Maharishi on to Sweet 16

FAIRFIELD — Friday marked Day 1 of the 2024 Class 1A regional team tennis tournament, and the area had three teams battling for the chance at a berth in Tuesday’s Sweet 16 round.

The Maharishi Pioneers will represent the area on the next day of play. Maharishi scored two wins on the day to move on to the regional championship.

The Pioneers started things off with a 5-0 win over Fort Madison in an opening round that didn’t make it to doubles. On the other side of the bracket, Fairfield outlasted Keokuk 5-2, thanks to singles wins by Emma Wendland, Sriya Yammanur, Faith Jones and Mareyn Dunkin, and a doubles victory at the hands of Steele and Dunkin.

That set Maharishi up to battle Fairfield with a chance at the final 16 on the line. The Pioneers got it done in singles play, winning 5-1.

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Maharishi scooped up all five wins in singles play. Ishita Mukadam defeated Fairfield’s Natalie Steele in the No. 1 matchup. Poojita Mukadam took down Emma Wendland at No. 2. Ria Altynska-Ross defeated Lola Hatchette in the No. 3 match. Aparajita Kalra edged Faith Jones at No. 5, and at No. 6, Joyce Wang won a 10-8 tiebreaker set to slip past Mareyn Dunkin.

Before the fifth Maharishi point was scored, Fairfield’s Sriya Yammanur picked up one point for the Trojans, defeating Daira Valls Blazquez in the No. 4 match.

Mt. Pleasant was knocked off by top-seeded Central DeWitt, in DeWitt, falling 5-1.

The lone winner for Mt. Pleasant was recent regional champion Jana Isanta. She defeated fellow state singles competitor Saydie Roling in a three-set classic, winning 4-6, 6-1, 10-8.

The final 16 teams will battle on Tuesday. Maharishi plays at Central DeWitt at 9 a.m. The winner of that battle will take on either Decorah or Dike-New Hartford later that day, with a chance at the state meet hanging in the balance.