PINE CITY — The Litchfield girls tennis team had five finalists — one champion and four runners-up — on the way to a first-place showing at the Pine City Power Tournament on Monday.
The Dragons finished the eight-team event with 28 team points, beating host Pine City by one. Bemidji (23), Mounds Park Academy (19) and Blue Earth (18) rounded out the top five. Willmar placed eighth with four points.
Litchfield’s No. 1 doubles team of Brittney Prahl and Lauren Erickson won their bracket after a pair of three-set wins. They beat Pine City’s Maddie Berglund and Allison Unverzagt in the semifinals, 6-2, 3-6, 10-6. Then in the finals, Prahl and Erickson came back after a first-set loss to defeat Bemidji’s Chloe Hasbargen and Tatum Offerdahl, 3-6, 7-5, 10-8.
Finishing in second place for Litchfield: Ryanna Steinhaus (No. 1 singles); Karlee Prahl (No. 3 singles); Sophie Stilwell and Kaitlyn Palmer (No. 2 doubles); and Olivia Olson and Amelia Benson (No. 3 doubles). Kylie Michels added a third-place finish at No. 2 singles.
Willmar’s best finish came from Caroline Becker, who placed fourth at No. 3 singles. She opened the tournament with a 6-3, 6-4 win against Bemidji’s Mollie Rupp. Kessa Mara (No. 1 singles) placed sixth. Ashlie Staebel and Kylee Berget (No. 1 doubles) took seventh place.
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Pine City Power Tournament
Team scores
(1) Litchfield 28 … (2) Pine City 27 … (3) Bemidji 23 … (4) Mounds Park Academy 19 … (5) Blue Earth 18 … (6) Osakis 16 … (7) Osseo 5 … (8) Willmar 4
How Litchfield fared
Singles
(1) Ryanna Steinhaus 2-1, 2nd … (2) Kylie Michels 2-1, 3rd … (3) Karlee Prahl 2-1, 2nd … (4) Isla Dille 2-1, 3rd
Doubles
(1) Brittney Prahl/Lauren Erickson 3-0, 1st … (2) Sophie Stilwell/Kaitlyn Palmer 2-1, 2nd … (3) Olivia Olson/Amelia Benson 2-1, 2nd
