Ishpeming’s Stella Nerlfi gets to a ball at the net in a No. 1 doubles match during the MHSAA Upper Peninsula Finals in girls tennis held in Kingsford on Wednesday. (MHSAA.com photo by Jason Juno)

KINGSFORD — West Iron County is used to competing for Upper Peninsula tennis titles. Going into the MHSAA Division 2 U.P. Finals in girls tennis, the Wykons had finished first or second 31 times at the season-concluding event.

That included the Wykons winning their 14th and most recent championship in 2020, along with runner-up finishes in three of the previous four years.

On this day at Kingsford High School, WIC won five of the eight flights to score 18 points and finish ahead of two-time defending champion Ishpeming, which reached six finals, and Norway, which won the other three flights. Both finished five points in arrears to West Iron, tying for second place with 13 points.

Ishpeming actually had the most representatives in championship matches with its half dozen, as WIC had five, Norway four and Ironwood one. But the Hematites were unable to win any title to tack on more points.

“Amazing, absolutely amazing what they pulled off,” Wykons coach Jen Schive said. “We won some, we lost some, but in the end, we are a team and we’re a U.P. championship team. I’m pretty proud of that. I couldn’t have asked for anything more from them today.”

Ironwood finished fourth with seven points, Iron Mountain fifth with four, and Munising sixth with one.

West Iron finished with victories at Nos. 1 and 3 singles along with Nos. 1, 2 and 4 doubles. That No. 4 doubles team may have impressed their coach the most.

They weren’t expected to win, but Marlee Benson and Rochelle Bear advanced through all three of their matches, capping it off with a 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory over Ironwood’s Lily Magdziak and Lucy Stehlik in the championship tilt.

“I’m really proud of everybody that got a title, but this (No.) 4 doubles team, wow did they step up today,” Schive said. “I think I told them a hundred times, ‘I can’t believe it. You did it.'”

The coach didn’t settle on Nos. 3 and 4 doubles teams until about midway through the season. Both pairs learned to play together in a hurry.

“Having them win a U.P. title is huge, absolutely huge,” Schive said.

They were pretty happy as well.

“It’s unreal,” Benson said.

The No. 4 pair lost the first set 6-2. Bear said their mindset was just to put that behind them and move on to the next.

WIC’s Grace Smith picked up a dominating win at No. 1 singles, 6-0, 6-0 in the final over Norway’s Jordyn Moln.

“I’m proud of myself. I worked hard for it,” Smith said. “I’m a sophomore, but last year I lost.”

That loss was in the final at No. 2 singles. Smith took her sister Kaitlyn’s spot at the top flight after Kaitlyn won as a senior last year.

West Iron’s Destiny Lemery and Aubrey Richardson won the No. 1 doubles final, 6-3, 6-0 over Ishpeming’s Stella Nerlfi and Ava Lapin.

“Destiny had some good net shots and some hard hits down the alley and the line. And her serves were good,” Richardson said.

“(Richardson) does really good alley shots and angle shots,” Lemery added.

WIC’s No. 2 doubles team of Julia White and Olivia LaMay won 6-3, 6-2 in the finals over the Hematites’ Lilly Ryan and Janelle Seelen.

“I have Julia who (has) a beautiful long stroke, she can get it, and Olivia in the right place at the right time, she can take care of it at the net,” Schive said.

Erin Kolbas made it two titles at singles for the Wykons, clinching at the No. 3 flight. She defeated Ishpeming’s Frankie Stetson 7-6 (7-1), 6-4 in the final.

“It’s been a long journey,” Kolbas said. “I tore my ACL and meniscus last year. Not playing last year and then now playing this year, it’s been a long road.”

Norway took the other three wins, at Nos. 2 and 4 singles and No. 3 doubles.

Ella Wojtowicz defeated Ishpeming’s Sophia Nerlfi 6-4, 6-4 at No. 2 singles.

“It’s nice because it took four years,” Wojtowicz said. “Lots of tries, lots of losing, but I got there. My goal this year was just to make myself proud, it wasn’t really to win anything. But winning is a plus.”

Jessa Rossler took the final match at No. 4 singles, 6-4, 6-2 over Ishpeming’s Camryn Miller.

“I won last year, too, so I was really hoping I would this year,” Rossler said. “At first, I kept hitting it to the net with the wind; it was kind of hard to judge it. But once I got used to that, I think I hit some better shots and it turned out well.”

Norway’s No. 3 doubles team of Emily Carlson and Myah Gilroy defeated Ishpeming’s Lydia Seelen and Jenessa Eagle 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 in their final. The matchup was similar to last year’s when Norway’s duo lost to the Hematites’ Lydia and Janelle Seelen in the final.

“They really wanted it,” Gustafson said. “They really wanted it bad. They’ve been playing together two years straight, so they’re solid and jelled together.”

U.P. Division 2 Finals

Wednesday at Kingsford

Team scores — 1. West Iron County 18, 2. (tie) Ishpeming and Norway 13 each, 4. Ironwood 7, 5. Iron Mountain 4, 6. Munising 1.

Championship matches

SINGLES — No. 1, Grace Smith (WIC) def. Jordyn Moln (N) 6-0, 6-0; No. 2, Ella Wojtowicz (N) def. Sophia Nerlfi (ISH) 6-3, 6-4; No. 3, Erin Kolbas (WIC) def. Frankie Stetson (ISH) 7-6 (7-1), 6-4; No. 4, Jessa Rossier (N) def. Camryn Miller (ISH) 6-4, 6-2

DOUBLES — No. 1, Destiny Lemery-Aubrey Richardson (WIC) def. Stella Nerlfi-Ava Lapin (ISH) 6-3, 6-0; No. 2, Julia White-Olivia LaMay (WIC) def. Lilly Ryan-Janelle Seelen (ISH) 6-3, 6-2; No. 3, Emily Carlson-Myah Gilroy (NOR) def. Lydia Seelen-Jenessa Eagle (ISH) 7-6 (7-4), 6-4; No. 4, Marlee Benson-Rochelle Bear (WIC) def. Lily Magdziak-Lucy Stehlik (IWD) 2-6, 6-3, 6-3

Jason Juno wrote this summary of the U.P. finals for the Michigan High School Athletic Association website, www.mhsaa.com. He is the sports editor of the The Globe newspaper in Ironwood.