After winning just two singles matches, the Ankeny Centennial boys’ tennis team needed to make a comeback in doubles during Friday’s dual meet against visiting Urbandale.
The Jaguars managed to win three of the five doubles matches, but it wasn’t enough as Urbandale held on for a 6-5 victory at the Prairie Ridge courts. The J-Hawks are now 1-0 in the CIML Conference and 2-0 overall, while Centennial’s records dropped to 0-1 and 1-2.
“It was a tough loss,” said Centennial coach Tami Lewton. “We need to learn how to win tiebreakers. It doesn’t get any closer than this.”
Centennial’s Caleb Peterson posted a 6-0, 6-0 win at No. 1 singles. Teammate Brayden Wellendorf won a three-set match at the No. 3 spot.
However, Urbandale won the other four matches–including a three-set match at the No. 4 spot–and that proved to be the difference.
“It’s early in the season and only three of our guys have singles experience,” Lewton said. “We are learning with every match.”
The Jaguars will travel to Dowling Catholic on Tuesday for a conference meet against the Maroons.
Here are the match-by-match results from Friday’s meet:
Urbandale 6, Centennial 5
Singles–Peterson (AC) beat Chaudhry, 6-0, 6-0; Ajiri (U) beat Smith, 6-4, 6-2; Wellendorf (AC) beat Gonzalez Cabeza, 4-6, 6-1, 10-5; Hardersen (U) beat Hiney, 7-5, 2-6, 10-7; Velman (U) beat Valerie-Garsow, 6-4, 6-4; Kleis (U) beat Walker, 6-2, 6-1.
Doubles–Peterson-Smith (AC) beat Chaudhry-Ajiri, 6-2, 6-0; Hardersen-Velman (U) beat Wellendorf-Hiney, 7-5, 3-6, 10-5; Kleis-O’Dear (U) beat Valerie-Garsow-Walker, 3-6, 6-3, 10-7; Law-Halverson (AC) beat Folkers-Pawlowski, 6-1, 6-3; Sinclair-Earp (AC) beat Danenhauer-Choudhury, 6-4, 5-7, 10-4.