Top-Ranked Mayo Girls Tennis Blanks Century 7-0 in Crosstown Matchup

Three-time defending Class 3A champion Mayo handed Century its first loss of the season, but the young Panthers like their chances once the Spartans' senior class graduates.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — No. 1-ranked Mayo gave Century its first loss of the girls tennis season on Monday, rolling to a 7-0 win at the John Marshall courts in the crosstown matchup. The Spartans improved to 13-1, while the Panthers, No. 6 in the Class 3A rankings, fell to 10-1.

Mayo has set the standard in Minnesota girls tennis, winning the last three Class 3A team state championships, and a fourth title could come this fall. The Spartans are anchored by three top-10 seniors: top-ranked Aoife Loftus, the defending state singles champion; second-ranked Malea Diehn, the defending Section 1 Class 3A champion; and No. 9 Eliana Elder. Senior doubles players Diane Meunier and Ella Brinkman are also in their final high school seasons, and the three singles standouts are set to move on to college tennis next year.

Mayo's only defeat this season came in late August, a 4-3 loss to Brookfield East, a Wisconsin school that has won the last two of its own state titles. That result snapped an 81-match winning streak and was the Spartans' first loss in nearly four years. Loftus was unavailable for that match, and Brookfield East was also without its top player.

Century's roster features just two seniors, with the rest of the lineup built around ninth- and 10th-graders. Freshman Catherine Li plays No. 1 singles and is ranked 10th in the state, and junior Zoe Zhang holds the No. 2 singles spot.

Zhang said the Panthers are already thinking about next season, when Mayo's seniors will have moved on. "We are really hungry for next year," she said. "We have a lot of strong players returning, especially in doubles." She added that a win over Mayo would carry extra meaning given the rivalry and that next season will be her senior year.

Century coach Maes joked that Mayo "could win the state tournament with their eyes closed," but he expects the section picture to change once the Spartans graduate their leaders. "Next year, we will be the (Section 1-3A) team to beat," Maes said, pointing to 12 players who can compete for any singles spot and a group of future seventh-graders he expects to contribute. He predicted Century will be the section favorite for the next three or four years.

This season is a different story. With Mayo in the same section, Maes does not expect his team to reach the state tournament. "It's a bummer that my team won't be going to state this year," he said. "It doesn't reflect how good our team has been the last two years."

Loftus said Mayo is enjoying its place at the top. "The feeling of being No. 1 and the pressure of defending our ranking is really fun," she said. "It's great to be representing Mayo as the No. 1 team in the state. It means a lot to us." The Spartans continue their push for a fourth straight Class 3A championship this fall, while Century heads into the postseason with an eye on a brighter future.