Xavier’s Curley, Lansing rally in district doubles

CEDAR RAPIDS – For whatever reason, it just takes Ben Curley and Jon Lansing a little time to get going.

The No. 1 doubles team for Cedar Rapids Xavier found themselves in their customary first-set hole, down 3-0 to Dubuque Wahlert's Will McDonald and John Ott in the semifinals of the Class 1A district meet.

'That's actually been a problem this year,” Xavier Coach Jim Potts said. 'They get off to slow starts in the first set.”

The Saints' duo responded with three straight games, then rallied again down 5-3 by forcing a first-set tiebreaker that they won, 7-2. Curley struggled early with his serve, but once the senior erased the first-serve errors, Xavier started to string points together and won the semifinal, 7-6 (7-2), 6-3.

'When in doubt don't pull back, swing out,” Curley said of his serve. 'Because you have a habit of pulling back whenever you're nervous, and if you're pulling back you're not getting it in.”

The semifinal win clinched a spot in the state tournament for Curley and Lansing. The pair advanced and cruised to victory in the district championship match against Wahlert's No. 1 doubles' team (Tom Auge and Jack Lucy), 6-1, 6-2.

'You've got a senior and a freshman,” Potts said. 'The senior has been kind of leading the freshman all year. Jon's just been stepping up and playing well, too. They complement each other real well.”

Curley utilized a powerful point-scoring forehand, while the freshman Lansing has a nifty backhand that he uses to volley or return from a variety of positions or angles.

'When it comes around, I just swing and hit it,” Lansing said. 'It just comes kind of natural.”

In the 2A district meet at Iowa City High, Iowa City West teammates Jiung Jung and David DiLeo both qualified for state singles by reaching the district final. Jung claimed the championship, 6-2, 6-1. West added a doubles state qualifier in Cole Schneider and Ryan Smith, who were upended by City High's Joe Hoff and Greg Hensley in the championship, 6-3, 6-3.

The state meet begins May 29. Class 1A will be at Byrnes Park in Waterloo, while 2A is at Veterans Memorial Tennis Center in Cedar Rapids.

WASH GIRLS GET DEFENSIVE

Girls' tennis team regionals begin Saturday, highlighted by Cedar Rapids Washington (14-1), which begins defense of its state championship with a first-round dual against Cedar Rapids Jefferson.

'I feel like we've got some work to do,” senior Lilly Hartman said after the Warriors edged Cedar Rapids Prairie, 5-4, in their Mississippi Valley Conference finale Friday at Washington. 'I think we all need to elevate our game a little bit.”

In other regional openers, Iowa City West hosts Burlington, while Linn-Mar is at Dubuque Senior and Cedar Rapids Kennedy travels to North Scott.

In 1A regional team openers, Cedar Rapids Xavier visits Camanche, and Marion is at host Independence along with Mount Vernon-Lisbon and South Tama.

CLASS 1A DISTRICTS

At C.R. Xavier

(Top three teams qualify for substate)

Teams - 1. Dubuque Wahlert 29, 2. C.R. Xavier 24, 3. Grinnell 8, 4. Marion 7, 5. Independence 3, 6. South Tama 2, 7. Union Community 2.

SINGLES

(Top two qualify for state)

Championship

Cam Long (DW) def. Jackson Takes (DW), 6-2, 6-4

Third place

Alex Hinrichs (CRX) def. Peter Ward (M), 6-0, 6-1

DOUBLES

(Top two qualify for state)

Championship

Ben Curley/Jon Lansing (CRX) def. Tom Auge/Jack Lucy (DW), 6-1, 6-2

Third place

Charlie Esker/Jack VonKampen (CRX) def. Will McDonald/John Ott (DW), 2-6, 6-2, 1-0 (2)

CLASS 2A DISTRICTS

At Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Center

(Top three teams qualify for substate)

Teams - 1. Iowa City West 29, 2. Iowa City High 24, 3. Davenport West 10, 4. C.R. Jefferson 7, 5. Muscatine 5, 6. Burlington 0.

SINGLES

(Top two qualify for state)

Championship

Jiung Jung (ICW) def. David DiLeo (ICW), 6-2, 6-1

Third place

Drew Jaspers (ICH) def. Jason Chung (CRJ), 5-7, 6-2, 10-3

DOUBLES

(Top two qualify for state)

Championship

Joe Hoff/Greg Hensley (ICH) def. Cole Schneider/Ryan Smith (ICW), 6-3, 6-3

Third place

Max Gruber/Kunj Saxena (ICH) def. Brad DiLeo/Yair Abramoff (ICW), 7-6, 6-1

l Comments: douglas.miles@thegazette.com