The Sentinel: Search results for Alisa Tangmunarunkit

Tigers sweep visiting Watseka Warriors

Alisa Tangmunarunkit serves during her match against St. Joseph-Ogden in August. On Thursday, she took down Watseka's Ava Swartz in straight sets to lead Urbana to a 9-0 victory. Photo: PhotoNews Media File Photo

URBANA -- The Urbana High School tennis team shut out the visiting Watseka winning all nine regulation matches on Thursday. Finishing under the lights at Blair Park on the newly resurfaced courts, the Tigers dominated all six singles matches.

Standout victories included Lorelie Yau's double-bagel over Lady Warrior Annika Greene and a double breadstick win on the #4 court by Eisla Madigan, who defeated Moriah Pueschell, 6-1, 6-1.

Meanwhile, on the #1 court, Alisa Tangmunarunkit battled her way to a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Watseka's Ava Swartz in the non-conference match.

Later Tangmunarunkit teamed up with Luna Morales at #1 doubles to beat Warriors' Emma Simons and Baler Rigsby in a three-setter, 6-3, 4-6, 10-7.

Next, the Tigers head to the Mattoon Invitational Tennis Tournament this Saturday to compete against the top talent in downstate Illinois.

Box Score

URBANA 9 - WATSEKA 0

Singles:
No. 1 - Alisa Tangmunarunkit, URBANA def. Ava Swartz, WATSEKA 6-4 , 6-4
No. 2 - Luna Morales, URBANA def. Emma Simons, WATSEKA 6-1 , 6-2
No. 3 - Matika Pounginjai, URBANA def. Baler Rigsby, WATSEKA 6-4 , 6-2
No. 4 - Eisla Madigan, URBANA def. Moriah Pueschell, WATSEKA 6-1 , 6-1
No. 5 - Halie Thompson, URBANA def. Sarah Parsons, WATSEKA 6-2 , 6-4
No. 6 - Lorelie Yau, URBANA def. Annika Greene, WATSEKA 6-0 , 6-0

Doubles:
No. 1 - Alisa Tangmunarunkit - Luna Morales, URBANA
def. Emma Simons- Baler Rigsby, WATSEKA 6-3 , 4-6 , 10-7

No. 2 - Halie Thompson - Lorelie Yau, URBANA
def. Moriah Pueschell, WATSEKA - Sarah Parsons, WATSEKA 6-1 , 6-4

No. 3 - Eisla Madigan - Matika Pounginjai, URBANA
def. Annika Greene - Marisa Clark, WATSEKA 6-1 , 6-0

Prep Sports Notebook: SJO volleyball cruises past T-Town, Uni knocks off Sages

Romole scores twice in first half

Nolan Romle scored two of Unity's four goals in their home soccer match against Meridian on Thursday. The freshman's two scores, bookending a strike from Gabe Pound, gave the Rockets a 3-all tie leading heading into halftime.

Later, Meridian striker Spencer Uphoff broke the tie with an unassisted goal in the second half, but the Rockets refused to lie down thanks to junior Andrew Mowrer notching a penalty kick to retie the score, this time at four goals apiece.

With his first goal already under his belt in the first half, Hawks Micah McCoy scored the game-winning goal handing Unity a 5-4 loss.

Mason Davis made 13 saves on the day for the Rockets.

Still looking for their first win of the season, Unity (0-4) will play their next game, the team's first road match, on Monday, September 6 at Warrensburg-Latham. Romole and Rockets then travel to Champaign to face the Tribe of Judah Christian on Thursday.

Box Score -

First half: Meridian Egbert(Boehm), McCoy(UA), Unity Remole(Pound), Pound(UA), Meridian Boehn(UA), Unity Remole(UA)

Second half:Meridian Uphoff(UA), Unity Mowrer(PK), Meridian McCoy(UA)

Thomey buries two goals

When the bout was said and done, both the St. Joseph-Ogden soccer team and Hoopeston area would part ways with the identical season records of 4-1-1. Staring at recording their second loss of the season at the end of the first half, St. Joseph-Ogden bounced back to win their second road match of the season handing the Cornjerkers their first loss by way of a 3-1 advantage.

Hoopeston's Harrison Wood gave his team the early lead and their only goal of the contest despite 19 other attempts from his teammates. Teammate and goaltender Owen Root (6 saves) kept the ball out of his net during the first half play, but would later let three second-half Spartan shots slip by him in the final half.

SJO senior Jared Emmert earned his first of two assists feeding the ball to junior Aiden Cromwell to tie the game at one goal each. Emmert then set up the go-ahead score with a pass to Colin Thomey. Thomey, a freshman, sealed the victory with a follow-up goal with the help of Owen Baltzell.

Hunter Ketchum made 18 saves guarding the Spartan goal.

The St. Joseph-Ogden soccer team returns to the pitch on Monday, September 6 at Bismarck-Henning. Hoopeston Area visits St. Anne today and plays another road match, this one close to home, at Schlarman on Tuesday, September 7.

Box Score -
First half: Hoopeston Woods

Second Half: SJO Cromwell (Emmert), SJO Thomey (Emmert), SJO Thomey (Baltzell)

Urbana's Jacie Owens lines up a shot over the net during the Tiger's home match against St. Joseph-Ogden last month. In Thursday's home match against visiting Centennial, Owens came up short in her battle against Anna Park. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Tigers fall at home

After avenging an earlier loss to St. Joseph-Ogden on Tuesday, the Urbana girls tennis team dropped their next home match to Centennial on Thursday, 8-1.

The Tigers' solo win came at #4 singles from Alisa Tangmunarunkit, who defeated the Chargers' Nicole Vozovoy, 8-4.

Next up, Tangmunarunkit and her teammates will host the St. Thomas More tennis team on Tuesday at 4pm.

