TRAVERSE CITY — The 2025 spring girls tennis season saw the area grow tremendously with individual players and teams putting on a show to represent their squads properly.
Traverse City Central senior Wren Walker takes home this year’s Player of the Year honors on the Record-Eagle’s girls tennis Dream Team after a stellar senior season that led the Trojans to the state finals for the 43rd consecutive year.
“Everyone worked really hard to accomplish all the work that we had,” Walker said. “We supported each other throughout the whole season.”
The senior admits it took the entire team to make the season a dream come true.
Walker dominated the competition as a Big North Champion, regional finalist and battling in the state championship tournament.
Walker was a close MVP choice with Traverse City St Francis junior Mary Kate Ansley, whom Walker beat in a head-to-head match.
“One of my favorites was my last home match against St. Francis,” Walker said. “Winning the deciding match for the team. (Mary Kate Ansley) is also a good friend, who I’ve been training with since I was little, and it was a very special moment for my last home match on those courts … We always go back and forth.”
Walker will play tennis at Hope College alongside her sister Phoebe, who graduated from TC Central in 2023. Phoebe Walker was the R-E’s Player of the Year in 2022.
“I’m preparing for the next level of competition and the new environment,” Walker said.
For the first three years of her career, Walker played doubles before switching to singles during her senior season.
She rode the wave all the way to the Player of the Year selection and credits challenging summer tournament play from last year.
“So those definitely helped me prepare a lot,” Walker said. “Playing doubles at the net really helped me in singles because it’s not a very common strategy in singles to come to the net. We have a very special team, and there’s a lot of support, and it’s a very fun environment, and even though it’s an individual sport, we come together and make it a team sport, and the families are very special with their support and everything.”
Walker beat all northern Michigan opponents in straight sets, except Mary Kate Ansley, whom she got past in a third-set breaker.
Walker will go down as a Big North Champion, regional finalist, and won her first match at state finals in Division 2.
She had impressive victories over Division 1 opponents Saline, Birmingham Groves, Macomb Dakota and Chippewa Valley. Walker finished with a 19-9 overall record at No. 1 singles and was named all-state honorable mention in D2 by the Michigan High School Tennis Coaches Association.
DREAM TEAM
SINGLES
Mary Kate Ansley, TC St. Francis
Ansley was the runner-up for MVP because of her stellar junior season where she went 19-4.. Ansley advanced to the state semifinals with a 6-1, 6-0 win in round two and a 6-1, 6-3 win in round three to lead the Gladiators.
Elliana McClellan, TC St. Francis
McClellan BLANK YEAR makes the dream team after advancing to the state championship match. She fell short in two sets. McClellan made her way to the semifinal with a 6-1, 6-1 win in round two and a 6-0, 6-1 win in round three.
Taylor Dickinson, Harbor Springs
No. 1 singles Taylor Dickinson earned her spot on the Dream Team after finishing runners-up at regionals, and made the all-state team with a 14-4 overall record, and was seeded at the state championship tournament. Dickson only had losses to Traverse City St. Francis and Traverse City Central. Dickinson helped lead the Rams’ tennis regional shortly after their girls soccer team won that program’s first conference title since 2017.
Abby Pfannenstiel, TC Central
Traverse City Central senior Abby Pfannenstiel beat all northern Michigan No. 2 singles players, except for Elliana McClellan (St. Francis) and Sloane Barclay (TCW), whom she went 2-1 with, losing in the Big North Conference tournament, but winning their previous two meetings. She played the best when it mattered the most, a BNC finalist and regional semi-finalist. Pfannenstiel tallied Wins against Division 1 opponents Birmingham Groves and Dakota. Abby Pfannenstiel won in round one 6-3, 3-6, 1-0 (7), and lost in round two 6-0, 6-3.
Abby Corpus, TC St. Francis
No. 3 singles player Abby Corpus (21-1) also made her way to the state semifinals with a 6-0, 6-2 win in round two and a 6-0, 6-3 win in round three.
DOUBLES
Annie Goldkuhle/Macy Parker, TC Central
No. 1 doubles tandem of senior Annie Goldkuhle and sophomore Macy Parker beat all northern Michigan opponents in straight sets. They had tournament wins in St. Clair and big wins against Div. 2 opponents North Farmington and Grosse Pointe South. The duo will go down as Big North Champions and Regional finalists.
