September 12, 2025
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Rieck-Strider 5th at H10 tourney

By LARRY PETERSON
Creston's Kennedy Strider (left) and Hollynn Rieck went 2-1 and placed fifth in No. 1 doubles at the Hawkeye Ten girls tennis tournament Wednesday.

Creston's Kennedy Strider (left) and Hollynn Rieck went 2-1 and placed fifth in No. 1 doubles at the Hawkeye Ten girls tennis tournament Wednesday. (Larry Peterson)

SHENANDOAH — Creston’s Hollynn Rieck and Kennedy Strider placed fifth at No. 1 doubles at the 2025 Hawkeye Ten girls tennis championships Wednesday.

Seeded third, Rieck and Strider fell behind 3-0 to unseeded Lucy Edwards and Lilly Edwards of Lewis Central in an 8-5 loss in the opening round. The Panther duo battled back to place fifth, the highest possible placing in the consolation bracket. (The four semifinalists from the championship bracket accounted for the top four placings.)

Rieck and Strider won 8-2 over Shauna Anderson and Aubrey Winford of Atlantic and then topped Kaitlyn Mullanix and Brielle Allmon of Glenwood in the fifth place match, 8-6. They accounted for four team points, placing Creston 10th in the final team standings.

Hollynn Rieck of Creston hits a volley at the net while playing doubles with Kennedy Strider at the Hawkeye Ten tournament Wednesday.

Hollynn Rieck of Creston hits a volley at the net while playing doubles with Kennedy Strider at the Hawkeye Ten tournament Wednesday. (Larry Peterson)

Shenandoah lost only two matches in winning two of the four brackets for their first championship since 2018 with 30 points.

“Hollynn and Kennedy played a very close first round match against an unseeded team who ended up getting second,” Creston coach Kevin Cooper said. “We just couldn’t keep things going late in the match. They came back and won two matches to claim fifth place.”

Sophomore Marlee Stalker competed in No. 1 singles and defeated Harlan’s Anastacia Kay in the first round, 8-6. Stalker was defeated by Hawkeye Ten champion Gabbi Jacobs of Shenandoah in the quarterfinals and came up one win short of placing.

Marlee Stalker of Creston approaches a forehand shot during No. 1 singles competition at the Hawkeye Ten tournament. Stalker won her first round match, 8-6.

Marlee Stalker of Creston approaches a forehand shot during No. 1 singles competition at the Hawkeye Ten tournament. Stalker won her first round match, 8-6. (Larry Peterson)

“Today was a good day for Marlee,” Cooper said. “She was playing in her second Hawkeye Ten, but this was her first time playing in the No. 1 singles bracket. She beat Harlan’s number one player, 8-6. She played a very close match with Denison’s number one in her consolation loss.”

Harlan’s No. 2 doubles team edged Creston’s Brooke Huck and Savannah Jaques in the first round, 9-7. Huck and Jaques and No. 2 singles player Shaylee Coen fell in the consolation bracket openers.

“Today was the first Hawkeye Ten tournament for Brooke and Savannah and they played a great first round match against the four seed,” Cooper said. “They were just unable to close out the match. Shaylee played two very good matches. She was just unable to get the victory late in those matches. This was her first year of playing singles at the tournament.”

Brooke Huck of Creston punches a volley across the net as doubles teammate Savannah Jaques watches from the baseline.

Brooke Huck of Creston punches a volley across the net as doubles teammate Savannah Jaques watches from the baseline. (Larry Peterson)

The No. 1 singles championship featured two state-ranked players as Shenandoah’s Jacobs defeated Charlotte Schwabe of Kuemper Catholic, 8-4. Ellie Cole of Clarinda claimed her second Hawkeye Ten championship, winning at No. 2 singles after winning at No. 1 doubles last season.

Five of the six champions on the day were seniors. Sophomore Lyla Mather played at No. 2 doubles for the championship team from Shenandoah.

Kuemper junior Charlotte Schwabe has played in three straight Hawkeye Ten championship finals. She was runner-up at No. 1 singles Wednesday after claiming championships at No. 2 doubles in 2024 and spring 2025.

Class 1A regional singles and doubles competition will be held Sept. 17 at Pella.

Creston's Shaylee Coen returns a shot during a No. 2 singles match at the Hawkeye Ten tournament.

Creston's Shaylee Coen returns a shot during a No. 2 singles match at the Hawkeye Ten tournament. (Larry Peterson)

Hawkeye Ten Tournament

Team standings — 1. Shenandoah 30; 2. Clarinda 26; 3. St. Albert 19; 4. Kuemper Catholic 15; 5. Atlantic 14; 6. (tie) Denison-Schleswig 10, Lewis Central 10, and Harlan 10; 9. Glenwood 5; 10. Creston 4; 11. Red Oak 1.

No. 1 singles final — Gabi Jacobs (Shenandoah) def. Charlotte Schwabe (Kuemper), 8-3.

No. 1 doubles final — Ellie O’Donovan-Ella Narmi (St. Albert) def. Ali Hansen-Nora Martin (Shenandoah), 8-5.

No. 2 singles final — Ellie Cole (Clarinda) def. Jaylan Gray (Shenandoah), 8-4.

No. 2 doubles final — Lyla Mather-Rachel Hobbie (Shenandoah) def. Layla Hargis-Taylor Vrba (Clarinda), 9-7.

Creston results

No. 1 singles — Marlee Stalker (Creston) def. Anastacia Kay (Harlan), 8-6; Gabbi Jacobs (Shenandoah) def. Stalker (Creston), 8-0; Leila Jaime (D-S) def. Stalker (Creston), 8-5.

No. 1 doubles — Lucy Edwards-Lilly Edwards (LC) def. Hollynn Rieck-Kennedy Strider (Creston), 8-5; Rieck-Strider (Creston) def. Shauna Anderson-Aubrey Winford (Atlantic), 8-2; Rieck-Strider (Creston) def. Kaitlyn Mullanix-Brielle Allmon (Glenwood), 8-6, for fifth place.

No. 2 singles — Maura Ryan (St. Albert) def. Shaylee Coen (Creston), 8-3; Abby Ratliff (D-S) def. Coen (Creston), 8-5.

No. 2 doubles — L. Schmitz-Maria Jose Luna Guerrero (Harlan) def. Brooke Huck-Savannah Jaques (Creston), 9-7; Miley Harrill-Emily Bills (Lewis Central) def. Huck-Jaques (Creston), 8-2.

Larry Peterson

LARRY PETERSON

Former senior feature writer at Creston News Advertiser and columnist. Previous positions include sports editor for many years and assistant editor. Also a middle school basketball coach in Creston.