Box Score -

Singles:
No. 1 - Sandhya Subbiah, CENTENNIAL def. Myra Stevens, URBANA, 8-3
No. 2 - Anna Park, CENTENNIAL def. Jacie Owens, URBANA, 8-4
No. 3 - Grace Kahler, CENTENNIAL def. Eisla Madigan, URBANA, 8-2
No. 4 - Alisa Tangmunarunkit, URBANA def. Nicole Vozovoy, CENTENNIAL, 8-4
No. 5 - Yehyun Nam, CENTENNIAL def. Matika Pounginjai, URBANA, 8-1
No. 6 - Aastha Patel, CENTENNIAL def. Grace Coady, URBANA, 8-2 Doubles:
No. 1 - Sandhya Subbiah/Anna Park, CENTENNIAL def. Jacie Owens/Myra Stevens, URBANA, 8-2
No. 2 - Grace Kahler/Yehyun Nam, CENTENNIAL def. Alisa Tangmunarunkit, /Matika Pounginjai, URBANA, 8-2
No. 3 - Nicole Vozovoy/Aastha Patel, CENTENNIAL def. Zoe Johnson/Grace Coady, URBANA, 8-0

SJO golf finishes second at triangle

Jacob Kern, McGwire Atwood, Maddux Carter and Logan Smith combined for a four-man total of 181 strokes leading the St. Joseph-Ogden (7-1) golf team to a second-place finish in a three-school competition between Monticello and Rantoul-Paxton-Buckley-Loda varsity golf contingents.

Monticello finished first with 160 and Rantoul in third with 190 strokes.

Kern led the Spartans with 46 strokes on the Par 36 back nine at Willowbrook Golf Course. Atwood finished one stroke behind him with 47. Carter and Smith rounded out the top four scores with 43 and 45 respectively. Jack Robertson finished the course with 51 strokes and Talan Miller with 57.

SJO's Connor Hale shot a 59 and Tyler Buss 56 as varsity extras on Thursday.

St. Joseph-Ogden's Kelsey Martlage puts the ball back over the net during the Spartans' road match at Urbana on August 31. After winning that match, Martlage with partner Hope Rajlich defeated Watseka's Ashton Peters/Baler Rigsby 8-2 on Thursday.(Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Dow notches four straight wins

After a win-less first season in 2020, the St. Joseph-Ogden tennis program picked up its third team victory after rolling over Watseka on the road, 7-2.

SJO dusted up the doubles courts taking all three matches and picked up four wins in singles to improve their team record to 3-2 on the season.

Abbey Dow picked up another win at #1 singles besting the Warriors' Ashton Peters, 8-4. The Spartan now boasts four straight wins in singles competition.

Box Score -

Singles:
No. 1 - Abbey Dow, SJO def. Ashton Peters, WATSEKA, 8-4
No. 2 - Emma Simons, WATSEKA def. Allison Kearney, SJO, 8-6
No. 3 - Ava Swartz, WATSEKA, def. Ashlyn Lannert, SJO, 8-4
No. 4 - Claire Huffman, SJO def. Moriah Pueschell, WATSEKA, 8-1
No. 5 - Grace Schmitz, SJO def. Sarah Parsons, WATSEKA, 8-4
No. 6 - Olivia Getty, SJO def. Tiffany Zhao, WATSEKA, 8-6

Doubles:
No. 1 - Hope Rajlich/Kelsey Martlage, SJO def. Ashton Peters/Baler Rigsby, WATSEKA, 8-2
No. 2 - Abby Behrens/Jacey Lewis, SJO def. Emma Simons/Ava Swartz, WATSEKA, 8-6
No. 3 - Katie McDermott/Emma Rydell, SJO def. Moriah Pueschell/Sarah Parsons, WATSEKA, 8-4

Uni outlasts Monticello

Arjun Kala had six saves in Uni-High's 3-2 win over Monticello at home on Thursday.

Noah La Nave had a hand ... er, leg in all three Illinek scores with his first coming via a pass from junior Teo Chemla 13 minutes after Monticello scored their first goal of the game.

Early in the second half, La Nave delivered a righteous pass for Arya Thirodira to sink the go-ahead score. The lead was short-lived as Monticello scored on a penalty kick near the halfway mark in the final half to tie the affair at two-all.

La Nave and Chemla teamed up again for the game-winner 70 minutes into the match for the final goal of the non-conference dual.

Box Score -

First half: Monticello, Noah La Nave (Teo Chemla)

Second Half: Arya Thirodira (Noah La Nave), Monticello, Noah La Nave (Teo Chemla)

SJO volleyball remains unbeaten

The SJO volleyball squad improved to 6-0 on the season after powering past visiting Teutopolis 25-20, 25-10 at home, originally scheduled to be played in T-town, on Thursday.

Becca Steinbach tallied 12 assists and senior Hannah Fox stood out defensively with seven digs on the Spartans home court.

Kennedi Burnett delivered five aces and pounded six kills in the rout. The veteran senior also had six digs.

Next week, the St. Joseph-Ogden volleyball team hosts Champaign Central on Tuesday, September 7, and Oakwood a day later on September 8.

Prep Sports Notebook: SJO soccer wins with buzzer beater

Spartan tennis earns first dual win

Head coach Kevin Martlage and the St. Joseph-Ogden girls tennis team pose for a photo after their dual match of the season on the road against Urbana on Tuesday. The two teams will square off again on August 31. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Urbana, IL - It was a hot time at Blair Park for the St. Joseph-Ogden and Urbana girls' tennis match on Tuesday. Despite a reported heat index of 106º, the two teams battled in the blazing heat with the upstart area program from SJO winning the dual match, 6-3.

Claire Huffman at #1, Abby Dow on the #2 singles court and Ashlyn Lannert on court 6 secured victories in their singles matches. Hope Rajlich and Kelsey Martlage paired up to win at #1 doubles. Meanwhile, Allison Kearney and Angie Chahine held off Urbana duo Eisla Madigan and Myra Stevens at #2 doubles. The Spartans also came out on top on the #3 doubles court with a victory by Katie McDermott and her partner Jacey Lewis.

The Tigers' won three single points with dominating performances from veteran Myra Stevens, Eisla Madigan and Alisa Tangmunarunkit.

