailed 4-3 and 6-5 in the second set, but staved off two match points.
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Benson had a chance to wrap the match up at 4-singles, but Litchfield's Jill Stiegen fought off two match points against Kaytlyn Haugen and won 1-6, 6-2, 7-5.
Benson, seeded No. 2, had reached the section final in 1994, '96 and '98, but each time came up short.
Litchfield, the top seed, upended Yellow Medicine East 4-3 in its semifinal match.
Championship
Benson 4, Litchfield 3
Besides Stiegen, Litchfield's other wins came from Chelsie McGraw and Ashley Krug at 1-doubles and Anna Haugo and Sara Binsfeld at 2-doubles.
Singles
(1) Jill Hagestuen, Ben, def. Kasey Wilson 6-0, 6-1 (2) MacKenzie Weber, Ben, def. Amy Holmberg 6-4, 6-2 (3) Abby Fragodt, Ben, def Brenna Johnson 6-0, 6-1 (4) Jill Stiegen, Lit, def. Kaytlyn Haugen 1-6, 6-2, 7-5
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Doubles
(1) Chelsie McGraw-Ashley Krug, Lit, def. Olivia Breen-Courtney Johnson 6-1, 6-2 (2) Anna Haugo-Sara Binsfeld, Lit, def. Ashley Rode-Carrilee Cluever 6-3, 6-3 (3) Chelsey Goff-Lauren Alsaker, Ben, def. Carmen Sook-Lizzie Johnson 0-6, 7-6 (7-3), 7-5
Semifinals
Benson 5, NLS 2
The Braves swept singles with Jill Hagestuen, MacKenzie Weber, Abby Fragodt and Kaytlyn Haugen all winning in straight sets. The fifth point was provided by the 3-doubles team of Lauren Alsaker and Chelsey Goff.
New London-Spicer got wins from Jenessa Johnson and Lauren Rustad at 1-doubles and Wendy Toops and Renae Henjum at 2-doubles.
Singles
(1) Jill Hagestuen, Ben, def. Angie Wiegman 7-5, 7-5 (2) MacKenzie Weber, Ben, def. Megan Seipel 6-4, 6-3 (3) Abby Fragodt, Ben, def. Courtney Edwards 6-2, 6-3 (4) Kaytlyn Haugen, Ben, def. Elizabeth Kampstra 6-4, 6-2
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Doubles
(1) Jennessa Johnson-Lauren Rustad, NLS, def. Courtney Johnson-Olivia Breen 5-7, 6-4, 7-5 (2) Wendy Toops-Renae Henjum, NLS, def. Ashley Rode-Carrilee Cluever 6-4, 6-3 (3) Lauren Alsaker-Chelsey Goff, Ben, def. Becca Emery-Alexa Score 6-4, 6-3
Litchfield 5, YME 2
After Yellow Medicine East won the first two singles matches behind Katelyn Dubbelde and Melissa Rasemussen, Litchfield won the rest.
Brenna Johnson and Stiegen won at 3- and 4-singles, respectively. Ashley Krug-McGraw, Haugo-Binsfeld and Carmen Sook-Lizzie Johnson won their doubles matches.
Singles
(1) Katelyn Dubbelde, YME, def. Kasey Wilson 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 (2) Melissa Rasmussen, YME, def. Amy Holmberg 6-2, 6-1 (3) Brenna Johnson, Lit, def Michelle Miller 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 (3) Jill Stiegen, Lit, def, Tiffany Miller 6-2, 6-7 (4-7), 6-2
Doubles
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(1) Ashley Krug-Chelsie McGraw, Lit, def. Rachel Crowley-Haley Bennett 7-5, 2-6, 6-2 (2) Anna Haugo-Sara Binsfeld, Lit, def. Molly Kvam-Cheri Fjermestad 2-6, 6-2, 6-1 (3) Carmen Sook-Lizzie Johnson, Lit, def. Meghan Jensen-Meghan Bredeson 6-1, 6-2
