With the end of October, the Brookfield Central Girls Varsity tennis squad has ended their 2025 season. The team features five seniors, including captain Stella Hu, Shloka Gupta, Esperanza and Elise Rowe, and Michelle Kim, with five juniors—Shreya Kapoor, Raina Joshi, Rhea Maheshwari, Maddie Lindberg, and Tess Pierce—to replace them for the 2026 season. Talented sophomores included state-standouts McKaela Smith and Akshita Tyagi. The team also welcomed one freshman, Brookley Harwood.
This year, half the team was new, but the chemistry was strong as ever —they won the Lady Lancer Invite in early September, which is the first time that has happened in 9 years. They displayed an emphatic performance, beating Westosha Central 4-3. They closed out their dual conference meet against Wauwatosa West on September 25th, winning 5-2, securing a seeding at #12, proving to be the team’s best result since 2016, when they were state-ranked.
Captain Stella Hu reflected on her time with BC Girls’ Tennis: “It was a great way to end my last season. I’m very happy to be on the team with people who are so dedicated to getting better and thoughtful of their teammates.”
The team faced stiff competition in subsectional A, a part of Sectional 6. Teams in subsectional A included last-years’ State Champions and crosstown rivals Brookfield East, DSHA, Menomonee Falls, New Berlin Eisenhower, Wauwatosa West, Wauwatosa East, and West Allis Hale. Unfortunately, the Lady Lancers were not able to make Team State, but sophomore McKaela Smith battled through injury to make Individual State for singles. She began her bid on Thursday, October 16th, against a senior from Kenosha Tremper, Teagan Rowlands, and beat her in straight sets (6-1, 6-2). In the following round, Smith unfortunately lost against Badger’s Lexington Monroe (4-6, 0-6). This is an impressive showing for a sophomore, and there will certainly be more to see from Smith in her remaining two years with the varsity squad, along with the remaining juniors and underclassmen as they all continue to hone their craft.
For both the boys and girls tennis squads, it’s clear that each squad has an amazing work ethic and willingness to learn from those around them; this year has been no different. As for the graduating seniors, it’s safe to say that they have had an amazing past four years with the program, with many expressing a desire to continue playing in college. The culture Brookfield Central’s tennis program cultivates is undoubtedly one of legacy, determination, and teamwork.
