Mounds View sisters Rory and Reese Wahlstrand had never played a tournament together as a doubles team prior to this year’s postseason.
Perhaps they should have teamed up sooner.
Rory, a junior, and Reese, a freshman, paired up to win the Class 2A doubles championship, beating Edina’s Astrid Kerrman and Raya Hou, 6-2, 6-4 in the finals.
The duo began the day strong, defeating defending champions Malea Diehn and Keely Ryder of Rochester Mayo, 5-7, 6-2, and 6-4, in the semifinals.
The Wahlstrand sisters admitted their sisterly familiarity played a large role in their victory.
“I’m older, but we tried to play as equals,” Rory said. Still, it was Rory’s steadying influence that mattered when their second set lead started getting a little shaky.
