MILWAUKEE - Lakeland College senior April Schmitz (Sheboygan, Wis.) and freshman Lynn Pipke (Greenfield, Wis.) have been named to the All-Northern Athletics Conference women's tennis doubles team for the 2012 season, as was announced by the conference Monday morning.
Schmitz and Pipke were one of six doubles teams to receive all-conference recognition. It marks the third straight year the Muskies have put at least one player on the All-NAC team after Nicole Shavlik was named all-conference in singles the past two years.
Schmitz and Pipke were Lakeland's No. 1 doubles team throughout the season and finished with an 8-4 record, including a 7-4 mark in conference play. The duo ranked fourth best in the conference in winning percentage among No. 1 doubles teams and tied for fifth in the NAC among No. 1 teams in win percentage in conference matches.
"I am thrilled for both April and Lynn," said Lakeland Head Coach Casey Carr. "This is a great way for April to go out after four solid seasons with the program, she can definitely go out with a smile. I can promise that this won't be the only All-NAC award that Lynn wins. She is going to be the leader of this program (the next three years) and this is a pretty solid start."
Thirteen singles players also were named all-conference for the 2012 season, with Wisconsin Lutheran College's Kaitlyn Strehlow being named NAC Player of the Year. Morgan Wilson of Edgewood College was named Newcomer of the Year and Ben Oestreich of Edgewood was tabbed Coach of the Year.
The awards came out two days after Lakeland competed in its final event of the season at the Edgewood Invitational. Muskies completed in round robin and bracketed singles or doubles play and posted several solid finishes.
Pipke posted the highest finish in a championship draw, finishing fourth at No. 3 singles. She defeated Brynn Hartzell of Marian University 6-3, 7-6 (7-1) in the quarterfinals before losing a tough three-set match to Anna Miles of Edgewood in the semifinals, 6-1, 3-6, 10-5. Pipke then was defeated by Callie Reinke of Concordia University Wisconsin in the match for third place, 6-4, 6-2.
Lakeland got two wins in round robin play at No. 4 doubles. Alissa Stephani (So.-Appleton, Wis.) and Samantha Tonn (Fr.-Wisconsin Dells, Wis.) lost their first match before defeating Emily Dvorsky and Melanie Avery of Milwaukee School of Engineering 8-5 and then rolling past Charmaine Clark and Alexandra Madsen of Alverno College 8-1.
Jenna Oberthaler (Jr.-Iron Mountain, Mich.) split a pair of matches at No. 5 singles, losing a tough first match to Sarah Brooker of Marian in the quarterfinals, 6-2, 6-7 (5-7), 10-4 before coming back for a 6-4, 6-0 win over Ashley Albrecht of MSOE. Schmitz also competed in No. 2 singles and lost a pair of matches, including a 6-3, 7-5 loss to Abigail Kohal of Alverno in the consolation bracket semifinals.
Erica Hoffmann (Jr.-Sheboygan Falls, Wis.) and Brittany Jurek (Jr.-Kingsford, Mich.) also went 1-1 at No. 2 doubles, losing their opener to Hartzell and Reilly Conaher of Marian 8-4 before winning the consolation bracket with an 8-4 win over Marli Trier and Michelle Roubik of MSOE.
Athletics - Women's Tennis