Five Seasons Sends Top Frosh Crop to IHSA Tennis Tournament

(L to R, front row): Alysa Straub, Bethany Lynch, Michelle DeMeo, all state qualifiers, as well as Lexy Petrovic during their trip to Spain last year.

By Matt Baron, Inside Edge PR

They may have just begun high school, but five girls who have received years of tennis instruction at Five Seasons Family Sports Club in Burr Ridge are showing that they are no novices at the game.

The group represents a Five Seasons-mentored dynasty in the making, with three more years of high school competition beckoning the up-and-coming players.

Most of the girls started playing at Five Seasons when they were around seven or eight years old, said Ernesto Faisal, a club tennis pro who has served previously as Five Seasons’ junior tennis director.

“It’s rewarding to see them progressing so well,” said Faisal. “A variety of club pros here have spent a lot of time working on helping them enhance their skills and understand the game on all the different levels, from their technique, strategy and conditioning to developing solid training habits along the way.”

Among the group, strong friendships have blossomed along with their on-court skills, said Faisal. In August 2008, three of the girls—Alysa Straub, Bethany Lynch and Michelle DeMeo—took a two-week trip to Spain at the Juan Carlos Ferrero Tennis Academy.

“This is a very tight-knit group of girls,” said Faisal, who traveled with the group to Spain. “For us to see this coming together all at a large event like the state championships, it lets us know that we’re onto something and we’re on the right path.”

Four of the five qualified recently for the Illinois High School Association girls’ tennis tournament, joining sophomore Ali Foster, another Five Seasons protégé. Foster played in the No. 1 singles spot for Plainfield Central High.

Her record wound up 31-3, including advancing to the sectional finals and a 2-1 mark in the state tournament.

Like Foster, the four freshmen who played in the state tournament performed admirably amid that elite bunch. Three won at least one match and one nearly knocked off one of the top-rated players in the state.

In all, there were 128 singles players and 128 doubles teams in the tourney. Here is a round-up of the fabulous frosh crop:

Michelle DeMeo

Enrolled at St. Ignatius College Prep in Chicago, DeMeo won her first two state tourney matchs before bowing out to Tina Harazin of Lyons Township, who placed 3rd in the tourney. On consecutive weekends in October, she had won her school conference title and advanced to the sectional title game before losing.
Her regular-season record: 23-4.

Bethany Lynch

Another St. Ignatius College Prep player, Lynch qualified for the state tournament by making it to the sectional semifinals before losing. In the first round, she nearly upset Katie Zordani of Lake Forest High School.

The 3rd-rated 16-year-old girl’s player in the Midwest, Zordani won the first set, 6-4, but trailed 5-2 to Lynch in the second set. Zordani staved off six set points in that second set before eking out a 7-6 triumph.

“Beth did so well, and served notice that she is already a force to be reckoned with,” said Faisal. “She had a good player on the ropes.”

Alysa Straub

Straub attends Nazareth Academy in LaGrange Park, compiling a sterling 20-2 record as its No. 1 singles player. She won the conference title and placed fourth in sectionals to advance to the state tournament.

Once there, she defeated two opponents to advance to the Round of 32 before losing to Melissa Kopinski of Stagg High School in Palos Hills, an eventual semifinalist.

Lexi Chionis

The No. 1 singles player at Chicago Christian Academy, Chionis posted a 17-8 record during the season, won her conference title and placed second in sectionals. At the IHSA tourney, she won her first round match before losing in the next round.

Tiffany Chen

Chen, a freshman at Hinsdale Central High School, was one of three freshmen to make the perennial powerhouse’s varsity squad. In the No. 4 doubles slot, with Anna Paulson, Chen racked up a 15-1 record and took the conference title.

Chen did not play in the state tourney because the top two doubles teams from each school are the ones that qualify.

Another player from Five Seasons, Lyons Township senior Kirsten Conrath, had a very good regular season, posting a 5-1 record and placing third in conference play.

Five Seasons Family Sports Club is at 6901 S. Madison in Burr Ridge.

For more information about the club, call 630-570-5200 or visit www.fiveseasonssportsclub.com, the club’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/FiveSeasonsBurrRidge as well as the club’s Fan Page on Facebook.com.

About Five Seasons Family Sports Club

Five Seasons Family Sports Club is a comfortable, family-oriented club that supports its members’ interests in sports, fitness, wellness and friendship. Designed for every member of the family, it is a place to compete, train, exercise, connect, learn, relax and enjoy the fruits of living well. Five Seasons Family Sports Clubs feature exceptional indoor and outdoor tennis, high-quality indoor and outdoor pools, contemporary dining, luxury spas, teen video workout rooms, high-end fitness and training, cozy nurseries and much more.

Founded in 1988, there are seven Five Seasons Family Sports Clubs in the Midwest (Crestview Hills, KY; Symmes Township, Westlake and Dayton, OH; Indianapolis, IN; and Northbrook and Burr Ridge, IL).