Trojans edge Creston girls

ATLANTIC — Atlantic won two of the three tiebreakers in winning a girls regional team tennis dual over Creston Friday, 5-4.

The Trojans turned the tables on the Panthers, who had won a regular-season dual by the same 5-4 margin. The win pushed Atlantic into the semifinals later Friday against No. 7-ranked Lewis Central, which had defeated Glenwood 5-1 earlier in the day.

The Titans downed Atlantic 5-1 to move into the regional finals against ninth-ranked Clarinda, which topped Shenandoah 5-2 in the other semifinal match.

One of the key differences in Creston’s rematch with Atlantic Friday morning was Atlantic’s ability to stay even after singles play, 3-3. In the previous matchup, Creston held a commanding 5-1 lead in singles play before Atlantic swept the three doubles matches.

On Saturday, Creston top three singles players were victorious — senior Josie Mahan and juniors Ava Adamson and Sasha Wurster. Adamson and Wurster teamed up to win by 7-5 tiebreaker in their second doubles set, taking that set 7-6 after cruising 6-3 in the opening set.

But, that would be the only doubles win for Creston. Atlantic’s Quincy Sorenson and Paytn Harter defeated Mahan and Violet Marcus in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4. Creston’s No. 3 doubles team of Kolbey Bailey and Abbie Wheeler won their first set, 6-2, but lost 7-6 on tiebreaker in the second and Atlantic’s duo of Maylynn Ferrell and Genevieve McCalla won the match tiebreaker, 10-6.

While the outcome was disappointing, Creston coach Kevin Cooper said his team competed hard.

“Clearly we didn’t want it to end this way,” Cooper said. “Credit goes to Atlantic. We beat them early in the year 5-4, and they flipped that around on us when it counted. There were a lot of close matches all day long, and they won one more than we did.”

Adamson and Wurster were each 2-0 for the day in singles and doubles play for the Panthers.

In the other semifinal matchup, No. 9-ranked Clarinda defeated Shenandoah, 5-2. In another region, Denison-Schleswig advanced over St. Albert, 5-1.

Boys substate

North Polk’s fourth-ranked boys team quickly secured a 5-0 home victory over Creston in team substate play Saturday morning. The Comets also claimed the sixth singles match and there were no doubles matches with the team outcome clinched.

North Polk also topped Southwest Valley in the second round, 5-0, after the Timberwolves had advanced with a 5-1 win over Red Oak. Southwest Valley singles winners were Evan Timmerman, Slate Goodvin-Kinnaird, Parker Boswell, Lucas James and Matthew Means.

In other second-round matches, Boone defeated St. Albert 5-0; and Kuemper Catholic defeated No. 8-ranked Glenwood, 5-3.

Coach Cooper expects the deep and talented North Polk squad to be a contender in state play this season.

“Today was a huge challenge for our team,” Cooper said. “North Polk is the best team we have faced in the past two years. Every one of their players had great serves and groundstrokes. Congratulations to them on their victory.”

Cooper expects a Creston tennis team banquet to be held in late May or June, to be announced later.

GIRLS

Atlantic 5, Creston 4

Singles — Josie Mahan (Creston) def. Quincy Sorenson (Atlantic), 6-1, 6-4; Ava Adamson (Creston) def. Lily Willrich (Atlantic), 6-4, 6-2; Sasha Wurster (Creston) def. Jacobi Harter (Atlantic), 6-3, 6-3; Maylynn Ferrell (Atlantic) def. Kolbey Bailey (Creston), 4-6, 6-2, (10-8 TB); Paytn Harter (Atlantic) def. Violet Marcus (Creston), 6-2, 6-4; Genevieve McCalla (Atlantic) def. Abbie Wheeler (Creston), 6-4, 6-2.

Doubles — Sorenson-P. Harter (Atlantic) def. Mahan-Marcus (Creston), 6-4, 6-4; Adamson-Wurster (Creston) def. Willrich-J. Harter (Atlantic), 6-3, 7-6 (7-5 TB); Ferrell-McCalla (Atlantic) def. Bailey-Wheeler (Creston), 2-6, 7-6 (7-4 TB), (10-6 TB).

BOYS

North Polk 5, Creston 0

Singles — Easton Moon (NP) def. Gavin Millslagle (Creston), 6-0, 6-0; Ethan Moon (NP) def. Lucas Rushing (Creston), 6-0, 6-0; Landon Murch (NP) def. Damion Meyer (Creston), 6-0, 6-1; Vance Rupp (NP) def. Carson Cooper (Creston), 6-2, 6-2; Elijah Dickinson (NP) def. Ben Hill (Creston), 6-1, 6-0; Derrick Rhoads (NP) def. Spencer Brown (Creston), 6-0, 6-2.