2025 Clutch Sports Media All-Area Girls Tennis teams: 28 Central Illinois players earn honors 

The New England Patriots, Chicago Bulls and New York Yankees all belong in the great dynasties of sports. 

If you’re including Central Illinois high school sports, so does the Dunlap girls tennis team, who reached new heights in 2025 and finished as the state runner-up in Class 1A. The Eagles’ state trophy was their third in program history and all have come in the last three years. 

Powered by several all-state honorees, the Eagles are prominently represented in Clutch Sports Media’s first All-Area Girls Tennis teams, along with multiple stars from Normal Community, Normal U-High and Metamora. 

Players from the 39 schools in the Clutch Sports Media coverage area surrounding Peoria and Bloomington/Normal were eligible to be nominated for the All-Area teams, which feature a total of 27 honorees.

Clutch Sports Media will also have a Coach of the Year and a Girls Tennis Player of the Year, which will both be announced shortly. All of the All-Area nominees below are listed by team, then in alphabetical order.

Clutch Sports Media All-Area First Team

Angela Caceres, freshman, Normal Community

Caceres made a strong entrance to the area prep tennis scene in her freshman season, earning a Class 2A state berth after winning a sectional title in doubles with teammate Ashley Walls. Caceres also teamed with Walls to win the Big 12 Conference title at No. 1 doubles to help the Iron win the conference championship as a team. The freshman was also a strong singles player in her own right, finishing second in the conference at No. 1 singles and winning Bloomington’s Gold Invite. 

Isabella Gusso, junior, Dunlap 

Gusso checked all the boxes of an elite tennis player in her junior season, finishing sixth in the Class 1A state doubles tournament with teammate Katherine Brewer. The duo went 5-2 in their state matches, boosting Dunlap to a state-runner-up finish for the first time in team history. Gusso went 45-10 during the season, earning first-team all-Mid Illini honors and winning the conference tournament and Class 1A Dunlap Sectional at No. 1 doubles with Brewer. 

Alassea Michel, senior, Dunlap

Michel closed out her career as one of Dunlap’s most decorated players, racking up 165 varsity wins and earning second team all-state honors this past fall. Michel won 40 matches in her senior year, including three at the Class 1A state finals before bowing out in the consolation fifth round. The veteran finished second at the Class 1A Dunlap Sectional, won a Mid-Illini title at No. 2 singles and earned first-team all-conference honors.

Lauren Poole, senior, Metamora

A Mid-Illini all-conference first team selection and Class 1A Metamora Sectional champion, Poole was hard to beat in her senior season with Metamora. Poole won 32 matches and advanced to the consolation fourth round after a pair of wins at the Class 1A state tournament. The Redbirds’ star was a third-team all-state player and totaled 90 varsity victories during her career. 

Ashley Walls, senior, Normal Community

Walls was one of the most integral parts to Normal Community’s Big 12 Championship-winning squad in 2025, winning several tournaments both in singles and doubles play. She and teammate Angela Caceres won the conference title at No. 1 doubles, as well as the Class 2A Normal Community Sectional title in doubles to advance to state. The Iron senior won multiple tournaments at No. 3 singles, including the Big 12 Conference Tournament and Bloomington Gold Invite. She also finished second at No. 2 singles at Bloomington’s Purple-Gold Invite as well.

Anna Yu, sophomore, Dunlap

Only halfway through her high school career, Yu is on track to be one of the most successful girls tennis players in Central Illinois prep history. The Dunlap sophomore was the first girls player from a Peoria-area school to ever advance to a state title match, where she finished as the Class 1A state runner-up. Yu’s efforts helped lead Dunlap to a second-place finish as a team, as well as titles at the Class 1A Dunlap Sectional and Mid-Illini Conference Tournament. Yu went 41-7 during the year, reaching her 100th varsity win as a sophomore, and won the Mid-Illini tournament at No. 1 singles.

Clutch Sports Media All-Area Second Team

Katherine Brewer, freshman, Dunlap

Brewer is poised to be the future face of Dunlap girls tennis after playing a key role for the Class 1A state runner-ups during her freshman season. Brewer and teammate Isabella Gusso formed the Eagles’ top doubles pairing, finishing sixth at the Class 1A state finals after winning the Class 1A sectional championship. Brewer, who was a second team all-Mid Illini player, also won the conference title at No. 1 doubles with Gusso and finished with a 39-17 record.

Lexi Burton, senior, Metamora 

Burton finished her career with a Class 1A state berth and an advancement to the consolation second round after taking second at the Class 1A Metamora Sectional. The Redbird went 31-8 on the year, earned first team all-Mid Illini honors and helped lead Metamora to winning a Class 1A sectional title on its home turf. 

Addie Cortese, junior, Normal U-High

Cortese, a state qualifier in track, can also bring it on the tennis courts and did so to the tune of 35 wins and a Class 1A Metamora Sectional doubles title with teammate Gabi Pecoraro. The duo advanced to the consolation third round and had several other notable finishes during the year, winning a title at the LaSalle-Peru Invite and finishing second at the Central State Eight Conference Tournament. 

Melaina Humbles, senior, Dunlap

Humbles was one of several Dunlap players to reach 40 wins on the season, capping off her career by advancing to the consolation fourth round in the Class 1A state doubles tournament with teammate Berkeley Stigall. The duo won the Mid-Illini title in No. 2 doubles and finished third at the Class 1A Dunlap Sectional. Humbles posted a 42-15 record during the fall, earning first team all-Mid Illini honors 

Gabi Pecoraro, junior, Normal U-High

Pecoraro enjoyed similar success as her doubles partner Cortese, being part of a tandem that won the Class 1A Metamora Sectional doubles bracket en route to a team runner-up finish. The sectional title gave Pecoraro her second state berth, where she and Cortese went 2-2. Along with the aforementioned accolades, the duo finished third at the Springfield Invite and in the No. 1 doubles bracket at Bloomington’s Purple-Gold Invite. 

Vienna Quach, sophomore, Normal Community

Quach advanced to state for the second time in her young career, advancing to the consolation second round with partner Krishi Kandury. The duo took second at the Class 2A Normal Community Sectional behind their Iron teammates, Walls and Caceres, additionally winning the No. 2 doubles bracket at the Big 12 Conference Tournament. As an individual, Quach posted runner-up finishes in No. 2 singles both at the Big 12 Conference Tournament and Bloomington Gold Invite.

Clutch Sports Media All-Area Honorable Mention

EllaKate Byrd, junior, Normal Community

Bianca Cisel, sophomore, Peoria Notre Dame

Catherine Dooley, senior, Peoria Notre Dame

Krishi Kandury, senior, Normal Community

Chloe Kendall, junior, Morton

Madelyn Monge, sophomore, Peoria Notre Dame

Caela Myers, senior, Morton

Faith Osterman, sophomore, Morton

Risha Patel, senior, Normal U-High

Naomi Roth, senior, Metamora

Leah Shaffer, senior, Richwoods

Addison Sharpe, senior, Richwoods

Hallie Shoenberger, sophomore, Normal U-High

Berkeley Stigall, senior, Dunlap

Holly Turnbull, senior, Bloomington

Julia Watts, senior, Peoria Notre Dame