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Isanta wins regional tennis title
Panther sophomore off to state, Maharishi trio joins
FAIRFIELD — It has been a stellar year for sophomore tennis player Jana Isanta.
The Winfield-Mount Union exchange student just started playing for Mt. Pleasant this spring, and she has already reached incredible heights. At Monday’s regional tennis tournament, she kept climbing.
Isanta, who is originally from a city just out side of Barcelona, Spain, blew through the singles competition, winning every set she played in by five or more points.
“I really wanted to make it to state,” Isanta said. “I really enjoy playing tennis, so I really wanted to make it further and just keep playing tennis.”
Isanta swept through the first round, knocking off Ava Allen of Centerville 6-0, 6-0. In the quarters, she took down Southeast Conference rival Nevaeh Logan of Keokuk, beating her 6-0, 6-1.
Isanta had quite the matchups in the next two rounds, facing off with Maharishi stars Poojita and Ishita Mukadam. In the semifinals, she knocked off Poojita Mukadam 6-1, 6-1. She won by the same score in the regional title match, beating out Ishita Mukadam in the final showdown.
“I'm really grateful that I can play in Mt. Pleasant, because we don't have courts in Winfield,” Isanta said. “I'm really enjoying it. They're super nice.”
Ishita Mukadam will be joining Vila in the state singles bracket. Regional play advances two qualifiers to state, and she clinched her spot by knocking off Assumption’s Addison Walter in the semifinals, a win that earned her the spot against Isanta in the championship.
Ishita Mukadam will return to state after a seventh-place finish in the singles state tournament last spring.
“We’re proud of Ishita,” said Maharishi head coach Lawrence Eyre. “She just became Maharishi School’s first two-time state qualifier since Minna Montgomery in 2010 and 2011.”
Also advancing to state were the Maharishi doubles team of Ria Altynska-Ross and Aparajita Kalra.
The Pioneer duo took second place in the doubles tournament. That performance included a clutch victory over Fairfield’s top doubles team of Emma Wendland and Sriya Yammanur in the semifinals.
Wendland and Yammanur would go on to win the third place match. Altynska-Ross and Kalra fell to Davis County duo Abby Warning and Culee Smith in the championship.
Like in singles, two doubles teams from regionals advance to the state tournament.
“Our doubles newbies Ria and Aparajita have improved in every event this season,” Eyre said. “It's exciting to see their progress on court."
Mt. Pleasant’s Isanta and Maharishi’s full trio will all be in action on May 24 at the University of Iowa tennis center in Iowa City. That is a two-day tournament, finishing up on May 25.