Charlotte Westbrook/Maddy McDiarmid, Harbor Springs
Harbor Springs No. 1 doubles of Charlotte Westbrook and Maddy McDiarmid won a round at states, then competed against the No. 3 seed. Westbrook and McDiarmid defeated St Francis and battled TC Central to the brink in May.
Chloe Taylor/Maggie Best, Elk Rapids
Chloe Taylor and Maggie Best won the regional tournament as Elk Rapids’ No. 2 doubles team.
SECOND TEAM
SINGLES
Kate O’Keefe, TC Central
No. 3 Trojan singles player Kate O’Keefe beat all Big North opponents and won the BNC Tournament at No. 3 singles. The sophomore goes into her junior campaign as a regional semifinalist and state quarterfinalist.
Vivie Rubino, TC Central
Trojan sophomore Vivie Rubino goes down as the Big North Tournament Champion, beating Petoskey and TCW to avenge losses to them earlier in the season. Rubino had wins over all other northern Michigan players at No. 4 singles during the regular season, except St. Francis..
Claire Miller, Harbor Springs
Claire Miller of Harbor Springs advanced to the state semifinals after a thrilling third-round match (1-6, 6-0, 4-0) to earn her spot on the Dream Team. She had a 15-3 record on the season.
Larkin Knapp, Harbor Springs
Knapp of Harbor Springs also bowed out in round two.
Sloane Barclay, TC West
Barclay won a Big North Conference at No. 2 singles.
Larkin Knapp, Manistee
Knapp’s record was 13-4, including a loss to St. Francis and a win over Elk Rapids.
Anneka Croftchik, Elk Rapids
Earned a tough win over TC Central earlier in the season and was the Elks’ anchor No. 1 singles all season long
Georgia Haag, Manistee
Haag led Manistee all season as the No. 1 singles player and earned big wins
DOUBLES
Elliott Beaten/Katey Buchanan, Harbor Springs
Harbor Springs No. 3 doubles pairing Elliott Baetens and Katey Buchanan make their way onto the Dream Team after finishing in the state semifinals, losing in two sets.
Xoa Thelen/Charlotte Furlong, TC Central
Traverse City Central’s No. 3 doubles tandem of Xoa Thelen and Charlotte Furlong lost in the semifinals. They are both first-year varsity players and beat all Big North opponents and all Northern Michigan teams except a third-set loss to Harbor Springs early in the season.
Caroline Henkel/Irena Briggs, TC Central
These seniors beat all Northern Michigan teams in the regular season and were crowned Big North Champions and regional finalists at No. 2 doubles. They earned a first-round win at states. The dynamic duo had big wins against Division 2 opponents North Farmington and Allen Park and Division 1 Saline.
Sloane Hayes/Hadley Flynn, Harbor Springs
Harbor Springs No. 2 duo Hayes and Flynn had a strong season, beating St. Francis twice, and went three sets against TC Central Hayes and Flynn were both seeded at states. Win a round at states, three sets in the quarterfinals.
Beatrice Krieger/Heidi Harrell, Harbor Springs
Harbor Springs No. 4 doubles Beatrice Krieger/Heidi Harrell beat St. Francis multiple times throughout the season. They were defeated in three sets against TC Central and won a round at states.
Caroline Knox/Grace Mason, TC St. Francis
Senior Caroline Knox and Grace Mason had a record of 13-4 to earn their spot on the dream team.
HONORABLE MENTION
Katelyn Popp, TC West; Keira Padilla, Cadillac; Gabby Cesario, Harbor Springs; Leia Gilliland, Manistee; Ali Swanker/Lauren Fisk, TC Central; Charlie Todd/Meg Gietzen, Petoskey; Bella Sorenson/Sophia Shobe, Cadillac; Lily Mungia/Kaylee Loper, Cadillac; Olivia Salmon/Clear Wang, Cadillac; Bella Sorenson/Sophia Shobe, Elk Rapids; Gabby Morton/Josie Lorenz, Elk Rapids.