MICDS Senior Katherine Desloge Back in the Hunt for State Title

John Burroughs defending state singles champ Sydney Lehman will be back in the chase for the singles title. And Katherine Desloge, senior of MICDS has joined the field. Sidelined with mononucleosis much of the season, she has battled back for contending rights.

Desloge has been with the varsity three years and took the runnerup prize to Lehman last year in Springfield. She was a member of the Rams 2009 state Class 1 championship team.

Despite the illness, she's been able to knock off some of the top stars in the area including Jocelyn Koester of Visitation Academy (6-0, 6-3), Bridget O'Connor, Notre Dame de Sion, the number 1 player in Kansas City and Meg Andersen, Principia (6-4, 6-0). The only loses of the year were to Lehman and to Elizabeth Barnickel of Shawn Mission East, Kansas City in the Pembroke Hill Invitational.

Desloge finished fifth in the Missouri Valley tournament this summer and qualified to play in the Memphis National clay court championships and the San Diego National hard court championships. She was the only St. Louis player to establish wins in the first round of the tournament.

Undecided about a college choice, she hopes to play Division I tennis next year.