A busy weekend of tennis in the Eastern Iowa area. Iowa City hosted a Missouri Valley Futures tourney where many of the juniors from a five-state area participated in record numbers. Play took place primarily at the University of Iowa, but Saturday's thunderstorms meant that Coe College hosted a day(14 hours) of play for the Boys 16 and under division. I spent Friday and Sunday watching boys and girls 18 and under play, while Kris did the same on Friday evening and Saturday morning.

Kris then headed west to Saint Joseph, Missouri for her final summer USTA $10,000 event. After waiting out Sunday morning storms, Kris fell 63 64 in the second round of qualifying play. I imagine she will chime in later about her play.

Dubuque, Iowa hosted their annual Mississippi Valley Open Saturday & Sunday. Always a good tourney(prize money!!!) the 2011 version was no exception. The Dubuque event serves as the lead-in to this week's big Iowa Open(more prize money!!!) which begins play in Cedar Rapids on Wednesday with the Junior tourney and then the Adults follow with singles play beginning on Friday afternoon. The courts at Clark Racquet Center will be hosting the Boys & Girls 18's, and all of the Women's events. I know for sure that Elizabeth Hoffmann, Sara Ohlman, Jordan Ferree, Jackie Pedersen and Coach Kris will all be playing in the Women's events. I have heard rumors that Jeff Damisch, Curtis Newman, Daken Starkenburg, and Tyler Wilson will be in the Men's tourney. Perhaps others?

Then next week is the Iowa Private College Week where Coe expects some 400 prospective students to visit campus during the morning and afternoon sessions. Hopefully there will be plenty of tennis players to talk with during the week!