West Iron’s Serbentas premier UP D2 ‘Player’
All-State honors for Wykons, Mountaineers
West Iron County’s Katarina Serbentas posted a perfect record against UP Division 2 girls tennis competition this fall.
That mark made the senior the logical choice by the coaches for UP Division 2 Player of the Year.
” I was honored that I was voted player of the year,” Serbentas said. “I am thrilled that I received this award because of the hard work and practice I’ve put in for the past five years. Words cannot express how happy I felt when I won my final UP’s.”
Serbentas downed Westwood’s Madelyn Koski 6-1, 6-0 in the UP Division 2 No. 1 singles final.
“Katarina has done great all year,” Joe Serbentas, Katarina’s father and coach, said after the match.
She notched a 49-10 record over the past three years at No. 1 singles. Serbentas was 20 – 2 this fall, registering a 1-2 record against the UP Division 1 Player of Year in Marquette’s Elysa Olivier.
For her career, including a freshman season at No. 3 singles, Serbentas shows a 61-19 ledger.
Serbentas, who also plays extensively in Midwest summer tournaments, has been in contact with Webster University in St. Louis and Wisconsin-La Crosse about extending her tennis career. She wants to pursue the field of optometry.
Serbentas along with Wykon doubles Eden Golliher and Tori Bociek and Iron Mountain No. 1 doubles Saylor Swartout and Claire Mongrain earned Division 2 all-state honors.
Ishpeming’s Erl Langness was named UP Division 2 Coach of the Year.
Serbentas and teammate Izzy Hoogenboom along with IM’s Jorden Stoner made Division 2 first-team singles. First-team honors in doubles went to Golliher-Bociek, Swartout-Mongrain and WIC’s Emily Malmquist-Emily Nelson.
WIC’s Colby Laturi and IM’s Macy McCormick received All-U.P. Division 2 honorable mention in singles.