On October 25, the Spartan Girls Tennis Team brought home their second consecutive Division 1 state title in their tenth State Tournament appearance at The Nielsen Tennis Center in Madison.

Just one week earlier, senior standout Caroline Raster took home the Division 1 Individual State Championship title. A four-time WIAA qualifier, Raster entered the tournament as the top seed and went on to capture the singles crown over Verona’s McKenna Thorson (6-3, 3-6, 11-9), finishing her singles season with a perfect 24-0 record. 

The top-seeded Spartans displayed their trademark power and depth throughout the tournament- defeating Westosha Central (6-1) in the quarterfinals, sweeping Eau Claire Memorial (7-0) in the semifinals, and securing the title against Neenah (6-1) in a commanding finish.

Reigning Division 1 State Individual Champion Caroline Raster led the charge, dropping only four total games across three matches for a 3-0 weekend record. In the championship, freshman Natalie Martinez (#2 Singles), junior Lily Sun (#3 Singles), and senior Samantha Behling (#4 Singles) made it a clean sweep of the 2nd seeded Rockets. Brookfield East also secured wins from Doubles Teams Shriya Pusunuru and Cece Bonfilio (#1 Doubles) and Evelyn Schuenke and Dylan Szesterniak (#3 Doubles), while Zoja Selak and Adi Sangowdar (#2 Doubles) lost a hard-fought match.

“This team truly embodies the spirit of Brookfield East tennis,” said Coach Linda Lied. “They’ve stayed grounded, supported each other, and most importantly, they had fun throughout the season.”

The Spartans finished their season 19-2, capturing back-to-back state titles by relying heavily on the leadership provided by their two seniors, Caroline Raster and Samantha Behling. “Last one, best one,” Raster reflected after clinching the final point, echoing the team’s mantra. “As captains, it feels so good to see our team succeed like this.” 

Congratulations to the Brookfield East Girls Tennis Team and Coach Linda Lied on another historic championship season!

Below: Spartan Girls Tennis Team (photo courtesy of Michael Whitlow), and right: Caroline Raster (photo courtesy of Scott Ash)