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MINNEAPOLIS - The Class A state singles meet marks the end of an era in southern Minnesota prep tennis, but also marks the first individual appearance for one of the area's most improved netters.

Martin County West senior sensation Stephanie Biehn will step onto the playing surface at the Reed-Sweatt Family Tennis Center in Minneapolis on Thursday for the fourth and final time in her brilliant high school career.

While Biehn closes out her prep playing days, Blue Earth Area junior standout Emily Slama will make her state debut in the Twin Cities after defeating Sibley East's Elena Almici in the Section 2 finals, 6-2, 6-1.

The hard-hitting Biehn captured her third sectional singles crown via a 6-1, 6-2 decision over Redwood Valley senior Megan Buysse in the Section 3 Meet.

Ironically, Biehn netted her first sectional championship as a seventh-grader in 2004 before just missing the 2005 state individual meet via a third-place sectional showing.

The Maverick captain missed her entire freshman campaign due to an injury before earning the first of her three consecutive state bids in 2007.

But for the first time in three seasons, Biehn will not face long-time state nemesis Brenna Kelly of Mounds Park Academy. Kelly, who did not qualify for this year's state competition, defeated Biehn in the 2007 state quarterfinals before outlasting the Maverick ace in the 2008 Class A third-place state singles match.

The No. 5-ranked Biehn, who produced a 22-0 record this fall en route to a 121-10 career mark, will face unranked St. Cloud Cathe-dral freshman Erin Stocker in first-round state singles action at 8 a.m. Thursday.

Biehn represents one of eight top 10-ranked netters competing for the Class A state singles championship.

If Biehn wins her opener, she would face the winner between Providence Academy sophomore Elena Sullivan, the No. 7-ranked netter, and No. 10-ranked Roseau junior Abby Ness in the noon quarterfinals Thursday.

No. 3-ranked Staples-Motley senior Abby Edin, the 2008 state singles runner-up, faces Almici in first-round play, while a pair of unranked netters - Austin Pacelli junior Lisa Johnen and The Marshall School senior Charlotte Skinner - round out the top half of the bracket.

The smooth-hitting Slama opens her first-ever state meet against No. 4-ranked Rochester Lourdes senior Courtney Rust, with the winner to face either No. 6-ranked Benson senior Abby Fragodt and unranked Long Prairie-Grey Eagle sophomore Kimmy Mrozek in quarterfinal action.

No. 1-ranked Mounds Park Academy senior Taylor Washington will take on the unranked Buysse in opening-round play, while No. 9-ranked Virginia junior Amanda Arbogast faces unranked East Grand Forks freshman Jessamy Jones.

In Class A state doubles action, defending champions Kate Roach and Amber Washington of Mounds Park Academy will face Aitkin's Allie Carlson and Kaitlyn Davies in Thursday's 10 a.m. opening round.

Two other state-qualifying tandems return intact - Maple River's Mandi Stencel and Sara Anderson plus Staples-Motley's Skye Coughlin and Emma Koskiniemi - to state doubles competition.

Stencel and Anderson, who combined to win the 2008 consolation crown, will play Crookston's Sarah Derosier and Hayley Myrold, while Coughlin and Koskiniemi will square off against St. James' Abby Frederickson and Karlee Sieve.

St. James' Darci Johnson and Julia Runge will face Litchfield's Lizzie Johnson and Ellie Black in first-round doubles state action Thursday, while Waseca's Lexie Ulfers and Hannah Flor take on Breck's Emily Alper and Sunny Tang.