Fairfield senior Natalie Steele wrapped up her individual state tennis tournament career Thursday, October 8th at Waukee Northwest High School with a sixth-place finish in singles — an improvement on her eighth-place finishes in each of her sophomore and junior seasons, making her a three-time state place finisher. The sixth-place finish is the highest individual state singles placement in several years, with Steele having set a new standard in her final season.
Day two of the tournament turned out to be a series of familiar matchups for Steele, with both of her opponents being rematches from the Pella Tulip City Tussle Tournament earlier this season — making for a unique and fitting storyline on the final day of her individual state career.
In her consolation match, Steele faced No. 9-ranked Stella Dvorak of Mount Vernon for the third time this season — having beaten Dvorak 2-4, 4-3 (5-3), 7-2 at Pella and again in the regional championship 6-4, 6-4 just two weeks ago. Steele was dominant on Thursday, winning 6-2, 6-1. The contrast from their regional meeting was striking — at regionals, Steele had to come back from a 1-4 deficit in the first set before closing it out. On Thursday, she left no doubt from the start.
In the fifth-place match, Steele faced Camryn Glass of Sergeant Bluff-Luton — the player who had handed her a lopsided 0-4, 0-4 loss at Pella earlier in the season. Glass won again Thursday 6-3, 6-1, but the score did not fully reflect how hard both players competed. It was a closely contested match that could have gone either way, ending Steele’s individual state run with a sixth-place finish.
Steele reflected on what the two-day experience meant to her. “The state tournament experience was great — the atmosphere and the way I played felt amazing,” she said. On improving from eighth to sixth in her senior season: “It means the world to me to have finished higher and played a lot better in the matches and to be able to execute.” She credited familiarity with her opponents as a key factor on day two. “Day two I think knowing my opponents helped me and going in with more confidence and less fear.” On facing Dvorak for the third time: “I felt way more prepared for Stella at the state tournament — I wanted that higher placing bad for senior year.” On facing Glass after the loss at Pella: “I approached the match with the mentality I could do it, I could win — and also just to have fun and play free.”
Head Coach Travis Dunkin said Steele’s accomplishment speaks for itself. “Being a three-time place finisher is an absolute amazing accomplishment. She’s a great competitor — always wanting to get better and wanting to win. She keeps a great head on her shoulders when she plays and is always coachable. She listens and takes everything in. I love her fight and determination every match. So happy for her.”
Steele’s individual state run is complete, but her season is not over. Fairfield also qualified for the team state tournament and will face Boone at Pella High School on Monday, October 12th. Steele said she is carrying the experience from the individual tournament into the team event. “I got so much more experience playing harder girls and hopefully I can carry that to next week.”