Match results:

No. 1 - Claire Huffman, SJO def. Hannah Null, URBANA, 8-3
No. 2 - Abbey Dow, SJO def. Jacie Owens, URBANA, 8-6
No. 3 - Myra Stevens, URBANA def. Grace Schmitz, SJO, 8-1
No. 4 - Eisla Madigan, URBANA def. Ella Armstrong, SJO, 8-0
No. 4 - Alisa Tangmunarunkit, URBANA def. Abby Behrens, SJO, 8-3
No. 6 - Ashlyn Lannert, SJO def. Matika Pounginjai, URBANA, 8-1

No. 1 Doubles:
Hope Rajlich/Kelsey Martlage, SJO def. Hannah Null/Jacie Owens, URBANA, 8-6

No. 2 Doubles:
Allison Kearney/Angie Chahine, SJO def. Myra Stevens/Eisla Madigan, URBANA, 8-4

No. 3 Doubles:
Katie McDermott/Jacey Lewis- SJO def. Matika Pounginjai/Alisa Tangmunarunkit, URBANA, 8-6

Wilson lifts Spartans with buzzer beater

St. Joseph, IL - With the score locked at two-all in the second half, sophomore Spencer Wilson scored his second goal of the contest with .2 seconds left on the clock to give the St. Joseph-Ogden soccer team a 3-2 advantage for win #2 of the season.

While goalkeeper Hunter Ketchum kept the visiting Argenta-Oreana shots out of the goal during the first half, SJO teammate Jackson Greer scored the first goal of the game on an assist from Will Page.

In the final half of SJO's home game, Greer fed Wilson the ball for the first of four second-half goals. The Bombers' Rylan Lawson and Landon Lawson added one goal apiece to later tie the score before Wilson spared both teams from a shootout.

Ketchum tallied eight saves for the Spartans.

Next up for Ketchum and Co., SJO will host Urbana University High on Thursday at 4:30p.

Missed opportunities sink Rockets

Tolono, IL - Fielding an inexperienced contingent this fall, the Unity soccer team opened their season with a 4-2 loss to visiting St. Teresa on Tuesday.

Nolan Remole, with the assistance of senior Grace Brock, nailed the Rockets' first goal of the season in the second half. Freshman Teaguen Williams added the team's second score after the Bulldogs clawed their way to a 3-1 lead.

"We gave up a PK and also did not score on a PK. Those slight differences can make a huge difference in the box score," said head coach Unity Michel Stringer. "As far as in the moment I thought that they played well."

Sophomore Mason Davis had eight saves while guarding the net for Unity.

"Our offensive is young, and for those who scored this was their first high school game so it is understandable that it took them a half to shake off the nerves and find the net," added Stringer.

The Rockets' next three matches are all at home on their new turf field. Unity starts the three-game homestand with Argenta-Oreana at 10a on Saturday. Two days later on Monday, the program hosts Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond at 4:30p. Unity fans' last chance to catch the team at home until September 11 will be on Thursday, September 2 in a match against Meridian, also starting at 4:30p.

Prep Sports Notebook: Burnett tallies 4 aces, Urbana tennis nips Watseka

SJO's Kern, Carter top two at golf

In a triangle match with Tri-Valley and Fisher, the SJO golf team finished in first place with 180 points after the nine-hole competition at Indian Springs in Saybrook.

Jacob Kern shot a match-best of 40 strokes to lead the field on Thursday. Maddux Carter finished in second place with a 43 on the par-36 course.

McGwire Atwood (46), Logan Smith (51), Jack Robertson (50) and Andrew Beyers (64) contributed to the Spartans' ninth win of the season.

Uni-High blanks Arthur Christian

Teo Chemla collected a hattrick to help the Illineks roll over the Conquering Raiders, 7-1. The junior standout was also credited with two assists.

Uni-High scored five goals in the first half. Luca Zepeda-Flores, Henry Wang and Arya Thirodira put the ball between the posts along with Chemla's first two in the first 45 minute period. Noah La Nave (2 assists) added another goal at the 51-minute mark before the final score by Chemla.

Uni keeper Arjun Kala made six saves.

St. Joseph-Ogden tennis falls at Centennial, 9-0

The Spartan tennis team dropped all nine matches on the road against Champaign Centennial on Thursday. Doubles duo Hope Rajlich and Kelsey Martlage made a valiant effort for SJO at number one doubles against the Chargers' Sandhya Subbiah and Grace Kahler. Katie McDermott and Emma Rydell also made a strong showing for the Spartans at number three doubles.

Box Score:

Singles:
No. 1 - Sandhya Subbiah, CENTENNIAL def. Abbey Dow, SJO, 8-1
No. 2 - Anna Park, CENTENNIAL def. Claire Huffman, SJO, 8-1
No. 3 - Grace Kahler, CENTENNIAL def. Grace Schmitz, SJO, 8-1
No. 4 - Yehyun Nam, CENTENNIAL def. Ashlyn Lannert, SJO, 8-1
No. 5 - Aastha Patel, CENTENNIAL def. Allison Kearney, SJO, 8-4
No. 6 - Sofia Hartmann, CENTENNIAL def. Ella Armstrong, SJO, 8-6

Doubles:
No. 1 - Sandhya Subbiah/Grace Kahler, CENTENNIAL def. Hope Rajlich/Kelsey Martlage, SJO, 8-4
No. 2 - Yehyun Nam/Anna Park, CENTENNIAL def. Jacey Lewis/Abby Behrens, SJO, 8-2
No. 3 - Kayleigh Cox/Tammy Marinichev, CENTENNIAL def. Katie McDermott/Emma Rydell, SJO, 8-5

Spartans rebound from loss

After dropping a dramatic three-setter to visiting Champaign Central 2-1 on Tuesday evening, the St. Joseph-Ogden volleyball team cruised past the Oakwood volleyball team, 25-7, 25-6 on Wednesday evening.

Addie Roesch led the Spartan attack with eight kills. Senior Kennedi Burnett pounded four aces and seven kills against the visiting Comets.

SJO got 10 digs from senior Hannah Fox. Burnett was also credited with 10 digs, Roesch with two, and setter Becca Steinbach, who had 18 assists, tallied six digs.

The Spartans host Hoopeston Area on Monday, and Danville High School on Wednesday next week.

Brown scores five goals for Cornjerkers

Hoopeston Area senior Ben Brown scored all five goals in his team's 5-0 shutout against Bismarck-Henning.

Hoopeston hosts the Conrnjerker Classic featuring teams from Monticello, Iroquois West, Grant Park, Bloomington Central Catholic, Oakwood-Salt Fork, and St. Joseph-Ogden. The championship and third-place games will start at 4:00p on Saturday.

