State team tennis pairings have been announced

The road to the state tennis tournament is heating up as the girls’ regional matches are set to begin on May 10, followed by the boys’ substate matches on May 11.

In the Class 2A boys’ team substate tournaments, Linn-Mar, Iowa City West, and Cedar Rapids Washington have secured the No. 1 seeds and will host quarterfinal and semifinal round matches. The top two seeds in each substate will host the first and second round duals on May 11, with the substate finals scheduled for May 15 at the highest remaining seeded team’s home court.

No. 2 Linn-Mar is the favorite in Substate 4, while No. 4 Iowa City West and No. 6 Cedar Rapids Washington are the top seeds in Substate 6 and Substate 3 respectively. The state team tournament is set for May 30-31 at Waukee Northwest High School for 2A and the Hawkeye Recreation and Tennis Center in Iowa City for 1A.

On the girls’ side, top-ranked Xavier will kick off their quest for a state title by hosting Maquoketa in a Region 3 quarterfinal on May 10. The unbeaten Saints are favorites to win the Class 1A title, led by top-ranked singles player Gabi Fleming and senior Avery Link. Regional team play continues with semifinal matches on May 14, with state quarterfinals set for May 18 at home sites.

The state semifinals and finals are scheduled for May 29, with 1A at Byrnes Park in Waterloo and 2A at Waukee Northwest High School. Tennis fans are in for an exciting few weeks as the best high school players in Iowa battle it out for state glory.