Waterloo, IA 

Ballard's dynamic sister duo, Payton and Harley Askelsen, showcased their competitive spirit and tennis prowess at the Iowa State Tennis Tournament held at the Byrnes Park Tennis Center in Waterloo, capping off an impressive postseason run with a Top 8 finish in Class 1A doubles.

The Askelsens opened the tournament with a statement win, defeating North Polk's Harika Cakinberk and Abigail Mangae in straight sets, 7-5, 6-4. The tightly contested match saw Ballard's pair stay calm under pressure, rallying late in each set to secure the victory and advance to the quarterfinals.

In a back-and-forth battle against Dike-New Hartford's Izzy Norton and Aidalyn Tott, the Bombers dropped the first set 1-6 but came storming back to claim the second set 6-0. Despite their momentum, the Askelsens fell short in the third set, 6-3, in one of the most competitive matches of the day.

Undeterred, Payton and Harley bounced back in the consolation bracket with a commanding 6-1, 6-2 win over Pella's Sydney Namminga and Kytilin Plate, advancing to the consolation semifinals. There, they faced a tough Cedar Rapids Xavier tandem in Tia Halabi and Lulu Rozeboom. The Askelsens played with heart but dropped a competitive match in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2.

In the 7th place match, Ballard squared off against Kuemper Catholic's Charlotte Schwabe and Sophie Tidgren. After splitting the first two sets, the Askelsens came up just short in the third, concluding their tournament run with a narrow three-set loss.