The Norwalk girls tennis team walked away with two fourth-place finishes at Wednesday’s Class 2A Regional Singles and Doubles Tournament in Ames, falling short of any state qualifier bids.
Warrior junior Katie Larson went 2-2 and placed fourth in singles play, losing to top-seeded Abbie Peterson of Ankeny Centennial in the semifinals. She lost her third-place match vs. Emily Goodner of Fort Dodge. Senior Kelsey Dammeier also played singles for Norwalk. She won her first round match in straight sets before losing to 2nd-seeded Esther Guan of Centennial in the quarterfinals.
In doubles play, Norwalk senior Madison Haskell and junior Ava Johnson earned the No. 2 seed and placed fourth with a 1-2 record. They lost the third-place final by medical forfeit. The Warrior duo of senior Sami Aagard and junior Grace Dehmer lost their only match of the day in a third-set tiebreaker.
The Warriors competed without one of their top players in junior Anya Kallenbach, who is injured. Coach Kristen Geisler tells KNIA-KRLS Sports that she was impressed by her team’s competitive play.
“We are all really proud of how all of our players came out and fought hard against some tough competition. They gave it their all,” Geisler said.
The Warriors, who are 11-0 in duals this season, will now turn their attention to Class 2A Team Regionals. After receiving a first-round bye on Saturday, Norwalk will face either Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln or Thomas Jefferson on Tuesday, May 16, at the Crossroads Park Tennis Courts in West Des Moines.
Norwalk Results – Class 2A Regional Tournament at Ames
SINGLES:
Katie Larson (4th place, 2-2) – def. Alayna Elgert (SC North), 7-5, 6-0; def. Katie Gu (Ames), 6-3, 6-3; Semifinal: lost to No. 1 seed Abbie Peterson (Centennial), 0-6, 0-6; 3rd Place Match: lost to Emily Goodner (Fort Dodge), 0-6, 1-6.
Kelsey Dammeier (DNP, 1-1) – def. Adeline Oetker (Ames), 6-2, 6-0; lost to No. 2 seed Esther Guan (Centennial), 1-6, 2-6.
DOUBLES:
No. 2 seed Madison Haskell/Ava Johnson (4th place, 1-2) – def. Chen/Chen (Ames), 6-3, 6-2; Semifinal: lost to Yuan/Peterson (Centennial), 1-6, 3-6; 3rd Place Match: lost to Berg/Li (Ames) by medical forfeit.
Sami Aagard/Grace Dehmer (DNP, 0-1) – lost to Welp/Maynard (SC North), 6-2, 4-6 (9-11).
Norwalk hosts 4A State Qualifying Track Meet today
The Norwalk girls and boys track teams will host a Class 4A State Qualifying Meet today at Warrior Stadium. Eight schools are set to compete, with field events starting at 4:00 p.m. and running events beginning at 4:30.
The Norwalk boys are looking to build off second-place finishes at the Little Hawkeye Conference Meet on May 2 and the Pella Dutch Invitational on May 8. The Warrior girls placed fourth at the conference meet before winning their home meet on May 4.
Today’s top two place-winners in each event will automatically qualify for the Coed State Track Meet May 18-20 at Drake Stadium. In addition, the next 12 best performances statewide among qualifying meet place-winners will advance to state.
The field of teams includes Ankeny Centennial, Des Moines Roosevelt, Indianola, Johnston, Marshalltown, Norwalk, Ottumwa and Southeast Polk.