Iowa High School Tennis: Girls Hit the Courts Early

Season flips to fall from spring starting this year for Iowa girls tennis

Gabriella Fleming of Cedar Rapids Xavier won her second Class 1A Iowa girls state tennis championship on Saturday. / IGHSAU/X

It was just a few short months ago that singles and doubles champions were crowned in Iowa high school girls tennis. 

The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union decided to flip the girls tennis season from the spring to the fall starting in 2025 as a way to hopefully see more student athletes compete in the sport. The spring features track and field, golf and soccer, while running into the start of the softball season.

In the fall, volleyball, cross country and swimming are in action. 

The tennis season will be a short and sweet one, as it started already this month and will conclude in October. The individual state tournament is set for October 1-2 while state team tennis takes place October 6-7. 

Gabriella Fleming chasing third state singles title in three seasons

One of the top players in the state will be seeking her third title in three seasons, as Gabriella Fleming of Cedar Rapids Xavier cruised to gold in Class 1A this past spring. Fleming did not drop a single set throughout the state meet, besting Kate Holton of Columbus Catholic in the finals, 6-0, 6-0. 

There will be a new doubles champion crowned in 1A, as Fleming’s teammates, Ruby Smith and Isabel Tobin, graduated. They defeated Izzy Norton and Aidalyn Tott of Dike-New Hartford last year for gold. Both Norton and Tott also graduated. 

Holton is one of the other returning players in 2025, as she went 33-3 last year as a sophomore. Kaylie Simons of Carroll Kuemper, Gabi Jacobs from Shenandoah and Camryn Glass of Sergeant Bluff-Luton are others looking to contend.

New champion will be crowned in 2A

Kira Smith of Ankeny capped her senior season with an unbeaten record and a singles title, besting Sescie Haan of Clinton in the finals. Like Smith, Haan exhausted her eligibility and has moved one.

North Scott’s Madelyn Jepsen won over 20 matches last year as a sophomore and is back, along with the likes of Riley Hilton of Waukee Northwest, Lily Holland from Cedar Rapids Jefferson, Tori Hansen of Council Bluffs Lincoln, Manuela Rodriguez from Fort Dodge and Iowa City Liberty’s Vivian Kahler. 

Dowling Catholic’s Grace Frye and Juju Mauro won gold in doubles last year, but both have graduated. Frye and Mauro bested London Taylor and Mia Deines of Waukee Northwest in the finals, as both Taylor and Deines will join Hilton as juniors this year for the Wolves.

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