Duluth East sophomore Aili Hietala finally lost a game - her first in five matches during the Section 7AA individual tournament - but cruised to the section singles championship with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Princeton's Kelsey Dorr on Monday in Dayton, Minn.
Hietala downed Emma Anderson of Elk River in the morning semifinals without dropping a game for the fourth straight match before needing to break a sweat in the final.
Hietala qualifies for the Class AA state meet at the Baseline Tennis Center in Minneapolis next week.
Both of Hibbing's doubles teams lost in the semifinals, with Allie Bussey and Maddy Warner beating teammates Maddie Rewertz and Claire Rewertz in the third-place match.
โข Virginia beat visiting Pequot Lakes 5-2 to win the Section 7A girls tennis tournament Monday and clinch a berth in next week's Class A state tournament.
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The Blue Devils, who edged Pine City 4-3 in the morning semifinals, will represent 7A for the fifth consecutive year when team play begins Oct. 23 with a quarterfinal match against Section 4A winner Blake at Reed-Sweatt Tennis Center in Minneapolis.
The 7A individuals will determine their state entrants today.
FOOTBALL
Wrenshall done for season
Wrenshall has forfeited its remaining regular-season game Wednesday and its Nine-Man playoff game next week due to a lack of players.
"We started the year with 14 players, and after a number of injuries went into last Friday's game with 10 players suited," coach Jeremy Zywicki said in an email to the News Tribune. "Two of those players sustained injuries that will prevent them from being ready for our last regular-season game as well as our first playoff game. The kids we had gave everything they could to the season, and it's unfortunate it has to end this way."
Chisholm earlier forfeited the majority of its season.
