WHEATON, Ill. – Despite taking a 2-1 lead after doubles, Augustana was unable to hold the lead and fell to Wheaton by a score of 5-2 in the Automatic Qualifying Tournament held by the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin for the NCAA Division III Championships. The championship match was played on Saturday, April 28 at Wheaton College and it featured the same two teams for the last six years.
 
Last year the Vikings beat the Thunder 5-4 but Wheaton turned the tables this time around and used strong singles play to do the trick. Augustana won two of the three doubles matches and came close to sweeping. At number one the junior team of Caitlyn Schaffer (Kenwood Academy, Chicago, Ill.) and Madeline Lombardi (Edwardsville HS, Glen Carbon, Ill.) defeated Katie Park and Claire Browning 8-6. The number three team of freshmen Maleeha Chowdhury (Rock Canyon HS, Highlands Ranch, Colo.) and Faith Johnson (Harker Heights HS, Harker Heights, Ill.) won a tight one over Emma Westwick and Nicole Freeman by a score of 9-8.
 
The lone doubles loss came at number two where the Thunder's Miranda Kay and Sara Magnuson edged freshman Annie Timm (Prairie Ridge HS, Crystal Lake, Ill.) and sophomore Zeana Badawi (Hinsdale Central HS, Burr Ridge, Ill.) 9-7.
 
Wheaton won four singles matches from three through six to claim the match. The matches at numbers one and two were unfinished.
 
Kay defeated Badawi at number three 2-6; 6-0; 6-3 and Westwick beat Johnson 6-1; 6-0 at number four. Browning bettered Chowdhury 7-5; 6-3 at number five and Freeman beat freshman Morgan Bullen (Colorado Academy, Lakewood, Colo.) 7-5; 6-2 at number six.
 
Schaffer was playing at number one singles and the match was 7-6; 4-5 in favor of Park when the play was halted. Timm was ahead of Magnuson 3-6; 7-5; 2-0 at number two when that match was stopped.
 
Augustana, which is ranked 19^th in the NCAA Division III Central Region, ends its season 19-9 overall.