Unity soccer team suffers Labor Day loss

The Urbana girls tennis team picked up another team win on the road at Watseka yesterday after a 6-3 decision.

Matika Pounginjai, Alisa Tangmunarunkit, Eisla Madigan, and Ashton Peters won their varsity singles matches against the Warriors' top players.

Box Score:

Singles:
No. 1 - Ashton Peters, WATSEKA def. Myra Stevens, URBANA, 8-3
No. 2 - Jacie Owens, URBANA def. Emma Simons, WATSEKA, 8-5
No. 3 - Eisla Madigan, URBANA def. Baler Rigsby, WATSEKA, 9-7
No. 4 - Ava Swartz, WATSEKA def. Hannah Null, URBANA, 8-6
No. 5 - Alisa Tangmunarunkit, URBANA def. Moriah Pueschell, WATSEKA, 8-2
No. 6 - Matika Pounginjai, URBANA def. Tiffany Zhao, WATSEKA, 8-1
Doubles: No. 1 - Hannah Null/Jacie Owens, URBANA def. Ashton Peters/Baler Rigsby, WATSEKA, 8-4
No. 2 - Emma Simons/Ava Swartz, WATSEKA def. Eisla Madigan/Myra Stevens, URBANA, 9-8 (5)
No. 3 - Alisa Tangmunarunkit/Matika Pounginjai, URBANA def. Moriah Pueschell/Tiffany Zhao, WATSEKA, 8-4

Unity falls to Judah Christian

The Unity soccer team fell 8-2 on the road to Judah Christian on Thursday.

Nolan Romole and Teaguen Williams scored one goal each, but it was enough to hold off the Lions, who scored six unanswered goals in the second half of the non-conference contest.

Tigers tennis duos set to face first-round opponents today

Members of the Urbana High School tennis will be competing at the IHSA Girls Tennis State Finals today at Buffalo Grove and other surrounding high school sites. Doubles pair Lorilei Yau, Eisla Madigan, head coach Parker Sands, assistant coach Jeff Unger, and the doubles team of Luna Morales and Alisa Tangmunarunkit will represent the Tigers at the season finale event.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

BUFFALO GROVE - There's nothing like competing against the best athletes in the state. Urbana's #1 and #2 doubles pairs will put their training and mental stamina put to the test when they take the court in Day 1 competition at the Illinois High School Association's Girls Tennis State Final.

Tigers Alisa Tangmunarunkit and Luna Morales play their opening match against Sycamore's Jetta Weaver and Madyson Block at Schaumburg High School. Tangmunarunkit and Morales won the Danville championship title on Monday and later celebrated their Senior Night before spending Tuesday and Wednesday preparing for today's match.

Meanwhile, teammates Lorelie Yau and Eisla Madigan, also seniors, will begin their tournament play at Schaumburg High School, three and half miles away. Yau and Madigan, who finished fourth in the sectionals, will face Benet Academy duo Shane Delaney and Clare Lopatka.

After making her first tournament appearance last fall unseeded, University High's Kruthi Ramanath hard work and offseason work delivered dividends by way of a #3-4 seed into this year's Class 1A singles bracket. The sophomore will face Sacred Heart-Griffin senior Mary Kate Christie.

In her freshman-year foray into the IHSA tennis postseason, Ramanath won her first match over Illinois Math and Science Academy's Josie Kim, 6-0, 6-2. Advancing to the next round, she played admirably but ultimately eliminated from the bracket after a 6-3, 6-4 loss to then senior Savannah Web from Richmond-Burton.

State qualified: Urbana and Uni-High tennis players advance to state tennis tournament

Due to rain on Saturday and the lack of indoor court availability, the fate of two Urbana's doubles pairs was settled at Danville High School tennis sectional on Monday. While both qualified for state after serving their way into the semifinal round, all that was left was determing the third-place winners and this year's sectional champions.

Urbana tennis team ready to face all challengers this fall

"We are striving to be the most-improved team from day one until the end of the season," said Tigers' head coach Parker Sands on Tuesday during the team's second day of practice. Rain on Monday forced his first practice indoors to kick off his fifth season at the helm of the program. "We have already started practicing and giving our ..."

Winning style; Urbana sweeps SJO in first home match of the season

Alisa Tangmunarunkit plays tennis match for Urbana High School

Urbana's Alisa Tangmunarunkit lines up a shot while playing on the #1 singles court against St. Joseph-Ogden's Abbey Dowell during the team's first home match yesterday. Tangmunarunkit won the protracted battle 6-2, 6-3. After a short rest, she returned to the court at #1 doubles match with partner Luna Morales. The pair defeated Spartans duo Katie McDermott and Lilly Rice, 6-1, 6-1. The Tigers won the non-conference match, 9-0.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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State qualified: Urbana and Uni-High tennis players advance to state tennis tournament

DANVILLE - Due to rain on Saturday and the lack of indoor court availability, the fate of two Urbana's doubles pairs was settled at Danville High School tennis sectional on Monday. While both qualified for state after serving their way into the semifinal round, all that was left was determing the third-place winners and this year's sectional champions.

Tigers' Alisa Tangmunarunkit and Luna Morales, both sectional qualifiers from the previous season, decisively settled who were the best double pair in the title match with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Mahomet-Seymour seniors Savannah Amatyleon and Emily Young, who also advanced to the state tournament this weekend in Hoffman Estates.

"I am so excited. I didn't think this would have happened," said Morales. "I am really excited to go!"

Luna Morales plays in Urbana's home tennis match against Centennial in August. Morales and three other players from this year's tennis squad will compete at the IHSA state tournament this weekend.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

She and Tangmunarunkit were the #1 seeds in the Class 1A sectional. The pair won all four of their matches in straight sets.

Morales said their semifinal match against the #4 seeds Adella Bird and Holland Martin, from Mahomet-Seymour, was the most stressful.

"Honestly, that was our most nerve-racking match. We really wanted the sectional championship," Morales explained. Winning that match was step one in the plan to achieve that goal, but it wasn't easy mentally. "We were really in our heads."

She said the great thing about her and Tangmunarunkit playing together is they can adjust mentally and prevail when the numbers on the scoreboard are not in their favor.

