Senior day success

Creston’s veteran boys tennis team celebrated senior day Monday with a 6-3 victory over Clarinda at the Southwestern Community College courts.

The match was played in sustained 25 mph southwest winds and gusts to 40 mph.

The Panthers (4-9) established a 4-2 lead in singles matches and captured two of the three doubles contests against Cardinals (2-6). Damion Meyer, Ben Hill and Carson Cooper, three of the five seniors in the varsity lineup, picked up wins in both singles and doubles play.

“To say that tonight was a challenge in the wind would be an understatement!” Creston coach Kevin Cooper said. “I was a struggle for both teams throughout the evening. The good news for us is that we practice all the time in the wind at our home courts. Tonight was senior night and it was great to go out with a win for the boys team.”

Creston seniors honored with their parents prior to the meet were Gavin Millslagle, Lucas Rushing, Damion Meyer, Carson Cooper, Ben Hill, Sam Duncan and Steven Bell.

Clarinda girls, ranked ninth in Class 1A, improved to 10-1 with a 7-2 home victory over Creston (5-2).

In a lineup with five seniors, Creston freshman Violet Marcus picked up the lone singles win for the Panthers, 8-6 over Clarinda sophomore Alivia Higgins. Marcus also teamed with senior Josie Mahan for a competitive 8-6 loss at No. 2 doubles. Creston gained a doubles victory by Kolbey Bailey and Abbie Wheeler.

“Just like the boys event, the weather was a challenge both girls teams in Clarinda,” Cooper said. “We knew coming into tonight that Clarinda would be a tough team, and they lived up to that label. Coach Randy Pullen has done a great job reloading his team after losing four very quality players from last year’s team. We struggled in singles and that is a credit to them.”

Creston boys travel to Shenandoah Thursday and the Panther girls are scheduled to face Lewis Central and Shenandoah in double dual action Saturday, hosted by Shenandoah.

BOYS

Creston 6, Clarinda 3

Singles — Gavin Millslagle (Cr) def. Creighton Bird (Clar), 8-6; Ben Miller (Clar) def. Lucas Rushing (Cr), 8-3; Damion Meyer (Cr) def. Brady Cox (Clar), 8-2; Carson Cooper (Cr) def. Ian Smith (Clar), 8-2; Ben Hill (Cr) def. Robin Lin (Clar), 8-6; Hayden Hash (Clar) def. Spencer Brown (Cr), 8-6.

Doubles — Bird-Cox (Clar) def. Millslagle-Rushing (Cr), 8-2; Meyer-Hill (Cr) def. Miller-Hash (Clar), 8-3; Cooper-Brown (Cr) def. Smith-Lin (Clar), 8-2.

JV singles — Aiden Johnson (Clar) def. Steven Bell (Cr), 6-1; Will Sump (Clar) def. Ben Rushing (Cr), 6-5; Aiden Johnson (Clar) def. Wesley Wires (Cr), 6-4.

JV doubles — Johnson-Sump (Clar) def. Wires-Dylan Dornack (Cr), 6-2; Newberg-Taylor (Clar) def. Damien Flores-Sam Duncan (Cr), 6-3; Wyatt Hitz-Malachi Webber (Cr), 6-4.

GIRLS

Clarinda 7, Creston 2

Singles — Riley Nothwehr (Clar) def. Josie Mahan (Cr), 8-1; Taylin Walter (Clar) def. Ava Adamson (Cr), 8-1; Ellie Cole (Clar) def. Sasha Wurster (Cr), 8-4; Hannah Higgins (Clar) def. Kolbey Bailey (Cr), 8-1; Violet Marcus (Cr) def. Alivia Higgins (Clar), 8-6; Ellison Lovett (Clar) def. Abbie Wheeler (Cr), 8-5.

Doubles — Walter-Cole (Clar) def. Adamson-Wurster (Cr), 8-0; Nothwehr-H. Higgins (Clar) def. Mahan-Marcus (Cr), 8-6; Bailey-Wheeler (Cr) def. A. Higgins-Lovett (Clar), 8-4.

JV singles — Hollyn Rieck (Cr) def. Teddee Samuelson (Clar), 6-2; Taylor Vrba (Clar) def. Kennedy Strider (Cr), 6-1; Abby Collins (Cr) def. Brittany Kolamneo (Clar), 6-3; Jana Peavler (Cr) def. Alexandria King (Clar), 6-3.

JV doubles — Samuelson-Vrba (Clar) def. Rieck-Strider (Cr), 6-3; Kolamneo-King (Clar) def. Collins-Peavler (Cr), 6-3; Hesse-Gray (Clar) def. Jacques-Wipperman (Cr), 6-3; Bendt-Strider (Cr) def. Downey0-Barnes (Clar), 6-3.