Panther girls take third at SEC meet

FT. MADISON - The Mt. Pleasant girls' tennis team competed in the Southeast Conference tournament on Monday in Ft. Madison. The Panthers took third place in the conference, scoring nine points. Fairfield won the SEC with 26. Ft. Madison took second, with 17 points, and Keokuk brought up the rear with two points.

Erin Zihlman took part in the No. 1 singles tournament. She fell 8-0 to eventual conference champion Yana Gaskell in the semifinals. In the third-place game, Zihlman fell 8-5 against Keokuk's Keleigh Hall.

Hallie Sandeen played in the No. 2 singles tournament, finishing third. She dropped the semifinal match 8-3 against Lanie Kuntz, but took down Keokuk's Emma Evans 8-3 in the third-place match.

Shaleen Thiengmany took third in the No. 3 singles match. She fell 8-5 in the semifinals against Nellie Higdon of Fairfield. Thiengmany took out Keokuk's Kierra Huddelston in the third-place match, defeating her 8-1.

In the No. 4 singles tournament, Breanna Runyon finished in third. After falling 8-5 against Abby Schaefer of Fairfield, Runyon defeated Keokuk's Julia De Gala 8-2 in the third-place match.

Sierra Barton finished third in the No. 5 singles match. She dropped the semifinal match 8-6 against Ft. Madison's Lily Cadwallader, but bounced back to take out Keokuk's Delaynee Billings 8-5 to take third.

Olivia Larson took third in the No. 6 singles match. She fell 8-4 against Alyse Schmidt of Ft. Madison in the semifinals but defeated Jasmine Saunders 8-2 to finish third.

Zihlman and Sandeen took fourth in the No. 1 doubles tournament. They fell 8-3 agianst the eventual SEC champion Fairfield team, and fell 8-2 against Keokuk in the third-place match.

Thiengmany and Runyon took second in the No. 2 doubles tournament. They won a nail-biter against Ft. Madison, 8-7(7-4) to make the championship match, but fell 8-0 against Fairfield.

Barton and Larson took second in the No. 3 doubles tournament. They defeated the Ft. Madison team 8-6 in the semifinals, but dropped the first-place match 8-1 against Fairfield.

Mt. Pleasant will be back at East Lake on Thursday, May 9. The Panthers will host Davis County in a nonconference match.