The Gustavus Adolphus College women’s tennis team swept the singles and doubles titles at the Wilson/Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Midwest Region Championships which were held on the Gustavus campus this past Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. In the singles championship Gustavus’ Jaime Gaard, the #8 seed, upset teammate Lauren Hom, the #4 seed, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 to claim the title. In the doubles championship, Hom and Marla Menne, defeated Amanda Santa Romana and Elizca Buys of Carthage, 9-8 (7-4 in the tiebreaker). Gaard, Hom, and Menne now advance to the ITA National Small College Championships, which will take place Oct. 13-16 at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers.
Gaard, who played the #5 position for the Gusties last spring, played terrific tennis during the three-day tournament. She did not drop set in her first four matches. Gaard advanced to the final by virtue of a default by Jordan Hook of Wheaton as college policy does not allow Wheaton student athletes to compete on Sundays. Gaard then dropped the opening set in the final against Hom, before rallying to win the next two sets and the title.
Hom and Menne, who were seeded #1 in the doubles draw, held on for a thrilling 9-8 win over the #3 seeded team of Santa Romana and Buys of Carthage. The match, which was filled with terrific shot-making and crisp rallies, came down to a tiebreaker where Hom and Menne outlasted Santa Romana and Buys 7-4. Hom and Menne advanced to the final with an 8-6 win over Megan Tiegs and Lindy Browne of St. Benedict, while Santa Romana and Buys advanced by virtue of a default by Elizabeth Maclellan and Jordan Hook of Wheaton.
Sixty-one players took part in the singles tournament and 30 teams took part in the doubles tournament at the Midwest Regional, which is one of eight Division III Regionals sanctioned by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.