MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. – The St. Catherine University tennis team has found quite a bit of success in the past eight seasons. The Wildcats are just one of four teams from the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) to qualify for the conference tournament for eight straight seasons. Sadly, St. Kate's season came to an end Tuesday afternoon, as it fell to No. 3 the University of St. Thomas by decision 5-0.
 
The Wildcats competed hard in both doubles and singles play, as they fought the Tommies tooth and nail in every match. No. 1 doubles team of Alisha Wiedmeier (Rapid City, S.D. / Stevens) and Julia Sporer (Rogers, Minn. / Rogers) nearly pulled off a huge upset over St. Thomas' top team of Paige and Taylor McLeod. The sophomore and senior came within a break of taking the match, but the McLeod's managed to break them late to win the match 8-6.
 
St. Kate's No. 2 and 3 doubles teams also battled but unfortunately fell to put the Wildcats in a 3-0 deficit. No. 2 team of Bri Dorr (Princeton, Minn. / Princeton) and Ella Graham (Madison, S.D. / Madison) fell 8-3, while Maddy Knoll (Waseca, Minn. / Waseca) and Aubrey Eckstrom (St. James, Minn. / St. James) fell 8-2.
 
The Tommies won two matches in singles play, allowing them to win by the 5-0 decision, ending the match early. Sporer fell as the team's No. 2 singles player to Paige McLeod 6-2, 6-2 to close out her storied career at St. Kate's, while Knoll fell at the No. 5 spot 6-0, 6-1.
 
The Wildcats conclude the season with an 11-7 record and a 4-6 mark in MIAC play. St. Kate's also qualified for the MIAC Postseason Tournament for the eighth straight consecutive season, the longest running playoff run amongst all Wildcat teams.