RHS Sports recap: Wednesday, Oct. 4

Girls’ tennis: Tori Riopel 3rd/8 WIAA Subsectionals

Rhinelander High School senior Tori Riopel earned her way to the WIAA state girls’ tennis tournament on Wednesday by finishing third in the eight-player No. 1 singles draw at a WIAA Division 1 sectional meet in Eau Claire.

Riopel needed to win her first match to clinch a berth and did so in dramatic fashion, rallying to beat Eau Claire North’s Miah Nelson in a match tiebreaker 6-4, 1-6, 11-9. From there she lost to Eau Claire Memorial’s Ava Erickson in the semifinals and took the third play match via retirement over Hudson’s Anna Runck. Riopel was leading 6-3, 2-1 in the second set when Runck retired.

Riopel is the Hodag girls’ tennis team’s first state qualifier since Annika Johnson in 2021, and the first to earn her way to state through the sectional since Lauren Barnes and Eva O’Melia in 2015.

Riopel will begin play at the WIAA state tournament next Thursday in Madison. Her opening round opponent will be announced this weekend.

A full report will be published in Tuesday’s River News.