Lady Bulldog Netters Break School Record at State Tournament

The Lady Bulldogs tennis team captured fifth place at South Dakota’s Class A tournament in Sioux Falls on Monday and Tuesday, October 7-8. Milbank finished the event with 257.5 points. The 2019 team broke the MHS record for the most points earned in a state tennis tournament.

“I could not be happier,” said head coach Abbey Trapp. “The girls had a tough draw and they overcame everything to get to the championship side of the bracket. As a first-year coach, I am so pleased. These girls did awesome!”

Milbank also brought home additional pieces of hardware. The No. 1 doubles team of Halli Essington and Hattie Muellenbach led the Lady Bulldogs with a third-place finish. The No. 2 doubles team of Rhianna Cantine and Rhianna Welberg captured fourth place.

In singles play, five of the six competitors for Milbank earned a top-six award. Essington and Jenna Johnson led the team with fourth place finishes. Muellenbach and Alexis Ninneman won the consolation championship title for fifth place. Welberg wrapped up her high school career with a sixth-place finish.

Mitchell won the team title with 492.5 points. Yankton was the runner-up with 484.5 points. Roncalli took third with 390 points, and Rapid City Christian was fourth with 359 points.

Other team scores were: Madison, 138.5; Huron, 133; Pierre, 119; Lennox, 40.5; Spearfish, 33.5; and Vermillion, 30.5.

Results from the state tournament:
Singles
No. 1 Singles – Halli Essington received a first-round bye; defeated CC Graham,
Madison, 6-0, 6-7 (1), 10-6; fell to Josephine Krajewski, Yankton, 6-1, 6-4; dropped to Kelsey
Dahme, Mitchell, 10-2. Fourth-place finish.
No. 2 Singles – Rhianna Cantine defeated Anna Engen, Spearfish, 6-3, 6-2; fell to
Atlanta Stahle, Mitchell, 6-0, 6-0; downed Katrina Heles, Vermillion, 10-3; lost to Audrey Rubish,
Huron, 10-3. Eliminated from placing.
No. 3 Singles – Hattie Muellenbach received a first-round bye; fell to Olivia
Tennant, Yankton, 6-2, 6-0; defeated Annika Barnett, Vermillion, 10-2; downed Abigail Thomas,
Huron, 10-3; defeated Jocelyn Corrales, Pierre, 10-4. Fifth-place finish.
No. 4 Singles – Rhianna Welberg had a first-round bye; fell to Emma Kruger,
Madison, 6-4, 2-6, 10-8; defeated Lizzy Buehner, Lennox, 10-0; downed Beth Engelhart, Huron,
10-4; fell to Kiersten Bathke, Mitchell, 10-8. Sixth-place finish.
No. 5 Singles – Jenna Johnson had a first-round bye; defeated Evelyn Graham,
Madison, 6-2, 6-0; fell to Ali Muller, Aberdeen Roncalli, 6-3, 6-3; fell to Amber Moller, Mitchell,
11-9. Fourth-place finish.
No. 6 Singles – Alexis Ninneman fell to Bianca Medina, Huron, 6-3, 7-5; defeated
Kate Mondloch, Spearfish, 6-4, 6-2; defeated Madison Johnson, Lennox, 10-2; defeated Gracie
Zeeb, Pierre, 10-5. Fifth-place finish.
Doubles
No. 1 Doubles – Essington/Muellenbach had a first-round bye; defeated
Madison, 7-5, 6-1; fell to Aberdeen Roncalli, 6-0, 6-4; defeated Yankton, 10-7. Third-place
finish.
No. 2 Doubles – Cantine/Welberg had a first-round bye; defeated Rapid City
Christian, 6-4, 3-6, 10-6; fell to Yankton, 6-2, 6-1; lost to Aberdeen Roncalli, 10-7. Fourth-place
finish.
No. 3 Doubles – Johnson/Ninneman had a first-round bye; fell to Rapid City
Christian, 6-2, 6-2; defeated Vermillion, 10-2; fell to Huron, 10-5. Eliminated from placing.