A strong performance in doubles allowed the Ankeny boys’ tennis team to post a 7-4 victory at Fort Dodge in its CIML Iowa Conference opener on Monday.
The two teams split the six singles matches. The Hawks then captured four of the five doubles matches.
“It was a good start to the season,” said Ankeny coach Ron Miller. “This is the beginning of three weeks straight of three matches per week so it’s a very busy schedule moving forward.”
Ankeny got victories in singles from Sam Parkinson at the No. 3 spot, Avin Legg at No. 5 and Aiden Walker at No. 6. Easton Dunwoody dropped a three-set match at the No. 4 position, but then teamed up with Legg for a three-set win at No. 3 doubles.
“There were no real surprises,” Miller said. “Fort Dodge had a couple of good players and a new coach. We split the two three-set matches–both involving Easton. After a very tough singles loss, he was in no mood to let it happen again.”
The Hawks will host Waukee on Tuesday before traveling to Waukee Northwest on Thursday.
“The rest of the week will be a bit tougher facing two highly-ranked Waukee teams,” Miller said.
Here are the match-by-match results from Monday:
Ankeny 7, Fort Dodge 4
Singles–Flaherty (FD) beat Lyons, 6-1, 6-2; Vaughan (FD) beat Victor, 6-0, 6-3; Parkinson (A) beat Beekman, 6-0, 6-2; Porter (FD) beat Dunwoody, 6-3, 4-6, 1-0 (10); Legg (A) beat Hays, 6-0, 6-3; Walker (A) beat Utley, 6-2, 6-0.
Doubles–Flaherty-Vaughan (FD) beat Lyons-Victor, 6-4, 6-2; Parkinson-Somers (A) beat Porter-Hays, 6-0, 6-1; Dunwoody-Legg (A) beat Beekman-Utley, 4-6, 6-3, 1-0 (3); Walker-Bovee (A) beat Hansen-Morgan, 6-2, 6-1; Josten-Lueck (A) beat Miller-Sandvig, 7-6 (6), 6-1.