May 31 -- GRAND FORKS -- Sarea Gu was in full command of the North Dakota state girls singles championship match as it neared the end.
She had no intention of letting up.
Not after finishing third at state as an eighth-grader and second as a freshman.
Gu, a West Fargo Sheyenne sophomore, beat Dickinson's Shayna Klitzke 6-4, 6-1 in the singles final Saturday at Choice Health and Fitness.
"I'm very excited," Gu said. "I've had a lot chances. It didn't go as I planned last year -- and the year before that. It's exciting to finally accomplish my goal."
Gu sealed the match with a dominant second set.
She outlasted Klitzke on long baseline rallies and mixed in winners off of both wings.
Her four-time state champion older sister, Mimi, watched the match from courtside and had a long embrace with Sarea after it ended.
"I feel like she knows me really well," Sarea said. "She knows how to get me out of my head and how to focus on my game."
Klitzke, who was aiming to become Dickinson's first state tennis champion, made a big push in the opening set.
"The first set was definitely really tight," Gu said. "Shayna played absolutely amazing. It was more like 'Keep your head, stay in the game and don't get nervous.'"
In the second set, Gu took over.
"It was still really tight," Gu said. "She played amazing throughout the whole match. I was like, 'Go finish it off. Don't relax too soon.'"
Gu ended the match with a forehand winner up the line. She let out a yell and had one thought run through her head.
"Thank goodness," she said.
Valley City sisters Skye and Kailee Nielson hugged after beating Tanis Lee and Grace Wanzek of Fargo Davies 6-3, 6-2 in the North Dakota state doubles final.
Kailee, a junior, teared up.
"I actually didn't think we were going to win," said Skye, a freshman. "We were up against a lot of seniors. We're just a freshman and a junior. We thought we were the underdogs each match."
That wasn't the case.
The Nielson sisters cruised through the East Region tournament last weekend in Fargo without dropping a set. They did the same in Grand Forks this weekend. The realization that they could win it all didn't set in until late.
"Probably after we won the first set," Kailee said.
The Nielsons join a short list of Valley City girls state tennis champions.
Shelly Lloyd won the singles championship in 1971. Susan Umsted and Brenda Ament won a doubles title in 1991. Breck Sufficool and Abigail Martineck won doubles in 2023.
"I just can't believe we won," Kailee said. "Especially with my sister. It's insane."
Shayna Klitzke, Dickinson, over Ava Thuner, Min, 6-3, 6-2; Sarea Gu, Shey, over Kyllie Fettig, Min, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2
Avy Ator, Will, over Shireen Durrani, Shey, 6-1, 6-3; Georgia Zaun, VC, over Elise Roberts, Jam, 6-3, 6-2
Tanis Lee-Grace Wanzek, Davies, over Grace Olson-Lila Olson, Min, 5-7, 6-3, 6-2; Skye Nielson-Kailee Nielson, VC, over Lauren Katzung-Lilly Thomsen, Man, 6-0, 6-3
Jenny Pitcher-Ava Dunlop, BC, over Addy Lommen-Ruby Schneider, RR, 5-7, 6-4, 10-8; Elizabeth Kilgore-Lauren Endres, RR, over Erin Daley-Morgan Daley, D, 6-3, 6-4