Girls Tennis: JCA's Bertino leads area contingent at state

BUFFALO GROVE – The Class 1A and 2A state tennis tournaments concluded Saturday, and Joliet Catholic Academy’s Mia Bertino made the biggest splash among area participants.

Bertino, a 5-8 seed in the 1A field, won her first three matches in straight sets before falling to No. 1 seed Nicole Roc of Chicago Northside, 6-1, 6-1. She rebounded to win in the consolation quarterfinals and was eliminated, 4-2 (retired) in her consolation semifinal against Kelsey Meville of Antioch.

Also in 1A, Lemont’s Grace Horky, after dropping her opening match, won three consolation matches in straight sets before being eliminated as she finished 3-2.

In 2A, meanwhile, four-time sectional champion Eileen Carney of Joliet West, after getting off to a 2-0 start, lost two straight matches. The one that ousted her was a 7-6 (4), 2-6, 10-6 decision to Grace Chadick of Southwest Prairie Conference rival Plainfield North.

Chadick lost the subsequent match in the consolation fifth round, 6-4, 6-3, to Tyra Richardson of St. Ignatius to conclude the tournament with a 4-2 record.

Chadick’s Plainfield North teammate, Gabby Ochalik, finished on a win-loss-win-loss pattern and ended up 2-2.

In 2A doubles, Lockport’s Kaitlyn graves and Brianna Hillcok lost their fourth match in three grueling sets to finish the tournament 2-2. The Porters’ other doubles team of Gabby Perillo and Natalie Barth went 0-2.

Minooka’s Gabby Hajduk and Grace Thelo qualified for state in doubles and they, too, went 0-2. Lincoln-Way West’s pairing of Meghan Maynard and Natalie Singh also was ousted in two matches.