The Mount Vernon-Lisbon tennis squad picked up a win at the team-hosted Walnot event Friday, April 1.
The Walnot, named after coach Crystal Eskelsen’s predecessor, Winston Alnot, is a unique event in which 38 girls from four schools each get to play five 20 minute singles matches throughout the day. Each game scored a point for their team.
The girls took first place with 190 points, with Marion not far behind at 182. Maquoketa was third with 150, and West Dubuque, the final of four teams, finished with 131.
“This year the team race was a lot closer, and that kept everyone engaged and interested after each round of play, which was fun,” said Eskelsen, who credits Alnot as the reason she is a tennis coach herself. Previously, Eskelsen had been Alnot’s assistant in the program.
“The Mount Vernon girls who played in this tournament last year were ready to go, and the ones who were new to it learned so much over the course of the day,” Eskelsen said.
“The Walnot is unique in that there is no seeding, and they get the chance to play against all levels of opponents, sometimes surprising themselves with how well they fare against someone they thought was so much better than them,” said the coach.
The team was led by Cami Streicher, who won 37 games.
“Cami was her usual steady self and led the team in wins,” said Eskelsen, who added, “Every point mattered, it was a total team effort.”