CHANUTE — Iola High’s Keira Fawson proved dominant in singles play once again Thursday.
Fawson went 3-0 without allowing a single point, to win the No. 2 singles division at the Chanute Invitational.
Iola’s Miah Shelby came up agonizingly short of matching her teammate.
After winning both of her pool matches, Shelby dropped a thriller to Fort Scott’s Emma Daly in the first-place match.
Meanwhile, Iola’s doubles teams also came up with hard-fought victories on a warm, windy day on the courts.
The victories were sufficient to tie for third overall finish for the Iola Mustang squad.
With Fawson and Shelby playing each other on a regular basis for the right to be the no. 1 singles player, it was Shelby’s turn to take on the respective aces from other area schools.
She toppled Jozie Robison of Columbus, 8-2, and Chanute’s Aimee Maxton, 8-2, to set up the grudge match against McCabe.
The pair went back and forth on extended rallies, with Daly prevailing, 8-6, for the crowd.
Fawson had no such troubles. She defeated Columbus’s Gracie Davoli and Chanute’s Aailyah Coldin by identical 8-0 scores.
That set up a title match against Pittsburg’s Shelby Payne. Fawson made it 3-for-3 with another 8-0 romp.
In no. 1 doubles action, Iola’s Rebekah Coltrane and Charlie Peters teamed up to defeat Macy Allison and Sophie Lloyd of Columbus, 8-3, before falling, 8-1, to Chanute’s Lena Aguilar and Hannah Langen. That set up a match against Pittsburg’s Lakyn Lefever and Roary Hunziker. The Purple Dragon duo came away with an 8-1 victory.
Iola’s Genevive Ward and Kennedy Maier also won their opening match, shutting out Meagan Hosier and Ally Smith of Columbus, 8-0. They dropped an 8-2 decision to Chanute’s Ava Campbell and Zoie Speaks.
They, too, wound up against a Pittsburg duo in the third-place match. The Mustang tandem dropped an 8-0 set to Pittsburg’s Lindy Grotheer and Savanah Grotheer.
Next week brings another busy week for the Mustang squad.
