CHANUTE — Iola High’s Keira Fawson proved dominant in singles play once again Thursday.
Fawson went 3-0 without allowing a single point, to win the No. 2 singles division at the Chanute Invitational.
Iola’s Miah Shelby came up agonizingly short of matching her teammate.
After winning both of her pool matches, Shelby dropped a thriller to Fort Scott’s Emma Daly in the first-place match.
Meanwhile, Iola’s doubles teams also came up with hard-fought victories on a warm, windy day on the courts.
The victories were sufficient to tie for third overall finish for the Iola Mustang squad.
With Fawson and Shelby playing each other on a regular basis for the right to be the no. 1 singles player, it was Shelby’s turn to take on the respective aces from other area schools.
She toppled Jozie Robison of Columbus, 8-2, and Chanute’s Aimee Maxton, 8-2, to set up the grudge match against McCabe.
The pair went back and forth on extended rallies, with Daly prevailing, 8-6, for the crowd.
Fawson had no such troubles. She defeated Columbus’s Gracie Davoli and Chanute’s Aailyah Coldin by identical 8-0 scores.
That set up a title match against Pittsburg’s Shelby Payne. Fawson made it 3-for-3 with another 8-0 romp.
In no. 1 doubles action, Iola’s Rebekah Coltrane and Charlie Peters teamed up to defeat Macy Allison and Sophie Lloyd of Columbus, 8-3, before falling, 8-1, to Chanute’s Lena Aguilar and Hannah Langen. That set up a match against Pittsburg’s Lakyn Lefever and Roary Hunziker. The Purple Dragon duo came away with an 8-1 victory.
Iola’s Genevive Ward and Kennedy Maier also won their opening match, shutting out Meagan Hosier and Ally Smith of Columbus, 8-0. They dropped an 8-2 decision to Chanute’s Ava Campbell and Zoie Speaks.
They, too, wound up against a Pittsburg duo in the third-place match. The Mustang tandem dropped an 8-0 set to Pittsburg’s Lindy Grotheer and Savanah Grotheer.
Next week brings another busy week for the Mustang squad.
Iola’s junior varsity is at Independence Tuesday before the varsity squad travels to Pittsburg Thursday.
