| Register/Jocelyn Sheets Iola High’s Chase Vaughn begins a service during a home match last week. Vaughn and Alec Peterson play No. 1 doubles for the Mustangs. Iola played in Saturday’s Neodesha High Invitational. |
NEODESHA — Iola High’s tennis team recorded just three wins in 13 matches played in Saturday’s Neodesha High’s Invitational tennis tournament. They did finish their matches before the rain began.
Michael Middleton played in the No. 1 singles spot for Iola and went 1-3 for fourth place. Middleton’s win came between two 8-0 losses.
He beat Mac Fyfe of Neodesha 8-3. He lost to Jimmy Quinn of Chanute and Max Manley of Coffeyville.
“Michael got a win at No. 1 singles which might help with seeding later in the year,” said Lyle Kern, IHS tennis coach. Middleton has been Iola’s No. 2 singles player.
Also claiming fourth with a 1-3 mark was Iola’s No. 1 doubles team of Chase Vaughn and Alec Peterson. Vaughn and Peterson defeated Ian Jones and Mark Daiz of Neodesha, 8-4.
The Iola duo lost 8-0 to both Matt Sutt and Ian Cheshier of Chanute and Independence’s Austin Schroeder and Isaac Hilger.
Playing in the No. 2 singles division for Iola was freshman Garrett Catron. Catron recorded an 8-7 (9-7) victory over Keadon Haufman of Neodesha. Catron was sixth in his division.
Catron lost 8-1 to Chanute’s Jian Abbuehl and dropped an 8-5 decision to Daniel railsback of Neodesha. Then came his win followed by an 8-3 loss to Independence’s Joel Simwinger.
Iola’s No. 2 doubles team of Zeph Larney and Jordan Strickler took seventh. They lost 8-1 to Chanute’s Jacob Guiot and Mason Johnson, 8-3 to Neodesha’s Kyle Thompson and Adam Schultz and 8-0 to Quinton Hershey and Josh Mitchell of Coffeyville.
“Garrett played well at No. 2 singles. I could see improvement in both doubles teams,” Kern said. “We need to work on serves and placing our volleys.”
Iola hits the courts again Thursday at Coffeyville.
