Negaunee’s Aubrey Johnson named MHSAA Upper Peninsula Division 1 tennis Player of the Year

Aubrey Johnson of Negaunee waits to serve during a No. 1 singles match in a meet against Westwood at the Patriots’ courts in Ishpeming on Aug. 21. (Journal photo by Caden Sierra)
NEGAUNEE — Led by Negaunee’s championship-winning run, Westwood and Marquette were also area schools that had players recognized when MHSAA Upper Peninsula Division 1 girls tennis awards were announced recently.
The Miners, who captured their third consecutive U.P. D-1 title at Escanaba on Oct. 2, were led by U.P. Player of the Year Aubrey Johnson.
She also won All-State Division 1 honors and headed up the All-U.P. First Team in singles.
Five other players made it a Marquette County sweep of All-State D-1 honors — from Negaunee was the doubles tandem of Kallen Schultz and Madalynn Peters, who won the U.P. title at No. 1 doubles.
Westwood had all-staters in Lexi Olson, who won the U.P. No. 1 singles championship, and the doubles duo of Izzie Marta and Nolia Dawson, who were the runners-up at No. 1 doubles in the U.P. Finals.
Kingsford, which tied Marquette for fourth at the U.P. Finals, had the Coach of the Year with Tracy Rutter.
In addition to Johnson and Olson, also earning All-U.P. First Team in singles from the area was Negaunee’s Lili Saunders and Rheana Nelson and Westwood’s Samantha Ruby.
Getting All-U.P. First Team in doubles are the Miners’ Schultz and Peters, the Patriots’ Marta and Dawson, Marquette’s Payton Pleaugh and Lucy Stern, and Negaunee’s Autumn Ring and Alyssa Borlace.
A number of honorable mentions were also handed out.
In singles from the area were Payton Bullock of Marquette, Hannah Niemi of Westwood and Morgan Scheider of Westwood.
In doubles locally were Aubree Blackburn and Eva Kentala of Marquette and Kaylin Doney and Eliisa Doney of Westwood.
Negaunee scored 20 points at the U.P. Finals in its championship with Westwood a close runner-up with 16. Escanaba placed third with 10, Marquette and Kingsford had 4 each, Menominee had 1 point and Gladstone didn’t score.
Here are the other All-U.P. honorees:
Singles — First Team: Aubrie Moore, Kingsford; and Maggie Martin, Escanaba. Honorable mention: Elena Murphy, Menominee; Abby Przeslakowski, Kingsford; Samantha Korpi, Escanaba; Mackenzie Doyle, Menominee; and Aubrey Phillips, Kingsford.
Doubles — First Team: Audrey Veale and Libby Vross, Kingsford; and Sonya Maki and Anna Martin, Escanaba. Honorable mention: Ava Chouinard and Ella Barker, Menominee; and Danni Hughes and Molly Smale, Escanaba.
Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.