"Even if we start losing, we are like, 'We want this'. We are able to get into the mindset soon enough to save it (the match) before it is too late."

Also representing the Tigers at state will be Eisla Madigan and Lorelie Yau. The duo lost to Amatyleon/Young in their semifinal, 6-0, 6-4, advancing to the third-place match, where they faced another set of Bulldog players.

After a nailbiting first set that finished 7-6, Madigan and Yau, the third seeds in the tournament, fell 6-0 in the second set, taking fourth place.

"All of my girls who played at sectionals played amazing," said Urbana head coach Parker Sands. "Everybody knew what was on the line, and everybody wanted to get to state. I think there was a little bit of nerves at first, but all the players settled down and played their game."

With the season a week from being over, Sands, who took over the program in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic, notched three memorable coaching milestones this season.

"It feels absolutely amazing," he said, describing his program's accomplishment at sectionals and the first milestone. "This is my first foray taking girls to state, so I'm really excited about that."

His second milestone? This year is the most entries he will accompany to the state tournament in any season since taking over the head coaching position for both the girls and boys program. Sands has had either a singles player or a doubles pair qualify for state with the boys program, but never more than a single entry.

It will also be his first season coaching four-year players like Tangmunarunkit and Madigan who came into the program his first season.

"It's my first graduating class that I've gotten to see all four years, which is very special," said Sands, who also teaches at Urbana Middle School. "I have known some of these girls since they were in sixth grade. Knowing a person for seven years and getting to see them develop into people who are going to change the world is really exciting."

Uni's Ramanath advances to state in singles

University High's top player, Kruthi Ramanath went 4-0 in her run to the sectional singles title. The #1 seed, Ramanath defeated Danville's Anna Houpt with ease in the title match, 6-3, 6-1.

The sophomore dropped three sets in her first three matches combined. Ramanath rolled over Paris' Ava Barrett in their second-round match, 6-0, 6-0. She went on to double bagel Mahomet-Seymour's Emmie Flores in their quarter-final bout.

Before taking the court against Houpt, Ramanath was tested by Danville's Reese Rundle. She defeated the Vikings #3 seed, 6-2, 6-1.

All five players will start their state title runs on Thursday at the IHSA Girls Tennis State Finals in Buffalo Grove High School.

Prep Sports Notebook: Urbana falls in Thursday tennis, SJO wins

Madigan, Poungingal pick up victories

Eisla Madigan and Matika Pounginjai were the only two Urbana players to post wins in the singles competition in the Tigers dual match against Danville. After five singles and a pair of doubles matches, UHS fell 5-2 to the Vikings at the Danville Tennis Center on Thursday.

Madigan defeated Vikings' Lexi Foley 8-2 at #4 singles and Pounginjai won by default on the #5 court.

The Tigers return to competition next Thursday, September 30, to host Mahomet-Seymour at Blair Park.

Match Results:

Singles:
No. 1 - Lexi Ellis, DANVILLE def. Myra Stevens, URBANA, 8-0
No. 2 - Ava Towne, DANVILLE def. Hannah Null, URBANA, 8-0
No. 3 - Hannah Schroeder, DANVILLE def. Alisa Tangmunarunkit, URBANA, 4-8
No. 4 - Eisla Madigan, URBANA def. Lexi Foley, DANVILLE, 8-2
No. 5 - Matika Pounginjai, URBANA def. N/A, 2-0

Doubles:
No. 1 - Lexi Ellis/Lexi Foley, DANVILLE def. Hannah Null/Eisla Madigan, URBANA, 6-3 , 6-4
No. 2 - Ava Towne/Hannah Schroeder, DANVILLE def. Matika Pounginjai/Alisa Tangmunarunkit, URBANA, 6-0 , 6-0

Spartan win road match at GCMS

Abbey Dow and Claire Huffman won their matches on the singles courts to give St. Joseph-Ogden a 2-0 lead to start the team's final road match of the season. Double duos Abby Behrens & Hope Rajlich and Katie McDermott & Emma Rydell brought home wins to give the Spartans a 4-1 victory on Thursday.

SJO will play their final three regular-season contests at home starting next Wednesday when they host St. Teresa. The team will then close out the year with back to matches with Maroa-Forsyth on October 11 and Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley in the finale on Tuesday, October 12.

Match Results:

Singles:
No. 1 - Abbey Dow, SJO def. Katie Steidinger, Gibson-City Melvin Sibley High School (GCMS), 8-7
No. 2 - Claire Huffman, SJO def. Audrey Iverson, Gibson-City Melvin Sibley High School (GCMS), 8-0

Doubles:
No. 1 - London Hixson/Lexi Darbutt, GCMS def. Jacey Lewis/Kelsey Martlage, SJO, 8-7
No. 2 - Abby Behrens/Hope Rajlich, SJO def. Syda Schlickman/McKenna Crowley, GCMS, 8-0
No. 3 - Katie McDermott/Emma Rydell, SJO def. Emily Hood/Kadence Crowley, GCMS, 8-3

Prep Sports Notebook: SJO soccer post shutout on the road, Unity VB drops tough one

Unity soccer team notches first win

Nolan Remole scored Unity's first goal of the season in the first half of the team's road opener at St. Teresa. The sophomore later added an assist to his stats to help the Rockets roll over the host Bulldogs, 7-1.

Junior Gabe Pound followed up with two goals in the half, one with the help of Remole and the second unassisted. He later put the final nail in the Bulldog coffin in the second period on an assist from another sophomore, Nolan Wishall.

Two other Rocket ballers found the net in the second half as well. Brendan Bachert booted in an unassisted goal, and Andrew Mowrer took advantage of a pass from Travis McCarter to give their team a commanding 6-1 lead.

Valencia-Chavez scored St. Teresa's only goal in the second half.

Tigers sweep SJO tennis

The Urbana girls tennis program picked up their first dual match victory of the season via a 9-0 shutout over fledgling St. Joseph-Ogden program late Tuesday afternoon.

The Tigers' top six players - Alisa Tangmunarunkit, Matika Pounginjai, Eisla Madigan, Luna Morales, Halie Thompson, and Lorelie Yau - won both their singles matches and respective double bouts against the Spartans.

