Ankeny Centennial senior Abbie Peterson will continue her tennis career at Northern Iowa.
Peterson, a two-time state placewinner, said for awhile she had not planned on taking her game to the next level.
“To be honest, I had not been playing tournaments or looking into playing in college until very recently,” she said. “I was planning on getting into some tournaments and then from there looking into colleges, but everything with UNI fell into place super quickly and it was just a perfect fit for me!”
Peterson placed fourth in the Class 2A state singles tournament as a freshman in 2021. She then skipped her sophomore season to focus on the club circuit.
Peterson returned to Centennial’s lineup as a junior and placed second in Class 2A. She did not drop a single set until falling to Bettendorf’s Andrea Porubcin, 6-4, 7-6, in the title match.
Peterson, who also helped the Jaguars to a fourth-place finish in the Class 2A state team tournament, then teamed up with her brother, Caleb, to win the Class 2A state coed championship. The duo posted a 6-1, 7-5 victory over Bettendorf’s Porubcin and Robert Matera in the finals.
Caleb is now playing for Iowa Central Community College. Abbie will head to Cedar Falls in the fall of 2024.
“It was not a tough choice, because as long as I can play tennis, compete, and be a part of a team I am happy,” Peterson said. “I loved the girls there along with the coach and the campus. It was a nice environment, and I could tell that I could grow as a player there.
“I am so so excited for the opportunity and thankful!” she added.