April 20, 2008

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - The Bemidji State University tennis team completed day one of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Championships with two doubles teams still in contention for championships at their respecive positions.

Kali Welu (Jr., Pequot Lakes, Minn.) and Sheila Hoberg (So., Bismarck, N.D.) remain in the hunt for the No. 1 doubles championship as they defeated Minnesota State University Moorhead’s Maria Cederberg and Ashley Taborsky, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 in the first round. Welu and Hoberg faceoff against the top team in the draw in Mary Hesterman and Heather Pierce from Winona State University at 11 a.m in the semifinals. The championship and third place match are both scheduled for 1:30 p.m.

The other two Beavers to still be fighting for first in a draw comes at No. 3 doubles and the team of Farrah Steinke (Fr., Crosby, Minn.) and Cheyanne Maki (So., Watford City, N.D.). The top rated team at the position had no problem in their first round match against the University of Minnesota, Crookston team of Melissa Mackendanz and Susan Turner as they walked away with a, 6-1, 6-1, victory. The team will face off against South West Minnesota State’s Trisha Baldwin and Amy Daniels Sunday at 10:30 a.m. in the semifinals. The championship match is scheduled for 3:00 p.m while the third place match is at 3:30 p.m.

In total Bemidji State has five draws where they can still gain points as Welu will compete for third at No. 1 singles against Ananda Ferrari from SWMSU at 8 a.m. In their previous match Ferrari defeated Welu, 6-4, 6-2, back on March 2 at the Gillett Recreation and Fitness Center. Welu landed in the third place match by falling to the sixth ranked player in the North Central Region in Winona State’s Pierce, 6-2, 6-4.

The Beavers also remain in contention at No. 3 singles as Steinke defeated Moorhead’s Claudia Irina, 6-3, 6-4, before falling to Amanda Asche from Winona State, 6-3, 6-3, in the semifinals. Steinke is set to face Upper Iowa Universities’ Mallery Cox in the third place match in what should be a thriller as their prior matchup saw Cox edge Steinke in a 11-9 super set tiebreaker. The match is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m.

Amy Erickson (Jr., Roseau, Minn.) will take on Winona State’s Erika Richae for third place at No. 6 singles at 8 a.m. Erickson dropped out of contention when she ran into Moorhead’s Alyssa Schafer in the semifinals. Schafer was able to defeat Erickson, 6-1, 6-1, to advance to the championship.

Today saw the end of one Beavers playing career as senior Kristen Lexcen (Andover, Minn.) was knocked out of the first round in both her No. 2 singles and No. 2 doubles matches where she teamed with Kara Johnson (Fr., Anoka, Minn.).

Bemidji State University, located in Bemidji, Minn., is an NCAA Division II institution and a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).

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