Thirkell Interview

The Colorado College women's tennis team will be looking up at the top-tier of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference for at least one more year.
 
Second-seeded Sewanee, ranked No. 16 in the nation by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, downed the Tigers, 9-0 Friday evening. The loss sent CC into the losers bracket quarterfinals on Saturday at the SCAC championships in North Little Rock, Ark.
 
“Sewanee is a good team with a lot of history to their program,” said Colorado College head coach Todd Doebler.
 
“It was good for the girls next year to see the level they need to reach,” said senior Deanna Thirkell.
 
CC (11-9) cruised into the Thursday afternoon quarterfinals against Sewanee by downing No. 10 seed Centre College, 8-1 that morning at the Burns Park Tennis Center.
 
The seventh-seeded Tigers take on No. 6 seed Rhodes College at 7 a.m. Mountain with the winner advancing to play for fifth place on Sunday while the loser will try for seventh.
 
The closest CC came to winning against Sewanee was in No. 5 singles. Freshman Mary Edman lost in a third-set tiebreaker after winning the opening set.
 
“I was excited to see Mary split sets with their girl,” Doebler said. “She showed signs of improvement. It should help us going into tomorrow (Saturday).”
 
Earlier, Thirkell, the Tigers' lone senior, grounded out a tough 6-2, 4-6, 10-8 win at No. 1 singles, while paired with Edman to win the No. 1 doubles match against Centre.
 
The other Tigers to win twice against Centre were No. 3 singles player Caila Criss, also at No. 2 doubles, and sophomore Maddy Bush, who won at No. 4 singles and at No. 3 doubles.
 

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Results
 
Quarterfinals
No. 2 seed Sewanee 9, No. 7 Colorado College 0
 
Singles Competition
1. SEW – Jenny Liles def. Deanna Thirkell 6-2, 6-0
2. SEW – Bronte Goodhue def. Katie Patterson 6-0, 6-0
3. SEW – Liza Lucas def. Caila Criss 6-1, 6-1
4. SEW – Michelle Flume def. Maddy Bush 6-1, 6-0.
5. SEW – Anne Garland def. Mary Edman 4-6, 6-2, 10-3
6. SEW – Julia Wood def. Maggie Harwood 6-1, 6-1
 
Doubles Competition
1. SEW – Bronte Good/Jenny Liles def. Deanna Thirkell/Mary Edman  8-0
2. SEW – Anne Garland/Liz Lucas def. Katie Patterson/Caila Criss 8-1
3. SEW – Mary Taylor Tepper/Michelle Flume def. Anna Sweeney/Maddy Bush 8-5
 
First round
No. 7 seed Colorado College 8, No. 10 Centre College 1
 
Singles Competition
1. CC – Deanna Thirkell def. Kathryn Hays 6-2, 4-6, 10-8
2. CEN – Elise DeCamp def. Katie Patterson 7-5, 7-6 (4)
3. CC – Caila Criss def. Katie Hownen 6-2, 7-6 (3)
4. CC – Maddy Bush def. Melissa Springer 6-3, 6-2
5. CC – Mary Edman def. Jenna Hazelwood 6-0, 6-2
6. CC – Maggie Harwood def. Maddie Pitt 7-6 (5), 6-3
 
Doubles Competition
1. CC – Deanna Thirkell/Mary Edman def. Kathryn Hays/Elise DeCamp 8-5
2. CC – Katie Patterson/Caila Criss def. Melissa Springer/Alex Tolsdorf 8-3
3. CC – Anna Sweeney/Maddy Bush def. Katie Hownen/Maddie Pitt 8-0