Simpson duo win singles gold at A-R-C Individual Tournament

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Anna Wanek and Megan Grubb earned gold in their respective singles brackets on Saturday as the Simpson women's tennis team competed in the American Rivers Conference Individual Tournament.

"Going into the tournament, spirits were high and the ladies were ready to go," said head coach Faith Bliss. "For most of the day it felt like it was Simpson versus Luther during A-Singles play."

After a first round bye, Wanek went 3-0 to remain undefeated this fall to become the A-Singles flight conference champion. Grubb won four matches to finish atop the B-Singles bracket and Emily King finished first in the A-Singles consolation flight to highlight the Storm's (7-3, 5-2 A-R-C) day.

Wanek landed the top seed in the A-Singles flight and proved she was worthy of that rank by cruising in the quarterfinals by sweeping both sets over Luther's Kylie Dunning. The momentum carried into the semifinals to win in two sets to reach the final.

The championship bout was a rematch with the Norse's Devon Bourget after the duo previously competed in a match earlier this month that lasted three sets and today's was no different. Bourget won the opening set, 6-2, but Wanek returned the favor to knot the match after a 6-2 set. Wanek kept Bourget at bay to win, 10-3, to become the champion in A-Singles.

While seeded No. 1 in B-Singles, Grubb only dropped more than three games in a set once en route to the title. The junior opened the day with an 8-2 triumph and followed that with an 8-1 match to reach the semifinals. Pitted against Wartburg's Georgia Nissen, Grubb competed in her closest contest of the day, but prevailed, 8-5. In the championship, Grubb grabbed an 8-3 victory over Luther's Cassandra Magee.

King was paired in A-Singles along with Wanek and received an opening round bye. In the quarterfinals, King was faced with Bourget and the two competed in a three-set thriller. The Friendswood, Texas native won the opener, 6-4, but her conference opponent won back-to-back sets to advance to the semifinals.

King switch to the consolation round with the loss and defeated Luther's Natalia Smith in the semifinals after another bye. In the championship, King took part in another three set bout, but came away as the victor against Wartburg's Madison Overmann.

Donni Kinghorn and Kennedi Wright competed in the B-Singles round, but dropped both of their matches, while Aubrey Ocheltree was the lone Storm in the C-Singles flight. Ocheltree lost her first match and almost escaped her consolation contest, but fell, 8-7 (1-0).

Up Next
Loras (2-1, 2-1 A-R-C) visits the Buxton Tennis Complex on Thursday for a 10 a.m. match that will close out the fall slate for Simpson.

A-Singles
1st Round | Anna Wanek, bye
1st Round | Emily King, bye
Quarterfinals | Anna Wanek def. Kylie Dunning (LUT), 6-0, 6-0
Quarterfinals | Emily King lost to Devon Bourget (LUT), 4-6, 6-2, 11-9
Semifinals | Anna Wanek def. Shelby Cook (LUT), 7-5, 6-3
Championship | Anna Wanek def. Devon Bourget (LUT), 2-6, 6-2, 10-3

A-Singles Consolation
Quarterfinals | Emily King, bye
Semifinals | Emily King def. Natalia Smith (LUT), 6-2, 6-1
Championship | Emily King def. Madison Overmann (WAR), 6-3, 4-6, 10-6

B-Singles
1st Round | Megan Grubb def Sydney Clausen (LUT), 8-2
1st Round | Donni Kinghorn lost to Georgia Nissen (WAR), 8-4
1st Round | Kennedi Wright lost to Bailey Vandusseldorp (WAR), 8-1
Quarterfinals | Megan Grubb def. Sophia Craig (COE), 8-1
Semifinals | Megan Grubb def. Georgia Nissen (WAR), 8-5
Championship | Megan Grubb def. Cassandra Magee (LUT), 8-3

B-Singles Consolation
1st Round | Donni Kinghorn lost to Michaela Pinto (COE), 8-6
1st Round | Kennedi Wright lost to Mariana Bayona-Paez (LOR), 8-4

C-Singles
1st Round | Aubrey Ocheltree lost to Patient Jabbah (DBQ), 8-3

C-Singles Consolation
1st Round | Aubrey Ocheltree lost to Deanna Schaffer (BVU), 8-7, (1-0)