INDEPENDENCE — It was the Neodesha High Invitational played at Independence.
Iola High’s Mustangs came home with medals in the two singles divisions from Friday’s tennis tournament.
Garrett Catron garnered the second-place medal in the No. 1 singles division. Catron defeated Kyle Thompson of Neodesha 8-1 then outlasted Joel Simwingo of Independence 8-7 (7-3). Catron lost 8-5 to Brad Eastman of Coffeyville.
Zeph Larney went to a tiebreaker in two of his three matches in the No. 2 singles division. He won one and lost one in the extra action which earned him a third-place medal.
Larney lost 8-7 (7-4) to Lance Cheshier of Neodesha then defeated Independence’s Drake King 8-7 (7-3). Larney lost 8-5 to Drew Rising of Coffeyville.
“Our wins seem to be based on our serves. When we serve well, we increase our chances of winning,” said Lyle Kern, Mustang tennis coach. “We continue to improve and we will spend more time at practice on improving our first-serve percentage.”
In No. 1 doubles, Iola’s Jordan Strickler and Andrew Lowell lost to Neodesha’s Daniel Railsback and Mac Fife 8-1. Strickler and Lowell dropped 8-3 decisions to Independence’s Zak Wallace and Seth Boyer and to Coffeyville’s Josh Mitchell and Quentin Hershey.
Chris Michaels and Drew Smith, Iola’s No. 2 doubles team, lost 8-0 to Neodesha’s Dexton Porter and Keaton Kaufman and to Coffeyville’s David Paul Critz and Devan Knight. They lost 8-1 to Brennan Gordan and Austin Whitson of Independence.
Iola’s tennis team goes to Coffeyville Tuesday.
Mustang singles medal
