Junior co-captain Lauren Stellato became the first Dutchwoman since 1983 to win the New York States No. 1 Singles Championship when she defeated Vassar's Becky Weldon, 7-5, 3-6, 6-2. Her success enabled the Dutchwomen finish their season with a third-place finish out of the 16 participating teams.
Stellato, who came to Union from Friends Academy, became just the fourth Dutchwoman to win a New York State singles championship, and just the second to win the crown out of the No. 1 position. Julie Miller (Class of 1984) was the first Dutchwomen ever to win a New York State singles title, and she did it out of the No. 1 position in 1983.
Miller's state crown was followed by Amy Kessinger, out of the No. 4 position
in 1994, and by Susan Yoo, who captured the third singles title in 1999.
Stellato, who is now 19-3 this season and 56-11 for her three-year career at
Union (all out of the No. 1 position), had lost to Weldon (who was seeded second in the state event), 6-2, 6-1, in the second match of the season, won by the
Brewers, 9-0. Stellato, the event's No. 1 seed, opened the three-day competition
by defeating Johanna Nigh of St. Lawrence, 6-4, 6-2. Her second match
was a 6-7 (4), 6-0, 6-0 win over NYU's Michelle Dest, before beating Rensselaer's
Dorte Knudsen, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 to advance to the championship match.
Stellato, a history major, captured the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association's
“Rookie of the Year” honors after posting a 16-3 season
in 2000. She was also selected to the All-Conference team following her
rookie campaign. Stellato completed her outstanding first season by posting
a 4-3 Spring record before being voted to the ITA's Northeast “Rookie of
the Year,” the first Dutchwoman ever to capture the honor.
Seeded second in last year's New York State event, Stellato advanced to the championship
before losing to top-ranked JoAnna Toke of the University of Rochester, 6-2,
6-4, to end her season with an overall standard of 17-2.
Part
of Union's double team since coming to Schenectady, Stellato has compiled a
three-year record of 35-16 with three different partners.
New
York State Results:
No. 1 Singles–Lauren Stellato (seeded first) won 6-4, 6-2; 6-7(4), 6-0,
6-0; 4-6, 7-5, 6-1; and captured the title,
No. 2 Singles-Stephanie Middleton won 1-6, 6-3, 7-6(8); lost to the 6-3,
6-2 to the number three seed
No. 3 Singles–Meg Vercillo won 6-4, 7-5; lost 7-5, 6-1
No. 4 Singles–Megann Denefrio (seeded fourth) won 7-6, (7-5), 6-4; won 3-6,
6-4, 6-2; lost 6-0, 6-1 to the No. 2 seed
No. 5 Singles–Jen Lauroesch won 6-1, 6-2; lost 6-4, 6-1
No. 6 Singles–Polina Shcherbatou lost6-3, 6-1
No. 1 Doubles–Stellato-Middleton lost 8-1
No. 2 Doubles–Vercillo-Lauroesch won 9-8 (8-6), lost 8-1
No. 3 Doubles–Denefrio-Aimee Talleurk, lost 8-2