It was only a matter of time before Ankeny Centennial’s Abbie and Caleb Peterson won a state tennis title.
On Tuesday, the Peterson siblings did it together.
The duo posted a 6-1, 7-5 victory over Andrea Porubcin and Robert Matera of Bettendorf to win the Class 2A state coed championship. The tournament began in Marshalltown but was later moved indoors to the Ames Racquet Club due to rain.
“It feels amazing,” said Caleb, a senior. “It means a lot more to me to share the court with my sister, who I love and have been on this tennis journey with my whole life.”
After receiving a bye, the Petersons won five consecutive matches to capture the crown. Both Caleb and Abbie, a junior, had placed second in their respective Class 2A singles tournaments last month.
Abbie lost in the finals to Bettendorf’s Porubcin, but she said she wasn’t looking for revenge on Tuesday.
“I just focused on playing my game and having fun!” said Abbie. “I was excited to win, but it didn’t matter to me who I was playing against. They were very nice and so fun to play against!”
Abbie was able to play after an injury forced her to miss the Class 2A state team tournament on May 30. She could only watch as the Centennial girls’ team earned a fourth-place finish.
“My ankle is still sore, and the other ankle is also now bothering me,” she said. “But I just pushed through today and toughed it out.”
Caleb was glad that she did.
“It was a great experience, and I’m excited to end my high school year with Abbie,” he said.