Xavier girls fall to Boone in tennis finals

By Jim Ecker

PELLA – Gabi Fleming dissolved in anguished tears Tuesday after Xavier lost to Boone, 5-2, in the finals of the Class 1A state tennis tournament in Pella.

First her mother, then her father, then her grandfather tried to console her and soothe her feelings with hugs and kind words, but each time she lost her composure and began crying again.

Fleming is one of the most decorated tennis players in state history with four straight singles titles, but she desperately wanted to finish her prep career with a third straight team championship with the Saints.

Compounding the anguish, Fleming and Taylor Valenta lost a third-set tiebreaker at No. 2 doubles to give Boone its fifth and decisive point and end the meet with the two other doubles matches in progress. The Saints were on the verge of losing in straight sets at No .3 doubles and undoubtedly would have lost the meet even if Fleming and Valenta had prevailed, but that did not make her feel any better.

“She wants to win. There’s no second place for her,” said Xavier Coach Matt Foxhoven. “The lasting impact she’ll have on this program is much bigger than finishing second today.”

Fleming defeated Boone freshman Maiya Phanchantraurai, 6-2, 6-4, at No. 1 singles Tuesday in a rematch of their fierce battle in the finals of the Class 1A singles championships last week in Waukee, but Gemma Younadam was the only other Saint to prevail in singles at the No. 2 spot, leaving Xavier in a 4-2 hole entering the doubles competition. They would have needed to sweep all the doubles matches to emerge victorious.

All of the Saints received medals for placing second in the tournament, with an IGHSAU official draping medals around their necks, but Fleming and Younadam quickly removed their medals in abject disappointment.

Fleming preferred to skip a post-match interview while dealing with her emotions. Shortly after, the Saints piled into their school van and headed back to Cedar Rapids.

Foxhoven had a brief meeting with his players after the meet and reminded them of something very impressive: The Saints have won eight major championships the last four years with four singles titles by Fleming, two doubles titles and two team championships.

It’s a remarkable accomplishment.

“Absolutely,” he said. “When you think of it: Eight first-place trophies in the last four years.”

The Saints played without injured Tia Halabi, normally their No.2 singles player who might have made a major difference Tuesday.

“We got dealt a bad hand this year,” said Foxhoven, who was not looking for excuses.

Foxhoven symbolically listed Halabi as Xavier’s No.1 substitute on the lineup card Tuesday, but Halabi is still wearing a walking boot on her right leg as her broken bone continues to heal and obviously could not play.

“She’s done so much for our program,” he said. “She needs to be recognized.”

Halabi, like Fleming, was reduced to tears after the meet.

The meet began more than two hours late Tuesday morning due to moist courts from overnight rain, but most of the meet was played in sunshine.

BOONE 5, XAVIER 2
Singles
1. Gabi Fleming (X) def. Maiya Phanchantraurai, 6-2, 6-4
2. Gemma Younadam (X) def. Kylee Kuehl, 6-2, 6-1
3. Lin Schneider (B) def. Kelsey Weiss, 6-4, 6-2
4. Claire Hardinger (B) def. Ziah Harrington, 6-0, 6-3
5. Olivia Conlin (B) def. Grace Negrin, 6-4, 7-5
6. Harper Kuehl (B) def. Taylor Valenta, 6-1, 6-0

Doubles
1. Younadam/Weiss (X) vs. Phanchantraurai/Hardinger, DNF
2. K.Kuehl/Schneider (B) def. Fleming/Valenta, 6-4, 3-6, 10-8
3. Negrin/Evelyn Bern (X) vs Conlin/H.Kuehl, DNF