BERKLEY, Calif.- Jaimee Gilbertson was able to claim the gold draw championship at the Cal Nike Invitational on Monday as she defeated Cal’s own Lyann Hoang.
Gilbertson’s day started with a semifinal match against St. Mary’s Emma Critser. Gilbertson took the first set, lost the second, and was able to take the third to punch her ticket into the finals by a score of 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.
In the finals, she met second seed Lyann Hoang of Cal. Hoang had already won the doubles title earlier that day and was looking to take the singles title as well. However, Gilbertson battled and was able to come through with a three set win. The final score was 6-1, 5-7, 6-1 in favor of Gilbertson.
“Starting off my junior year with a 5-0 singles record is a fantastic feeling,” Gilbertson said.
“Last year, I started off my fall season with a couple of disappointing results, so to begin the school year with such positivity enables me to keep moving forward towards my goals and boosts my confidence for upcomming tournaments”.
Kyla Jarrar was also able to make it to a finals of her own. She defeated Abigail Bacharach of rival Cal Poly by a score of 6-4, 6-2 in the white draw consolation semifinals, and reached the consolation finals just to face Bacharach’s sister Bryn. Jarrar fought for two sets and a tie breaker, but was unable to come away with the win as Bryn Bacharach defeated Jarrar 6-2, 4-6, 1-0(7).
Three other Gauchos competed in round robin singles matches as well. Stefani Stojic defeated Nevada’s Sheila Morales by a score of 6-2, 6-4, Amanda Atanasson defeated San Jose State’s Marine Dans 6-2, 7-5, and Palina Dubavets fell to Saint Mary’s Parminder Kaur by a score of 6-2, 6-2.
On the round robin doubles side of the draws, Gilbertson and partner Stephanie Yamada defeated the Bacharach sisters 8-3, Dubavets and Stojic defeated Arizona State’s Kassidy Jump and Sammi Hampton 8-3, and Atanasson and her partner Jarrar lost to Kareena Manji and Kaur of Saint Mary’s 8-4.
Next up for the Gauchos is the ITA West Regional Championship in San Diego. The Gaucho representatives for this tournament will be released later this week.
