In Friday’s team semifinal match, the Mustangs closed out against Mathews, handily winning 5-0 before the #6 singles match had even finished its first set.  But on Saturday, the Mustangs took on Gate City, the winner of the last three State championships.  Gate City defeated Mason in the 2003 State finals for the first of those titles.  From the start of Saturday’s match, the Gate City team showed its strength in singles throughout the ladder.  Michelle Repper (#1), Eleanor Kang (#3), and juniors Anna Duning (#4) and Margaret Lipman (#6) all lost consecutive sets to their talented opponents.  But senior Maura Ehmer (#2) and junior Louise Robertson (#5) held out, each winning consecutive sets.

With the Mustangs’ score at 2-4, the Mustangs would need to win all three doubles matches to gain the title, while Gate City would only need to win one.  The Mustangs tried to battle back, but the Blue Devils were just as strong in doubles as they were in singles, and won the #2 doubles match before the other two could finish, giving them their fourth consecutive State title. 

Although the Mustangs failed to win the State championship, a feat they have not done since 1988, the players, as well as coaches Chris Madison and Lauren Luck,  were all visibly proud of how far they had come and how hard they had worked this season.  Although the Mustangs will lose graduating seniors Ehmer and Kang, top player Repper will be returning (hopefully for another three seasons!) along with the rest of the singles and doubles players.  And, as is fast becoming tradition, the girls’ disappointment was somewhat eased by the Mason boys’ third consecutive State tennis title for GM.