The C.C. Lee Tennis Tournament has a history of drawing some of the top players in the region, state and even the Upper Midwest.
This year is no different as two of the top girls' players from Sioux Falls Washington are playing in the tourney at the Northern State courts in Aberdeen this week. The tourney ends today.
At the 2012 state tourney, Berkley Darr was third in No. 1 singles and she and partner Mical Johnson were second in No. 1 doubles.
"I have been playing lots of tennis this summer, a lot of tourneys," Darr said. "I have been going pretty much every weekend. I just got done with Brookings Sunday, now Aberdeen and then Brandon this weekend. This fall, I want to do better than I did at last year's state tournament."
Darr will be a senior this fall and Johnson a junior. Johnson was second in the state in No. 2 singles last fall. The doubles partners both earned their way onto the all-tourney team.
Last year, Darr won the C.C. Lee 16 and under title and she and a different partner won the 18 and under doubles title.
"I am just starting to play in the 18 and under singles division this summer," Darr said. "It has been going really well. And I am excited for my high school season to start."
Darr wants to play college tennis, but does not know where yet. "I am just trying to improve. That is why I like to play in these different tournaments during the summer. In the summer, I play a lot of people who I don't play during the high school season. Playing against new competition and different types of players helps you expand and improve your game."
She also likes to play in cities where she usually doesn't get to play, like Aberdeen.
"I enjoyed playing in the C.C. Lee for the first time last year," Darr said. "It was good competition and it was fun."
Weather proof
Paige Prissel is weather proof when it comes to her tennis game.
The Aberdeen girl who will be a senior at Central this fall has been around tennis long enough to know that patience is the best strategy when Mother Nature is one of your opponents. Players in Monday's opening day of the C.C. Lee Tourney had to exhibit a lot patience during a couple of lengthy weather delays that soaked the courts.
"I think they (weather delays) affect everyone differently," Prissel said. "It can mess with you mentally if you let it, but I try not to let it get into my head."
At 12:30 p.m. Monday, Prissel had yet to be on the court. Her first match had been scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Plus, the skies then opened up over the noon hour to cause even further delays.
"You just have to push through the weather delays because everyone has to deal with them," Prissel said.
Prissel said she is having a good summer and she is excited to be at home this week for a tourney. "It is fun to play at home. A lot of good players come to the C.C. Lee and it is a good tournament. It is nice not to have to drive somewhere else to play."
Prissel has been getting in a lot of tennis to prepare for her final season of high school tennis this fall. "I think we are going to have a strong team," she said. "It is going to be a fun year."
Minnesotan looking to improve
Summer tennis tournament rankings don't mean much to Minnesota player Jason Dilly.
He is in Aberdeen this week, coming in as the top seed in the 18 and under boys' division at the C.C. Lee tourney. Dilly will be a senior this fall at Becker High School and is from Clear Lake, Minn.
"I don't really care if I am seeded or not," Dilly said. "If you start to think about that sort of thing, it could either hurt you or help you. It could give you confidence, or make you put pressure on yourself. So I just don't really pay attention to that sort of thing."
Dilly, who has qualified to two Class AA state tournaments in high school, has one goal in the summer.
"I just want to improve and work on my game," he said.
He hopes that happens in Aberdeen.
"I have never played in this tournament before or even been to Aberdeen that I can remember," Dilly said. "I entered this tourney to play new kids and different competition. Facing new challenges like in this tourney will only better prepare you for future challenges."
|TENNIS|
Youth
C.C. Lee Tournament|
|MONDAY|
|Boys' 14 Singles|
|Quarterfinals|
Matthew Hollan of Aberdeen def. Chris Rae of Pierre 6-3, 6-1.
Ethan Hietala of Duluth, Minn., def. Andrew Hartze of Aberdeen 6-1, 6-0.
Isaiah Vilhauer of Aberdeen def. Shawn Stemsrud of Stockholm 6-0, 6-0.
|Semifinals|
Hollan def. Luke Hietala of Duluth 7-5, 6-4.
Ethan Hietala def. Vilhauer 2-6, 6-3, 10-6.
|Consolation|
Hartze def. Stemsrud 6-5, 6-7 (3-7), 10-5.
Luke Hietala def. Rae 10-0.
|Boys' 18 Singles|
|Opening Round|
Evan Hazeltine of Golden Valley, Minn., def. Luke Stoebner of Aberdeen 6-0, 6-0.
Matt Hokanson of Bemidji, Minn., def. Dillon Prissel of Aberdeen 6-2, 6-3.
|Quarterfinals|
Jason Dilly of Clear Lake, Minn., def. Jesse Margolies of Aberdeen 6-1, 6-0.
Hazeltine def. Alex Grandbois of Aberdeen 6-2, 6-3.
Eric Deboer of Aberdeen def. Jonathan Bartels Wahpeton, N.D., 6-0, 6-2.
Hokanson def. Joey Crompton of Aberdeen 5-7, 6-0, 12-10.
|Semifinals|
Dilly def. Hazeltine, 6-1, 6-3.
Hokanson def. Deboer, 6-0, 6-0.
|Consolation|
Grandbois def. Stoebner 10-0.
