McHenry narrowly slips past Waubonsee to repeat as Region 4 champs
DIXON, ILL. - The 2020 Region 4 Division I Women's Tennis Tournament witnessed a pair of champions successfully defend their crowns over two days on October 9-10 at Sauk Valley Community College. McHenry County College repeated as the team champions by the narrowest of margins, holding off Waubonsee Community College by one-half point. Bryant & Stratton College sophomore Desiree Ahlberg also claimed a second consecutive individual title in Flight #1, earning her Region 4 Most Valuable Player accolades.
The Scots used a complete team effort to secure the title in 2020, bolstered by three first place finishes and two runners-up. Morgann Paaske, a sophomore who won the Flight #6 title in 2019, moved up to claim the Flight #5 crown, while freshman teammate Hannah Schuetzle was tops in Flight #6. Paaske then teamed up with second year Elizabeth Lalond to win the doubles title in Flight #3. McHenry was second in singles Flight #4 and doubles Flight #2.
Ahlberg, a sophomore from Sweden, took down SVCC's Maddy Jacobs by a 6-4, 6-1 score to defend her Flight #1 crown. Fellow Bobcats Valentina Kukuruzovic and Nikold Torres played their way to the singles Flight #2 & #3 championships, while Bryant & Stratton also took two doubles titles at Flight #1 (Ahlberg & Kukuruzovic) and Flight #2 (Torres & Kyana Ramos).
The remaining individual champion was Jazmine Hernandez of Waubonsee Community College in singles Flight #4.
Jim Stockwell of McHenry County College named the Region IV Coach of the Year for a second straight year, and Waubonsee Community College sophomore Hayley Wilcox was chosen for the Sportsmanship Award.
The 2021 NJCAA Division I Women's Tennis Championships are May 1-5, 2021, in Mesa, Arizona.
**NOTE: Due to travel restrictions from the Covid-19 Pandemic, the NJCAA Region 4 Division III Tournament will be held at Elgin Community College on April 24, 2021.
(Picture courtesy of McHenry County College Athletics)