Waukee Northwest Completes Historic Sweep; Boone Ends 16-Year Title Drought at Iowa Girls State Tennis

WAUKEE, Iowa — Waukee Northwest cemented its status as the state’s premier girls tennis program Tuesday, capturing the Class 2A team championship to complete a unprecedented sweep of all three state titles for a second consecutive season.

The Wolves defeated Johnston 5-1 in the final at their home courts, capping a three-day run that saw them drop just one match across three duals. The victory adds a team crown to the singles title won by sophomore Addison Latta and the doubles championship claimed by senior Riley Hilton and junior Alexa Perugini earlier in the tournament.

No Iowa program had ever swept singles, doubles and team titles in back-to-back years until Waukee Northwest accomplished the feat in 2023. The repeat performance underscores a level of sustained depth that goes beyond individual star power.

“When you have that kind of balance from the top of your lineup to the bottom, it’s not about one or two players carrying you,” said a coach familiar with the program’s development. “It’s a systemic advantage built over years.”

In Class 1A, Boone authored its own history, toppling three-time defending champion Cedar Rapids Xavier 5-2 to claim the program’s first team state title since 2008. The Toreadors entered the tournament unseeded in the final but dismantled Fairfield 5-0 and edged Pella 5-2 before facing the Saints.

Xavier arrived at the state meet having already secured the 1A singles and doubles championships, making Boone’s upset all the more striking. The Saints had won 12 consecutive dual matches at the state tournament before Tuesday’s final.

The Iowa High School Athletic Association sanctions girls tennis as a fall sport, with the state tournament split across two classifications based on enrollment. Class 2A includes the largest 48 schools; Class 1A comprises the rest. Both classifications crown champions in singles, doubles and team competition.

Waukee Northwest’s path to the title ran through two traditional powers. The Wolves blanked Iowa City West and West Des Moines Valley by identical 5-0 scores in the quarterfinals and semifinals. Valley, a perennial contender, rebounded to claim third place with a 5-2 win over Pleasant Valley.

For Boone, the 16-year gap between team titles spans generations of players. The 2008 championship came under a different coaching staff and against a different competitive landscape. This year’s roster, led by senior Maiya Phanchantraurai, navigated a bracket that included several programs with deeper postseason pedigrees.

Pella secured third place in 1A with a 5-3 victory over Central DeWitt in the consolation final.

The tournament concluded three days of competition at the Waukee Northwest Tennis Complex, where courts were added in recent years to accommodate the state meet’s rotation. The facility’s eight courts allowed simultaneous dual matches, compressing the schedule into a three-day window.

Tuesday’s finals marked the final high school tennis matches of the 2024 season in Iowa. The boys state tournament is held in the spring.