Sports
Woodlands Academy tennis player’s honors didn’t stop at state
Following her sixth-place finish at the State Finals, Courtney Croll was named Independent School League Girls Tennis Player of the Year.
LAKE FOREST, Ill. – On the heels of her sixth-place finish at the IHSA Girls Tennis Class 1A State Finals, Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart junior Courtney Croll was named the 2025 Independent School League (ISL) Girls Tennis Player of the Year. The votes of all tennis coaches in the ISL, an athletic conference comprising eight private secondary schools in the Chicago metropolitan area, determine which player receives this annual distinction.
During the regular season, Croll achieved an undefeated 14-0 record. Her journey to the State Finals began with a #1 singles second-place finish at the ISL Conference Tournament. Additionally, she was named to the All-Conference team.
During the state tournament, held at John Hersey High School in Arlington Heights, Croll won five of her seven matches. The strength of Croll’s solo performance placed Woodlands’ Wildcats at #16 in the team standings out of the 50 Class 1A schools that scored any points at the IHSA State Finals.
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Croll entered the IHSA State Finals as the #7 seed. “Courtney represented the Wildcats with grit, determination and power,” said Jim Franke, Woodlands Academy varsity tennis head coach. “She advanced to the Quarterfinals (of the Championship Bracket) where she lost a tight battle to the #2 seed in three sets.” Croll went on to win two of her three Consolation Bracket matches, losing the battle for fifth place to an opponent from Deerfield High School.
“She is one of the smartest, toughest competitors I have had the privilege to coach,” said Franke. “The quality of her play energized the whole team and made us better.”
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Based on her record and performance at the state tournament, Croll was subsequently designated an All-State honoree.
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Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart is a Catholic, independent, day-and-boarding, college-preparatory school for young women of all faiths in grades nine through 12. Founded in Chicago in 1858 and located in Lake Forest since 1904, Woodlands is part of a worldwide network of Sacred Heart Schools that spans the United States and 40 other countries on six continents. To learn more, visit woodlandsacademy.org.