On the top court at #1 singles, senior Abbey Dow was the only SJO player to win three games in a set. Despite her strong serving effort and offensive play, she fell 6-2, 6-3 to Urbana's Alisa Tangmunarunkit.

Greer leads SJO in Argenta-Oreana shutout

The St. Joseph-Ogden soccer team improved to 1-0-1 on the season after a 3-0 blanking on the road at Argenta-Orena. After a scoreless first half, Jackson Greer put two balls between the posts to give the Spartans a 2-0 lead.

Ryker Lockhart booked his second goal of his inaugural season with SJO thanks to a feed from Aiden Cromwell to close out the scoring effort for both teams. Cromwell was also credited with an assist on Greer's first goal and sophomore Logan Mills earned the assist on the second.

Hunter Ketchum made nine saves protecting the Spartan goal.

Rockets' volleyball squad drops non-con at LeRoy

The Unity volleyball team suffered a road loss at LeRoy in a gritty two-setter on Tuesday evening. The Panthers prevailed besting the Rockets 32-30, 25-23.

Attention area high school coaches

We need your help covering your team this fall to help keep fans, college recruiters, and area readers informed. Please send us your game or meet results for our Prep Sports Notebook and weekly stats leaders for our All-Area team selection after the conclusion of the season.

If you are a coach at Unity, Urbana Uni-High, Urbana High School or St. Joseph-Ogden, the best way to send us box scores, statistical leaders for each game, and other info via email to sports@oursentinel.com or editor@oursentinel.com.

Do you have a player on the verge of breaking a school record, signing an LOI, or have a story idea? Don't hesitate to email us.

Pounginjai-Madigan duo wins doubles match for Urbana

Urbana's Luna Morales makes a volley near the net during her team's home varsity match against visiting St. Joseph-Ogden on Tuesday. Two days later, she picked up a second singles win during the week after knocking off Paris' Claire Maschino 6-2, 7-6(4). See more photos from the SJO match ... (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Urbana -- Up 4-2 in the second set, UHS' Matika Pounginjai and Eisla Madigan varsity double match against Paris' Claire Young and Bella Moreschi ended much earlier than anticipated. A brief rain storm sent players scrambling for cover and put the kabash on the finishing the last contest of the day. The outcome on the Urbana Park District's newly renovated courts was already sealed in Paris' favor 5-4, after three singles wins and a pair of victories on the top two doubles courts.

Also securing wins for the Urbana's Tigers were Luna Morales at #4 singles, Halie Thompson at #5, and Lorelie Yau on the #6 court.

Box Score:

PARIS HIGH SCHOOL 5 - URBANA HIGH SCHOOL 4

Singles:
No. 1 - Lily Graham, PARIS def. Alisa Tangmunarunkit, URBANA, 6-4, 6-0
No. 2 - Kimber Calvert, PARIS def. Matika Pounginjai, URBANA, 6-0, 6-0
No. 3 - Lily Smittkamp, PARIS def. Eisla Madigan, URBANA, 6-3, 6-2
No. 4 - Luna Morales, URBANA def. Claire Maschino, PARIS, 6-2, 7-6 (4)
No. 5 - Halie Thompson, URBANA def. Claire Young, PARIS, 6-2, 7-6 (6)
No. 6 - Lorelie Yau, URBANA def. Bella Moreschi, PARIS, 6-2, 6-1

Doubles:
No. 1 - Lily Graham - Kimber Calvert, PARIS def. Alisa Tangmunarunkit - Luna Morales, URBANA, 6-1 , 6-0
No. 2 - Lily Smittkamp - Claire Maschino, PARIS def. Halie Thompson - Lorelie Yau, URBANA, 6-3 , 6-3
No. 3 - Matika Pounginjai - Eisla Madigan, URBANA def. Claire Young - Bella Moreschi, PARIS, 7-6 (4), 4-2

Five Urbana players looking for a spot in the tennis state finals

DANVILLE - After the first day of competition at the Danville High School sectional, five area tennis players are in position to earn a spot in this year's IHSA Tennis State Finals.

Both of Urbana High School's doubles pairs advanced to the semifinal round on Friday.

Alisa Tangmunarunkit and Luna Morales, who earned the #1 seed, won both first-day matches in straight sets. The duo notched their first win 6-0, 7-6, over Watseka's Moriah Pueschell and Sarah Parsons. The two seniors then crushed Paris' Bella Moreschi and Myah Bartos, 6-1, 6-3.

Urbana's Lorelie Yau puts the ball away at the net during a doubles match against Centennial on August 30 at the beginning of the season. The senior, along with doubles partner Eisla Madigan (not pictured), won their first two matches at the Danville Tennis sectional on Friday. A semifinal win Saturday morning will guarantee a trip to the IHSA Tennis State Finals in Barrington next week.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Meanwhile, Tigers' teammates Lorelie Yau and Eisla Madigan, who also won their quarterfinal bout, defeated Emerson Barrett and Graci Watson in the quarterfinals, 7-5, 6-3. Yau and Madigan will face Mahomet-Seymours Savannah Amatyleon and Emily Young on Saturday, hoping to punch their ticket to the sectional title match.

Saturday, Tangmunarunkit and Morales take the court against Mahomet-Seymour's Adella Bird and Holland Martin, who are the #4 seed and have dropped just three out of 27 of their sectional tournament games.

Still alive in the singles bracket, University High's Kruthi Ramanath will play #3 seed Reese Rundle from Danville in a semifinal match. Ramanath served notice to all challengers, double bageling Paris' Ava Barrett in her second-round match and doing the same in the quarterfinal to Mahomet-Seymour's Emmie Flores.

Season ends for many talented players

Tiger's Grace Cody enjoyed a first-round bye in the singles bracket. Unfortunately, she ran into the #2 seed in her second-round match, falling quickly in straight sets, 6-0, 6-0, to Vikings' Anna Houpt.

After winning her first match decisively, 6-0, 6-0, St. Joseph-Ogden senior Addison Seggebruch's prep tennis career came to a close after she fell 1 & 1 to Schlarman's Maya Jenny.

