Mustangs make tennis debut in Independence

The 2026 season is underway for the Iola Mustangs, who hope to do a bit of development on the fly due to heat impeding their preseason preparation.

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Sports

September 11, 2026 - 4:17 PM

Evie Schooler, Iola junior, returns a serve during a match in Chanute earlier this season. Photo by Jimmy Potts / Iola Register

The Mustangs finished fifth while cutting their teeth in Thursday’s Independence Invitational, which Iola coach Chris Belknap attributed to being a little behind in development due to the weather.

“We played well, but we are behind all the other teams who have been practicing outdoors,” Belknap said. 

Belknap said he’s been holding practice inside the school hallways and commons area during the hot weather.

At No. 1 singles, sophomore Jayna Ivy opened with a 8-0 loss to Chanute’s Leah Burnett, then fell 8-2 to Fort Scott’s Emma Cook. Ivy fell to…

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