Crompton def. Bartels 11-10 (10-6).
|Boys' 18 Doubles|
|Round Robin
Eric Deboer and Jesse Margolies of Aberdeen def. Joey Crompton and Alex Grandbois of Aberdeen 6-2, 6-4.
|Girls' 14 Singles|
|Opening Round|
Abby Kays of Watertown def. Sarah Jarman of Wilmot 6-4, 6-1.
Aili Hietala of Duluth def. Kayleigh Fauth of Aberdeen 6-1, 6-1.
|Quarterfinals|
Sydney Rott of Sioux Falls def. Tatiana Stemsrud of Stockholm 6-0, 6-0.
Kays def. Catherine Falk of Aberdeen 6-1, 4-6, 10-8.
Hietala def. Brianna Bell of Wahpeton 6-0, 6-0.
Libby Nachtigal of Sioux Falls def. Hannah Ellenson of Aberdeen 6-0, 6-0.
|Consolation|
Bell def. Fauth 10-2.
Falk def. Jarman 6-1, 7-5.
|Girls' 16 Singles|
|Opening Round|
Kimberley Christopher of Rapid City def. Katherine Torrence of Aberdeen 6-1, 6-1.
Erica Hanson of Aberdeen def. Hannah Bossert of Wahpeton 6-1, 6-3.
Katherine Lee of Brandon, Manitoba, Canada, def. Elle Grewe of Aberdeen 6-0, 6-0.
Emily Magera of Aberdeen def. Alisha Wiedmeier of Rapid City 4-6, 6-3, 10-1.
Kristen Hanson of Aberdeen def. Jenae Wieser of Wahpeton 6-0, 6-0.
Erin Dudley of Aberdeen def. Sarah Dutt of Aberdeen 6-4, 6-0.
Sarah Kelly of Rapid City def. Lindsey Simon of Aberdeen 6-0, 6-0.
|Quarterfinals|
Anna Steinwand of Moorhead def. Christopher 1-6, 6-2, 11-9.
Lee def. Erica Hanson 6-3, 6-2.
Kristen Hanson def. Magera 6-1, 6-0.
Kelly def. Dudley 6-3, 3-6, 10-5.
|Consolation|
Bossert def. Grewe 10-4.
Wiedmeier def. Wieser 10-0.
Simon def. Dutt 10-2.
|Girls' 16 Doubles|
|Quarterfinals|
Kimberley Christopher and Alisha Wiedmeier of Rapid City def. Hannah Bossert and Jenae Wieser of Wahpeton, 6-2, 6-3.
Libby Nachtigal and Sydney Rott of Sioux Falls def. Sarah Dutt of Aberdeen and Anna Steinwand of Moorhead, 6-2, 6-1.
Katherine Torrence and Erin Dudley of Aberdeen def. Sarah Jarman of Wilmot and Tatiana Stemsrud of Stockholm, 6-0, 6-1.
|Semifinals|
Kristen Hanson and Erica Hanson of Aberdeen def. Wiedmeier-Christopher, 6-2, 6-1.
Nachtigal-Rott def. Torrence-Dudley, 6-3, 7-5.
|Girls' 18 Singles|
|Opening Round|
Berkley Darr of Sioux Falls def. Emma Kays of Watertown 6-0, 6-0.
Samantha Lee of Brandon, Manitoba, Canada, def. Paige Prissel of Aberdeen 7-5 4-6, 10-6.
Kristina Hammerquist of Rapid City def. Ashley Thone of Aberdeen 6-1, 6-0.
Erica Carrels of Aberdeen def. Rachel Bassingthwaite of Wahpeton 6-0, 6-1.
Anna Gaspari of Sioux Falls def. Peggy Roemmich of Wahpeton 6-0, 6-1.
Kaylee Stock of West Fargo, N.D., def. Diana Peck of Aberdeen 6-0, 6-2.
Katie J. Baasch of West Fargo def. Jaelyn Opp of Aberdeen 6-1, 6-1.
Mical Johnson of Canton def. Kristi Krogh of Wahpeton 6-0, 6-0.
|Quarterfinals|
Darr def. Lee 6-1, 6-4.
Hammerquist def. Carrels 6-2, 4-6, 11-9.
Stock def. Gaspari 6-3, 6-3.
Johnson def. Baasch 6-0, 6-1.
|Consolation|
Prissel def. Kays 10-6.
Thone def. Bassingthwait 10-0.
Peck def. Roemmich 10-2.
Krogh def. Opp 10-4.
|Girls' 18 Doubles|
|Opening Round|
Emma Kays of Watertown and Diana Peck of Aberdeen def. Jaelyn Opp and Lindsey Simon of Aberdeen, 6-3, 6-3.
|Quarterfinals|
Berkley Darr of Sioux Falls and Mical Johnson of Canton def. Rachel Bassingthwaite and Peggy Roemmich of Wahpeton, 6-0, 6-0.
Samantha Lee and Katherine Lee of Canada def. Peck-Kays, 6-1, 6-3.
Kristina Hammerquist and Sarah Kelly of Rapid City def. Paige Prissel and Ashley Thone of Aberdeen, 6-0, 6-4.
Katie Baasch and Kaylee Stock of West Fargo def. Erica Carrels and Gabrielle Imbery of Aberdeen, 6-0, 6-3.