SAINT PETER, Minn. – The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire women's tennis participated at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Midwest Regional over the weekend. The tournament featured the top teams from the regions and had two sections; one main draw for singles and doubles, and the Gustie Fall Invite. The Blugolds competed well with multiple players placing in the top 3 of their flights and shining in the main draws.
 
In the ITA Main Singles Draw, Magdalena Kristo made her ITA Regional debut and went the furthest of any other Blugold while placing in the top 16. Kristo began her weekend with a 6-0, 6-0 first round win over Coe College's Cosette Gaines on Friday. She then defeated the 9th seeded Lanie Davis of Gustavus Adolphus with a match score of 6-4, 0-6, 10-7. In the round of 32 on Saturday, Magdalena tallied a major comeback victory over UW-Superior's Elif Oezen, 1-6, 6-2 14-12, earning a trip to the round of 16. With the quarterfinals on the horizon, Kristo battled hard against the 3rd seed, Grinnell College's Pari Chavin, but eventually fell 1-6, 4-6 to end the weekend with a top 16 finish.

Reese Keller was the only other Blugold to find a win in the Regional Championship draw. Keller defeated Central College's Lauren Gano, 6-3, 6-3, in the opening round on Friday, but fell in the second round to Cornell College's Mac Graves, 4-6, 4-6. Beatriz Felchak and Aubrey Wittwer were also drawn into the regional flight, but both suffered opening round defeats on Friday.

During the doubles Regional Championship, Kristo and Keller also placed in the top 16 with their wins on the weekend. The Blugold pair defeated Concordia University (WI)'s Jordin Popp and Taylor Peterson in the first round, 8-2, and then were victorious over Bethel University's Zadie Walvatne and Hannah Kumpel 8-7(7) in the round of 32. In the round of 16, Kristo and Keller fell to Gustavus' Maya Brakhage and Noor Omar, 0-8.

Outside of the main draws, the Blugolds found success at the Gustie Fall Invite.

Brooke Boland and Stella Platt won the doubles No. 1 draw flight with four wins on the weekend. Boland and Platt began the flight with an 8-4 win over Buena Vista and an 8-5 win over St. Scholastica on Friday. In the Saturday semifinals, the UWEC duo defeated UW-Stevens Point 8-6 for a spot in the finals. During the championship, Boland and Platt handled business with an 8-1 win over Bethel University's Emily Eisma and Addie Carlson to be crowned champions.

UW-Eau Claire had one other doubles team in the respective flight final. Aubrey Wittwer and Ana Paula Ricaurte were runner's up in the doubles No. 4 flight. Wittwer and Ricaurte won their opening match 8-1 over Macalester and their second match, 8-7(8), over the UW-Whitewater. The Eau Claire team was victorious over UW-Stout Polytechnic, 8-3,  in the semifinals, but fell in the finals, 4-8, to Gustavus.

Singles play of the Gustie Invite saw Delaney Hanson place 2^nd overall with wins over Carroll, Edgewood, and UW-Stout Polytechnic in two sets. The finals was hard fought by Hanson who eventually fell to Gustavus, 4-6, 5-7. Ana Paula Ricaurte placed in the top 4 of her No. 1 singles flight with wins over Lawrence, and St Olaf, before falling in the semifinals to Saint Benedict's, 3-4(3), 2-4.

The Blugolds will be back in WIAC action on Saturday, October 10 when they host UW-Oshkosh at the YMCA Menard Tennis Center in Eau Claire. Doubles play is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m.

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