Girls tennis: Jacobs’ Chloe Siegfort, Richmond-Burton’s Savannah Webb ready to take on state’s best

Jacobs senior Chloe Siegfort feels stronger and faster after a year in which she traveled back and forth to train at LAT Tennis Academy in Boynton Beach, Florida.

But Siegfort feels that work helped her in other areas as well.

“It mostly benefitted my mental game,” she said. “That’s one of the biggest things that has greatly improved over the past year. My confidence has grown a lot being able to put in a lot of extra hours. It definitely makes a difference.”

Siegfort takes that with her into the Class 2A Girls Tennis State Tournament, which starts Thursday at various sites in the suburbs. She and sophomore teammate Kylie Cohn will be two of the area’s top players in the tournament.

Huntley qualified three entries for the Class 2A tournament, led by No. 1 doubles team Kate Burkey and Elaina Hibbeler, who were doubles runners-up at the Harlem Sectional.

In the Class 1A State Tournament, Richmond-Burton senior Savannah Webb, who does not have a team and starts high school play at the Kishwaukee River Conference Tournament, is looking for another strong showing. Webb finished fifth at state last year and won the Antioch Sectional singles championship.

Prairie Ridge won the Antioch Sectional team title, led by the winning doubles team Megan Clark and Aleena Ciezak, as well as the runner-up team Madeleine Bartmess and Kelsey Collins.

“My biggest goal is to finish in the top four,” Siegfort said. “My goal is to play to the best of my ability and see where that takes me. And I believe that can take me pretty far in the tournament.”

Siegfort was home schooled last year and traveled back and forth between her family’s home and Florida, training with her coach Joe Kim. When they were in the Chicago area, they hit at River Trails, a small club where Siegfort trained with high-level players.

This is only Siegfort’s second high school state tournament. She played as a freshman, but still was recovering from a broken leg. Her sophomore season she won the sectional, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced the IHSA to suspend the state tournament that season.

Golden Eagles coach Jon Betts is excited for both of his singles entries at state.

“Chloe has already established herself as the best player to come through Jacobs on the girls side and has nothing to prove,” Betts said. “I’d love for her to have a successful final state run. Finishing inside the top 16 would be a great accomplishment.

“Few players have been so dominant in conference. She is undefeated over three seasons at the top singles spot without ever having a set closer than 6-3. In the 13 matches she played against FVC opponents this year, she lost a combined total of seven games.”

Siegfort is 32-3 for the season. Her losses came against York’s Lizzie Isyanov (6-0, 6-1) New Trier’s Madison Liu (6-1, 6-0) and Auburn’s Amy Park (4-6, 6-1, 10-8). She later beat Park.

Siegfort, who will play at NCAA Division II University of Sioux Falls (S.D.), had a tough sectional championship match against Barrington freshman Shriya Ramesh, who she beat 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.

Cohn, who rolled through the Fox Valley Conference No. 2 singles bracket losing only four games, took third in the Jacobs Sectional singles bracket on Saturday.

Webb did not lose a game on her way to the Class 1A Antioch Sectional title. She has been training at Lake Geneva Tennis in Wisconsin and hitting with her coach, Michael Treis, before her IHSA season began two weeks ago.

“I feel like I’m a lot better [player this year],” Webb said. “I’m hoping for third. I want to get first, I don’t want to get my hopes up too much. I feel like I can compete with anyone.”

Webb plans on playing in college but has not picked a school yet.

“[Starting the high school season] was fun. I’ve enjoyed it a lot,” Webb said. “It’s a little stressful because it’s my senior year. It should be exciting. It will be different than conference and sectional has been so far.”

Local Girls Tennis State Qualifiers

Class 1A

Marian Central: Kaitlyn Remke, singles; Madison Kenyon, singles; Bella Zecchin and Holly Garrelts, doubles.

Prairie Ridge: Megan Clark and Aleena Ciezak, doubles; Madeleine Bartmess and Kelsey Collins, doubles.

Richmond-Burton: Savannah Webb, singles.

Woodstock: Marta Fito, singles.

Class 2A

Crystal Lake Central: Maggie Naughton and Katie Hamill, doubles.

Huntley: Ella Doughty, singles; Kate Burkey and Elaina Hibbeler, doubles; Emily Chong and Delaney Stock, doubles.

Jacobs: Chloe Siegfort, singles; Kylie Cohn, singles.