Manuela Rodriguez

WATERLOO — Manuela Rodriguez has been working towards this moment since long before she entered the high school hallways at Fort Dodge.

The Dodger senior punched her ticket to the Class 2A state tennis singles tournament with a runner-up performance at a regional qualifier earlier this month.

Rodriguez now gets her opportunity to compete against the best of the best when she begins play here Wednesday at Black Hawk Tennis Club and Byrnes Park. Up first will be North Scott’s Madelyn Jepsen.

“Qualifying for state really means the world to me,” Rodriguez said. “Tennis is a huge part of my life and I’ve been trying to qualify (since I was a freshman).

“After getting pretty close over the last four years, to finally get it feels like a perfect culmination of not only the last four years, but the last 10.”

This past season, Rodriguez went 9-5 for the Dodgers, as she finished her junior season just a few short months ago with a record of 14-3. As a sophomore, Rodriguez posted a mark of 9-0 in the regular season before a loss at districts.

Jepsen, her opponent, is a junior who was 19-1 playing in the top spot for the Lancers this past fall. She placed third a year ago at state with a 21-2 record, and was fifth as a freshman with a 16-2 mark.

Rodriguez, who started playing tennis at seven-years-old, has been the No. 1 singles player at both St. Edmond and Fort Dodge since entering high school as a freshman.

“Getting to state is the best way to end my tennis career for now at least,” she said. “At state, I really just want to have fun. I hope to get to the second day, but know there will be some tough competition (to play against).”