By By SCOTT NOVAK / Niles Daily Star
Friday morning the Dowagiac girls' tennis team will make school history.
The Chieftains will compete in their first-ever Division 4 state tennis tournament.
The tournament is being hosted by Grand Rapids Christian, however, the matches, weather permitting, will be played at three outdoor sites located around Grand Rapids.
The first singles, along with the first and second doubles will competed on the opening day at the Zandes Tennis Center.
The second, third and fourth singles flights will be contested at East Grand Rapids High School.
The remaining doubles flights will play at Grand Rapids Catholic Central.
All players and coaches will meet at 8 a.m. for a meeting at the Gainey Athletic Center on East Paris Road before dispursing to the different sites.
Should rain be a factor, and the forecast is calling for it, then tennis will be played at five different sites around Grand Rapids with a variety of times, mostly in the afternoon and evening.
The first round pairings were announced by the Michigan High School Athletic Association Wednesday morning.
Dowagiac received just two seeds, both in singles.
Junior Lisa Rubino received a fifth seed at No. 1 singles and will get a first round bye.
Grosse Pte. Woods University Liggett's Holly Huth is the No. 1 seed. She also received a first round bye.
Rubino will face either Elyssa Felsenfeld of Dtroit Country Day or Becca Hopkins of Almont in the second round.
Buchanan's Ashley Shepard will face Anna Frutiger of Alma in the opening round, while Brandywine's Jenny Zellman will face Rachel Miller-Howard of Ann Arbor Greenhills in the opening round.
Junior Barbara Laing also received a No. 5 seed at second singles.
Laing, like Rubino, received a first round bye.
Detroit Country Day's Arathi Mohan is the No. 1 seed.
Laing will face Georgianne Hageman of Parchment, who also received a bye, in the second round.
Jenny Cowan of Brandywine received an opening round bye and will meet Elizabeth Wilcox of Lansing Catholic Central in the second round.
Buchanan's Jaclyn Mummaw, who received a first round bye, will face Sarah Plaisier of Kalamazoo Christian in the second round.
Senior Ashley Urbanski, one of just two Chieftains to play opening round matches, will face Emily DeMaagd of Grandville Calvin Christian.
The winner advances to face top-seeded Lauren Wright of Ann Arbor Greenhills.
Buchanan's Chelsea Ghatoaura will face Jessica Zacharski of Almont in the second round.
Brandywine's Amy Konopinski will face Andrea Arbic of Battle Creek Pennfield in the second round.
Junior Anne O'Keefe, who received a first round bye, will face Amanda Person of Parchment in the second round.
Detroit Country Day's Metali Mehta is the No. 1 seed.
Buchanan's Olivia Bonardi will face Jade Green of Whitehall in the first round. Brandywine's Amber Valentine will face Alex Boyd of Saginaw Nouvel in the first round.
The winner advances to face Mehta in the second round.
Amelia First and Taylor Townsend also received a first round bye and will meet Amy Kool and Mary Schering of Kalamzoo Christian in the second round.
Buchanan's Tracy Brelowski and Lizz Thornton will face Aileah Swanson and Megan Wynsma of Wyoming Kelloggsville in the first round with the winner advancing to face top-seeded Chrissie Keersmackers and Sam Troyanovich of University Liggett in the second round.
Brandywine's Bethany Daniel and Christine Dvorak will face Sarah Goote and Jackie Paauw of Grandville Calvin Christian in the second round.
Calie Daniels and Lindsay Tyler also received a first round bye at No. 2 doubles and will meet Ashley Ligon and Ashley Greenman of Almont in the second round.
Detroit Country Day's Kathleen Murphy and Mhoire Murphy are the No. 1 seed.
Brandywine's Lisa Konopinski and Kristin Peters will face Kari Boersen and Katelyn Brinks of Calvin Christian in the first round with the winner advancing to take on the No. 1 seed.
Buchanan's Hannah Flood and Nicole Moyer will face Kristin Cole and Carrie Brame of Kelloggsville in the second round.
In the only other first round match for Dowagiac, the No. 3 doubles team of Kim Rutkowski and Ashley Smith will face Katie DeWinter and Megan Pate of Kelloggsville with the winner advancing to face No. 1 seed Ingrid Miskinis and Vindhya Baddigam of Detroit Country Day.
Buchanan's Brittanee Smeltzer and Megan Vylonis will face Kristin Zaiki and Lindsay Ligon of Almont in the first round.
Brandywine's Nikki Cooper and Courtney Schlutt will face Ashley Hardin and Laura Ricard of Freemont in the second round.
At No. 4 doubles, the team of Kelli Schaus and Samantha Harris will face Mary Ladyen and Gabrielle George of Bloomfield Hills Sacred Heart in the second round after an opening round bye.
Buchanan's Leslie Niemier and Robyn Bahr will face Katie Elders and Emily Schreur of Calvin Christian in the first round with the winner advancing to face Shravani Mikkieleni and Kathryn Downs of Detroit Country Day, the No. 1 seed.
Brandywine's Ashley Valentine and Jamie Bartuska will face Caitlin Bushouse and Kesha McConaha-Schultz of Parchment in the second round.
The tournament will continue on Saturday.