Wealth of experience leads to third place for S-M duo
Area Athletes of the Week
It doesn't take Skye Coughlin and Emma Koskiniemi long to get into the swing of things.
The Staples-Motley Cardinals tennis players found their doubles groove quickly and let the momentum carry them to a third-place finish in last week's Class 1A state doubles tournament.
Skye Coughlin (left) and Emma Koskiniemi
While playing together sparingly during the regular season the two teamed up for the Section 6-1A individual tournament and didn't drop a set until their semifinal, or third match.
At state, Koskiniemi-Coughlin opened with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 win over Abby Frederickson-Karlee Sieve of St. James.
In the quarterfinals they defeated Mandi Stencel-Sara Anderson of Maple River 6-4, 7-5 to advance to the semifinals.
Skye Coughlin
Year: Senior
Emma Koskiniemi
Year: Junior
School: Staples-Motley
Sport: Tennis
Position: Doubles
Key stat: Finished third in the Class 1A state tournament
"We had never played individually into that second day so that was a big thing," said Skye Coughlin. "We really wanted to play that second day. Being a senior my next goal was to win my last match."
In the semis they met the defending and eventual state champions Kate Roach-Amber Washington of Mounds Park Academy, which defeated the S-M duo 6-0, 6-3.
The Cardinals bounced back with a decisive 6-1, 6-2 victory over St. James' Darci Johnson-Juie Runge to capture third.
"We played really well and we just went into that match pretty loose," said Koskiniemi. "We just wanted to have fun playing our last match."
Coughlin-Koskiniemi also fell to Roach-Washington in the quarterfinals last year to end their run. The Cardinals opened with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Allie Carlson-Alice Browning of Aitkin.
As a sophomore and freshman the two lost both of their matches.
"Because of their chemistry they were capable of doing about anything," said Cardinals head coach Kevin Coughlin. "We knew what was out there, but we were totally confident we could knock off the Roach-Washington team if we played them the way we can. Obviously, Roach-Washington proved to be pretty darn strong."
During the state team tournament Skye Coughlin played singles, while Koskiniemi teamed with Caitlin Robinson.
Coughlin finished 2-1 as did the Koskiniemi-Robinson pair, helping S-M to the consolation championship.
"We've had a lot of college coaches talking and I think Skye would be a great college player because she can play both singles and doubles," said Kevin Coughlin of his daughter. "She's a classic coach's kid. She understands the game and she has very good shots. I've been very impressed with the variety of shots she's capable of pulling out.
"Emma has pretty much the same thing. She's a well-rounded player. Her volley game really picked up this year. Her serve really improved during the tournament. She was battling back, shoulder and arm injuries and I think she saw the light at the end of the tunnel and really came along with some ace serves."
Coughlin, who is debating between attending St. Catherine University in St. Paul and Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, called her tennis career "super fun."
"I've played on the varsity for five years, but I've been on the team forever because my dad has coached the team a long time," she said. "It's really weird climbing into those red vans for the last time. I've been doing it since I was 3."
Koskiniemi, a four-year varsity veteran with a year left, wouldn't give any predictions for next year.
"I don't really know," she said. "I might be playing singles and doubles, but I don't know how good we'll be. Hopefully we go back to state."
Other notable performances:
Swimming: Whitney Weisz, Little Falls, finished second in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle at the Central Lakes Conference meet and broke her school records in both.
Megan Voss, Macy Olson, Brittany Then and Weisz, Little Falls, finished second in the 200-yard freestyle relay in the Central Lakes Conference meet.
Volleyball: Katie Wangberg, Pine River-Backus, had 11 kills, 21 set assists, five digs, three blocks and one ace serve against Pillager.
Jackie White, Pillager, finished with 16 digs, 12 kills and two ace serves against Pine River-Backus.
Trista Finck, Verndale, had 17 kills against Eagle Valley.
Kelsey Meyer, Pierz, finished with 31 set assists, four digs, three kills, two blocks and one ace serve against Holdingford.
Jana Anderson, Crosby-Ironton, had 22 digs, 18 kills and two ace serves against Moose Lake-Willow River.
JEREMY MILLSOP may be reached at jeremy.millsop@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5856.