The Boone girls’ tennis team is headed to the state tournament after a dramatic 5-4 victory over Waterloo Columbus Catholic in Waterloo on Saturday, September 27.
“We ended a 42-year run of Columbus being in the final 8 of team state,” head coach Shawn Latimer said.
In a match that came down to the wire, Boone showcased its depth and determination.
The Toreadors earned three crucial wins in singles play, with Livi Schneider, Ally Thompson and Olivia Conlin each dominating their matches in straight sets.
Schneider set the tone early with a commanding 6-0, 6-2 win, while Thompson and Conlin followed with 6-3, 6-2 and 6-0, 6-1 victories, respectively.
With the match tied heading into doubles, Boone’s pairings stepped up under pressure.
Schneider teamed up with Claire Hardinger to deliver a 6-2, 6-0 win, and the duo of Thompson and Conlin sealed the team’s fifth and deciding point with a 6-2, 6-4 triumph.
Complete results were previously posted to kwbg.com
“What a day,” Latimer said. “This is one of the closest-knit teams I have ever coached, and they just kept lifting each other up time and time again.”
The win marks a major milestone for Boone, whose balanced roster of experienced seniors, Juliana Lutz and Thompson, and rising underclassmen, Kaylee Kuehl, Schneider, Hardinger and Conlin and Rozzie Stevenson, has made them a force throughout the season.
“We have had a lot of seasons ended by Columbus over the years as we seem to always have to go through them, so this was satisfying for not only this year but also for all those years Boone girls came up short,” Latimer said.
Boone, the No. 7 seed, will now prepare to compete at the Class 1A state tournament, where they’ll face off against No. 2 seed Pella at 9 a.m. Monday, October 6, at Caldwell Park in Pella.
Jill Lutz reporting
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