University High's Charlotte Lin started out on fire, cruising past Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley's Audrey Iverson in straight sets in her opening match, 6-1, 6-1. In her next match, Lin fell to Schlarman's Jenny, 6-0, 6-0, to the Hilltoppers' #4 seed.

Urbana's Alicia Garcia went 1-1 on opening day. She won her first-rounder over Schlarman's Anna Lehman, 6-1, 6-0. Her second-round match didn't go her way. Unable to notch a single game, she fell to Danville's Reese Rundle, 0 & 0.

Addison Ross' second-round match against Mahomet-Seymour's Emmie Flores was the only contest requiring a third set and a set tie-breaker to determine who advanced to the next round. After losing the first set, 6-3, Ross battled furiously to take the second set of the match 6-1. The St. Joseph-Ogden sophomore was narrowly defeated in the third set, falling 7-6 to Flores.

Doubles duo finished for the season

St. Joseph-Ogden sophomore duo Lily Rice and Caroline Aden fell 6-2, 6-1, to Mahomet-Seymour's Savannah Amatyleon and Emily Young.

Like Rice and Aden, SJO juniors Ellie Ward and MaKennah Hamilton saw their season end in the second round. After winning their opening match 6-0, 6-1, the pair lost a heartbreaker 7-6, 7-6, to Danville's Lexi Foley and Aliya Morgan.

Urbana tennis team ready to face all challengers this fall

Urbana senior Lorelei Yau practices her backhand groundstroke during the Tigers' second practice of the season. The program looks to improve on last year's success and has its sights set on sending several players to state this fall.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

URBANA - The Urbana High School girls' tennis team hopes to become the most-improved program in the Big 12 Conference this fall. The Tigers will take the first step toward that goal next Saturday at the multi-team Charger Invite.

Alisa Tangmunarunkit, UHS' top singles player, returns to the team as captain this fall. As a junior last fall, she went 2-1 at the Centennial sectional tournament in the singles division.

After plowing by Centennial's Yehyun Nam in straight sets, 6-2, 7-6, for her first victory, Tangmunarunkit outlasted Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley's Katie Steidinger in thrilling three-set affair, 6 - 3, 5 - 7, 6 - 2, for another win. Her singles season came to a close via a two-set shutout loss to 5th-seed CiCi Brown from Danville.

Seniors Eisla Madigan, Luna Morales, and Lorelei Yau also return to the lineup. All three were sectional finalist in 2022.

Lurking underneath their seemingly laid back disposition and genuine smiles is a intense competitive drive to reckoned with.

Luna Morales and Lorelei Yau run during tennis practice

Lorelei Yau (left) and fellow senior Luna Morales jog side-by-side in a friendly race during the Tigers' conditioning practice on Tuesday at Blair Park.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Morales doesn't hide her aggressive play on the court. When she plays, the need to win runs courses through her veins.

"I feel like that is one of my strenghts," she said. "I am a very offensive player. I like playing at the net. I like serving. I typically push people to be more aggressive like me."

Madigan, the squad's only four-year veteran, says her service game is one of her strenths.

"When it's good, it is real good. When it is good, it is an ace."

Groundstrokes are her other weapon, and like all superheroes, she has an Achilles' heel.

"I have pretty powerful strokes," she said confidently. "But, if I can't make it to a ball, I can't make it to the ball. I try. It is just like, if there's a ball on the other side of the court, I'm not making it all the way over there."

Top left: Urbana head coach Parker Sands leads the team in a conditioning exercise with one lap around Blair Park. Top right: Grace Coady works on fine-tuning her backhand shot during the three-hour practice on Tuesday. Click on thumbnails to view a larger photo.

Photos: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Bottom left:Tigers' senior Nourseen Ismail hits the ball back over the net during a practice drill. Bottom center: Head coach Parker Sands goes over the morning practice plan with players. With the players' help, the fifth-year head coach is building new culture for the program. Bottom right: Zoe Johnson puts in the extra effort to run forward and hit a low ball during an intense drill session. Sands expects Johnson, also a senior, to have a breakout season this fall.

Yau, starting her second year of competitive tennis, switched from volleyball to be with her friends on the team. The most challenging ingredient of the sport for her is the psychological approach a player needs to have to be successful.

"Tennis is really mental, and I get in my head a lot." "But that is something that I'm working on. You always have to work on that."

The Tigers open their duo match season hosting St. Joseph-Ogden on Tuesday, August 22, at Blair Park. The Spartans currently boast a roster of 29 players.

After a road match in Paris, UHS will enjoy three back-to-back contest at home, starting with a rematch with SJO on August 29. A day later, Sands' squad takes on twin city rival Centennial. After the Labor Day weekend, Urbana will welcome another twin city school, St. Thomas More.

"We have tough opponents up and down the line with great opponents," Sands said, going through the long list of programs that have dominated the conference. "Every team in the conference is going to give us a challenge. We've got to really strive to improve and come into every match with the mindset that we're here to play.

"We're going to be tested every single week."

Your guide to playing outdoor tennis in the Midwest this winter

The simplest approach to winterizing your gear for playing outdoors in cooler temperatures is changing to a different string and playing with lower string tension.

Photo: Chino Rocha/Unsplash

Urbana - This winter, climatologists predicted an El Niño weather pattern for the Midwest. Usually means above-average temperatures and dryer, below-normal precipitation. The weather the last four days in Champaign-Urbana has turned cooler, wetter, and even windier than anticipated. Fortunately, daytime highs are supposed to return to the 50s and low 60s by this weekend, which is good news for many tennis players in Champaign-Urbana.

According to weather experts, winter shouldn't look this in Champaign-Urbana this season.

Photo: Jonas Vandermeiren/Unsplash

Reserving indoor court time at Atkins Tennis Center or the park district's Dodds Tennis Center after work or a day of classes can be nearly impossible some evenings and on the weekends. A milder winter season means tennis players can play outdoors and avoid the hassle of scheduling indoor court time and the associated costs.

Playing tennis when the temperatures dip below the 50º mark is not nearly as bad as you might think. Once you start focusing on hitting the ball and winning points, and your body temperature rises from the exercise it loves, you will forget about being cold.

