Gusties Dominate Division II Tennis Tournament

The Gustavus women's tennis team recently wrapped up their annual Division II tournament, showcasing their dominance by claiming seven championships, including seven draw championships and all the doubles titles. The tournament featured opponents from Division III Grinnell, fellow MIAC opponent St. Catherine, as well as MSU-Mankato, MSU-Moorhead, and Sioux Falls.

Gusties Cement Their Status as Tennis Powerhouse

Elvestrom Shines in Singles Competition

The tournament's standout performance came from Karina Elvestrom (Fy., Minnetonka), who claimed the singles draw one championship over Grinnell's Paige Sargent. Sargent, the Midwest Conference's champion at the No. 2 singles last season, was no match for Elvestrom, who won the title with two decisive 6-2 scores. Kaya De Bruijn (Jr., Maasland, Netherlands) took second place in the draw, defeating teammate Molly Austin (Jr., Arden Hills) 6-0, 6-3.The Gusties' dominance continued in the other singles draws, with Madison Packer (Jr., Wadena) claiming the draw five championship with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over teammate Veranique Poquette (So., Champlin). Bethany Smith (So., Maple Grove) also emerged victorious, winning draw six over SCU's Ashley King, 6-0, 7-6. Taylor Ruhl (Jr., Brainerd) rounded out the Gusties' singles success, claiming draw seven over teammate Tyra Gustavson (Fy., Madison, Wis.) 6-3, 6-1.

Gusties Sweep Doubles Titles

The Gusties' dominance extended to the doubles competition, where they claimed all three draw championships. In draw one, an all-Gustie final saw De Bruijn and Elvestrom face off against Austin and Allison Szalay (Jr., Des Moines, Iowa). The match went to a super-breaker, with Austin and Szalay emerging victorious 8-7.Alli Laux (5th, Onalaska, Wis.) and Smith claimed doubles draw two, winning 8-6 over teammates Ella De Young (So., Iowa City, Iowa) and Noor Omar (Fy., Fridley). In draw three, Packer and Ashley Stroebel (Jr., Maplewood) claimed the title with an 8-0 victory over fellow Gusties Katie Thompson (Fy., Darlington, England) and Ruhl.

Preparing for the ITA Midwest Regionals

Head Coach Jon Carlson was thrilled with the team's performance, stating, "It was a great weekend with a lot of quality match play. I think the team is very excited with our performances this weekend. We put a lot of hard work in the first three weeks of the season, and it's really exciting to see that paying off. This was a great primer as we prepare for the ITA Midwest Regionals next weekend."The Gusties will host the ITA Midwest Regional Championships from Friday to Monday, as well as draws in the Midwest Invite, at the Swanson Tennis Center. The team's dominant display at the Division II tournament has set the stage for a promising performance at the upcoming regional championships, where they will look to continue their winning ways and solidify their status as a tennis powerhouse.