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Not missing a beat: 5-time defending Upper Peninsula champion Negaunee Miners upend West Iron County 7-1

Morgan Carlson of Negaunee returns the ball in a No. 1 doubles match as she and partner Katelyn Lammi play against West Iron County’s Eden Golliher and Tori Bociek on Tuesday afternoon at Negaunee High School. (Journal photo by Amy Grigas)

“They understand our expectations won’t change and it was encouraging to see our start.” — Kyle Saari, Negaunee girls tennis coach, on returning to championship form quickly this summer

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NEGAUNEE — Things picked up right where they left off last October for the Negaunee High School girls tennis team.

The winners of the last five MHSAA Upper Peninsula Division 1 team championships, the Miners upended West Iron County 7-1 at the NHS courts on Tuesday. WIC was U.P. Division 2 runner-up last fall.

“It’s great to get going today and the girls have been really competitive so far,” Negaunee head coach Kyle Saari said.

“They understand our expectations won’t change and it was encouraging to see our start.”

Negaunee’s only loss came in three sets at No. 2 doubles, where the Wykons’ Emily Nelson and Anna Malmquist prevailed 6-7 (6-8), 6-1, 6-2 over the Miners’ Tianna Williams and Shaylee Menhennick.

The Miners were particularly strong at singles, where each of their players won in two sets with one set in each match having a 6-0 score.

That included at No. 3, where Lexi Mason dropped Kali Applin 6-0, 6-2, and at No. 4, where Annika Tervo felled Olivia Prudhomme 6-3, 6-0.

At the top, No. 1 Lilly Nelson zipped past Livea Mazurek 6-0, 6-1, and No. 2 Jillian Skewis blanked Kali Dennis 6-0, 6-0.

“Lexi and Annika stepped into our singles lineup and were consistent,” Saari said.

“All of our doubles teams did a nice job of fighting for everything today, too.”

The meet’s other three-setter came at No. 1 doubles, where the Miners’ Katelyn Lammi and Morgan Carlson held off Eden Golliher and Tori Bociek 6-3, 6-7 (3-7), 6-1.

The No. 3 duo of Shayla Williams and Madi Austin and No. 4 pairing of Daylyn Drew and Jadyn Smith were two-set winners.

Negaunee is right back in action with another home meet against defending Division 2 champion Westwood at 4 p.m. today.

Then the Miners’ next meet is at Ishpeming on Tuesday afternoon.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.

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