Here are a few tips for playing cold-weather tennis:

1. Level up to playing outdoors by layering up.

A long-sleeve dry-fit top, a t-shirt, and medium weight sweatshirt will probably keep the upper part of your body sufficiently warm when the air temperature is in the mid to upper 40s while playing. You can add or remove layers as suit your personal comfort needs. Shorts, coupled with either running pants or traditional sweatpants, should keep you warm enough for singles play. Add another layer by wearing Dry-Fit leggings under sweats or joggers.

Don't forget to wear a hat. We lose 50% of our body heat from our head and neck region. Neck gaitors can be pretty effective in keeping your body feeling warm on a chilly day, too.

2. Adjust your grip

When the temperature dips below the mid-40s (and for some of us below the mid-50s), you'll probably want to wear gloves. If you plan to play outdoors regularly in cooler temperatures, consider buying a second or third racquet and set it up - more on that later - exclusively for outdoor use. Depending on the gloves' thickness, consider removing the overgrip and/or grip so you can feel edge of the bevels on your racquet's handle. This will also keep you from having to grip the racquet tighter in order to maintain control of it.

Between points and on changeovers, keep your hands warm by sticking your hands in your pockets. Tennis tends to be just as much a social activity as competitive. Warm up those fingers while chatting up you opponent or doubles partner.

Another hack, this one borrowed from the NFL players who play in extremely-cold temperatures, is to rub hands and exposed skin with vaseline or a product called Warm Skin.

"The idea [is] that it closes the pores a little bit and gives you a little bit more protection from the elements," is what Dr. Samuel Taylor, sports medicine surgeon at the Hospital for Special Surgery and associate team physician for the New York Giants, told AccuWeather reporter Ashley Williams.

3. String it up right

Ambient temperatures affects the rubber in balls, racquet stiffness, and the way strings feel when hitting the ball. As the temperature drops, the rubber on the tennis balls and plastic strings become stiffer, resulting in a boardy feel on impact. Playing with old balls and polyester strings with tensions in 50s or higher in 40º temperatures might feel more like baseball or cricket.

For a competitive outdoor match, start with a can of new balls for a better bounce. Extra heavy duty balls are an absolute must below 50º or so, regardless of the court surface, if your rely on kick serves to start your points.

Depending on the frame and its composition, your racquet feedback - the way the ball feels and the shock transmitted on impact with the ball - may feel almost foriegn. The loss in flexibility may translate to a loss of power and pace with some strokes. Players who need more power from their sticks can add more mass in the form of lead tape, starting conservatively at first, to increase the depth and penetration on their shots.

Illustration by Charly Gutmann/Pixabay

The simplest approach to winterizing your gear is changing to a different string and lower tensions.

Depending your style and level of play, you will want to have your stringer drop your string tension. Soft strings like natural gut, synthetic gut, and multifilament string don't require a huge drop in tension, maybe three to six pounds. Gut and multis strings are not as sensitive to temperature as their poly cousins.

Because of their inherit stiffness, drop polyester and co-poly string tensions by 10% as a starting point to maintain a somewhat familiar level of performance as a starting point for outdoor play when the thermometer dips below 60º or so, and go another 5% for every 10º below that. Individual mileage will vary depending on the string you are using. Ultimately, you will have to find a tension that works well with your style of play when playing in colder temperatures.

One caveat: Poly strings go "dead" - lose their elasticity - faster in colder temperatures, which sucks because most recreational players use poly for durability. Playing with stiffer balls and a firmer string bed can possibly lead to injury. Plan to string more often, maybe after every 10-15 hours of play to avoid wrist, elbow, or shoulder issues.

Otherwise, until temperatures migrate back toward the mid-60s, skip using polys for a few months so you can enjoy the game outdoor. For a softer, more responsive string bed, switch to a multifilament string like Tru Pro Triump, Wilson Sensation, or Technifiber's TGV. There are dozens of low-cost multis on the market that won't hurt your wallet or your arm.

4. Stay hydrated

A common misconception is you don't need to drink much water when it is cold out. That is further from the truth. Because cooler air is dryer, you won't notice the sweat as much and may not think you need to drink water. In reality, thanks to faster evaporation, additional layers of clothing, and increased water loss from breathing, you still need to plenty of fluids and electrolytes.

Playing tennis in colder temperatures can help improve your overall game by giving you the opportunity to improve your game by playing tougher shots like drop shots and low-bouncing balls that skid across the court when it is colder. Winter tennis is a great way to improve footwork and anticipation skills for the next warm-weather season.

Image by Lars/Pixabay

Chapped lips, lower endurance when playing long points, and mental fatigue are sure signs you need a sip or two of water during changeovers.

Better yet, take one out of the NFL playbook and bring a thermos of warm chicken broth or hot chocolate for hydration and warming up the body.

Veteran tip: If you are playing when the air temperature is at or below freezing, bring a wide-mouthed bottle to the court with you and set it upside down so ice will form at the bottom of the bottle and allow you to flip it over and drink. The insulated water bottles and jugs you used all summer will work well, too.

5. Change up your style of play

A lot of tennis players don't like cold-weather tennis because it is more physically challenging. Toward the end of October in central Illinois, the sun is lower on the south horizon, and there is always a light to steady breeze out of the northwest, making it more challenging to serve and track the ball during rallies.

The cooler ambient air drops the air pressure inside balls and makes the rubber under the fuzz harder, making the ball bounce lower than usual. Strong players capable of grinding from the baseline for seemingly hours and use heavy topspin to push opponents back tend not to enjoy chasing low balls and skidders inside the service line.

Net play coupled with drop shots, slices, and flat serves are the key to playing winning cold-weather tennis.

CU is a great place for tennis; 5 really good reasons why you want play, too

If you love tennis, then Champaign-Urbana is a great community to live in. With over 120 courts available, two well-maintained indoor facilities, and plenty of options for lessons and instruction, tennis is a fun sport for all ages to stay physically active, mentally sharp, and compete as a recreational player anywhere from a local level all the to way various national championships.

Tigers tennis duos set to face first-round opponents today

There's nothing like competing against the best athletes in the state. Urbana's #1 and #2 doubles pairs will put their training and mental stamina put to the test when they take the court in Day 1 competition at the Illinois High School Association's Girls Tennis State Final.

Tigers Alisa Tangmunarunkit and Luna Morales play their opening match against...