Thanks to scheduling quirks, the Iola tennis team opened its 2019 season early when the Mustangs hosted Independence on Thursday.
The meet was originally scheduled for next week but spring break for several schools interfered so the Mustangs decided to move it up. Even with the move, not everyone was able to make it, leaving just a showdown between Iola and the Bulldogs.
Iola walked away with the lion?s share of the wins including five of nine singles matches and four of five doubles matches.
?Our 14 matches went well considering the weather and the lack of practice due to the weather,? head coach Dan Berg said. ?We now have had a good look at what needs to be improved and what is good and needs to be kept. I?m proud of the team?s ability to compete with as little time that we?ve had on the courts.?
In singles, Jon Miller split his two matches, winning 6-0 versus Remington Easley before falling 6-3 to Ian O?Rourke.
Junior Elijah Fawson won the only singles match that he played, 6-3 over Easley.
Junior Eason Cheung won both of his matches, topping Tristan Cushing 6-5 with a 7-5 extra point and Miguel Carranco 6-1.
Junior Adryan Nading went 1-1, falling to O?Rourke 6-3 before beating Carranco 6-3.
Lastly, sophomore Gabe Berry and junior Royce Smith lost their singles matches. Berry lost 6-1 to Carranco and Smith lost 6-1 to Jacob Peschke.
In the doubles arena, Fawson and senior Bret Plumlee went 2-0, topping Peschke and O?Rouke 6-3 before beating Easley and Peschke 6-1.
Miller and Plumlee teamed up for one doubles match and won 6-0 over Carranco and Peschke.
Nading and Smith also won big, beating Carranco and Cushing 6-0.
Smith and Cheung lost 6-3 to Cushing and O?Rourke.
