By By ADAM FISHER / Niles Daily Star
NILES - Niles finished third in its own invitational Saturday in a tournament that was nearly postponed due to heavy rain early in the morning.
The rain stopped, and the sun even peaked out, but didn't shine on the Vikings.
Edwardsburg won the team title with 10 points, while Dowagiac was second with seven points and Niles third with four points. Bridgman was scheduled to participate, but did not show up to the tournament.
The invitational's format called for two singles players and five doubles teams from each school to play each team from the other schools once.
The fifth doubles team for each school consisted of the No. 3 and No. 4 singles players.
The tournament was set up so because Niles has seven courts, so all seven matches could occur at once.
The Vikings finished with one flight championship at No. 2 doubles. Niles' team of Samantha Beck and Danielle Lowery beat Dowagiac's Taylor Townsend and Cali Daniels 6-1, 6-0 and Edwardsburg's Chelsea Baucus and Corinne Fleming 6-3, 7-5.
Analee Nelson of Niles lost to Dowagiac's Barbara Laing at No. 1 singles, 6-0 and 6-2. Laing took the individual flight title.
At No. 2 singles, the Chieftain's Lisa Rubino defeated Mallory Zeigert of Niles, 6-0 and 6-2. Rubino also won her individual flight championship for Dowagiac.
The Vikings' Heather Dudka and Nicole Negron lost to Edwardsburg's Amanda McCracken and Alexa Smith, who won the title at No. 1 doubles, 6-4, 6-7, 6-4.
At No. 3 doubles, Ally Weir and Bethany Marshke of Edwardsburg won the title by beating Niles' Jena Williams and Mariam Eskander 6-3, 6-3.
Edwardsburg also won the title at No. 4 doubles, as the Eddies' team of Courtney Mayer and Lindsey Meite beat Katie Blaske and Heather Croteau of Niles 6-4, 7-5.
Nicole Weber and Christine Hadley of Niles lost to Ashley Urbanski and Anne O'Keefe of Niles at No. 5 doubles, 6-2 and 6-2.
The Vikings look to regroup Tuesday when Brandywine visits Niles. The match is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m.
In Niles' last dual meet, the Vikings lost 7-1 to Buchanan on Thursday.