Boone freshman Maiya Phanchantraurai capped her first state tournament run with a second-place finish in singles competition while seniors Kaylee Kuehl and Livi Schneider closed out their careers with another top-five finish in doubles competition Thursday, October 8, at the Class 1A State Individual Tennis Tournament at Waukee Northwest High School.
Phanchantraurai opened the day by cruising past Grace Huinker of Decorah in the semifinals, 6-0, 6-1.
The victory advanced her to the championship match and guaranteed her a top-two finish in her first state tournament appearance.
“Maiya continued her stellar play and only dropped a few games en route to the final,” head coach Shawn Latimer said.
In the finals, Phanchantraurai faced three-time Class 1A state champion senior Gabriella Fleming of Cedar Rapids Xavier.
Fleming prevailed in a tightly contested match, winning 6-4, 6-4 to claim her fourth state individual championship.
“What a final it was,” Latimer said. “Maiya battled with a three-time state qualifier all the way to the end and just came up a few games short.”
“The match was an ESPN classic,” he said.
Boone also had success in doubles play, where seniors Kaylee Kuehl and Livi Schneider closed out their careers with their second top-five finish at state.
“Livi and Kaylee went 4-1 at the state tournament and finished as the 5th best doubles team in the state,” Latimer said.
Kuehl and Schneider earned a spot in the fifth-place match by battling through the consolation bracket.
The Boone duo rallied after dropping the opening set to defeat Payton Foster and Lauren Muller of Dike-New Hartford, 4-6, 6-1, 1-0.
In the fifth-place match, Kuehl and Schneider finished their tournament on a high note, defeating Ilsa Gruys and Brinley Reuter of Spirit Lake, 6-3, 7-5.
“It was a great way for the seniors to close out their individual careers,” he said.
The victory secured fifth place for the Boone pair, matching the fifth-place finish they achieved at the state tournament a year ago.
“What a great two days of individual tennis at the state tournament in Waukee,” Latimer said.
Boone, 13-1 on the season, will compete in the 2026 State Team Tennis Tournament on Monday and Tuesday, October 12 and 13, at Caldwell Park in Pella.
The Toreadors will open tournament play against Fairfield (11-0) at 9 a.m. Monday as they pursue a deep run in the state team bracket.
Jill Lutz reporting
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