WATERLOO - Despite being forced to play indoors due to inclement weather conditions, St. Edmond's Mary Eide and Ellen Chalstrom are each still standing after day one of the Class 1A girls state singles tennis tournament Thursday at Byrnes Park.
Eide, a junior and No. 2 seed, advanced to the semifinals with victories over Albia's Savannah Belcher and Sioux City Heelan's Cassie Stanek by scores of 6-0, 6-0 and 6-2, 6-4, respectively.
"We didn't know much about the girls we played (yesterday) other than records," said SEHS head coach Tyler Philipsen. "Mary had an easy first match, but her second one was a better challenge than what she's seen in quite awhile.
"It was a good chance for her to open up and hit harder."
Following a 6-4, 6-2 first round defeat to Kathleen Hutchinson of Dubuque Wahlert, the junior and three-time state qualifier Chalstrom bounced back with wins over Spirit Lake-Okoboji's Hannah Coenen (6-0, 6-0) and third-seeded Ashley Dohlman (7-6, injury default) from Aplington-Parkersburg.
"I thought Ellen played really well overall and did a nice job," Philipsen said. "Anytime you can go to the state tournament and walk away with some wins, you know you played well.
"I expect the first matches (on Friday) to be real competitive and exciting right off the bat."
With a bid to the finals on the line, Eide (13-0 overall) will now face Camanche's Kylie Vogel today in a rematch of last year's third-place match in which Vogel prevailed.
Chalstrom (14-3) will battle Stanek in the consolation semifinals.
Action resumes today at 9 a.m.