Make that two state girls' tennis titles for west river in 2024. Earlier this week, St. Thomas More won the ‘A’ girls state tennis championship, and then on Friday, Rapid City Stevens claimed the ‘AA’ girls state title.
It was an impressive showing from the Raiders squad this year. They scored an incredible 509 total points in the standings, which was a sizeable lead over second place Sioux Falls Lincoln, who scored 366 points. Yankton, who also fielded some impressive individual performances, took third with 311.5, Watertown came in fourth with 294.5, and Mitchell placed fifth with 284.
In total, Stevens went six of nine for the flight championships. The Raiders won four singles flights and two doubles flights enroute to their team state title.
“Six titles out of nine is amazing. I think it’s most points since we’ve gone to the two-class system,” stated Rapid City Stevens head tennis coach Jason Olson. “We actually didn’t even need to win any [individual] state titles and we still would have won the [team] state title, because we had so many points. It’s a team. We had 43-girls on the team, and they all felt part of this program. That’s how my girls are. They wanted to win the team title way more than individual titles.”
Sylvie Mortimer (SF2), Ella Potvin (SF3), Madison Marsh (SF4), and Bella Nelson (SF5) won individual titles in the singles flights for Stevens, while both Arabella Scott (SF1) and Brooke Cadwallader (SF6) took third in their flights.
In doubles, Scott and Elena Braun (DF2), and Marsh and Nelson won titles. Mortimer and Potvin (DF1) took fourth in doubles play for Stevens.
This is the seventh team state championship for the Raiders girls tennis squad.
“It feels amazing. Last year it was so close. You know, we won two years (ago) and then last year we lost in a heartbreaking tournament. They were devastated, but they had a great year,” explained coach Olson. “This year, they had resolve, they had perseverance, and there was a lot of pressure on them. When you go undefeated in duals, it’s a lot of pressure. I told the girls, “pressure is a privilege. When you’re good, it’s a privilege to go out there, and you’ve got to handle it,’ and they did.”
Olson has been coaching tennis at Stevens for many years. Along with being a big proponent in the development of youth tennis in western South Dakota, he’s also one of the main people who has helped lead the charge with the Sioux Park tennis complex in Rapid City, which includes the most recent renovation. This weekend, he’s going into the Rapid City Stevens hall of fame.
“You don’t become a hall of fame coach without hall of fame athletes. Some of these kids will be in there some day too, because I’ve seen a lot of amazing athlete’s,” he said. “If you have good athletes, good parents, a good program, you’ll be successful whether you get first, second, third, or fourth. And that’s much more important to me. What kind of kids I have, what they’re going to do in life, and I’ve got a good group of individuals.”
Along with winning seven girls tennis championships, Stevens has also finished runner-up fourteen times. It’s proof of a strong program and culture with the sport at the school.
“It’s not a team, it’s a program,” exclaimed Olson. “We’ve been first or second now thirty-five times now in girls and boys tennis. They want to keep that tradition.”
Brooke Cadwallader is the lone senior on this year’s Raiders squad. One thing is for sure, Stevens plans to be competitive again in ’25.
