Schulte sibling showdown makes Iowa high school state tennis history

There was plenty of tension during the Iowa Class 2A high school singles state championship last spring. The senior, who had fallen just short of claiming the title the previous two years, was facing a freshman with plenty of potential.

The two players knew each other well, having played against each other countless times. In fact, it’s not a stretch to say the freshman had become a tennis player largely because of the senior.

The senior, Anthony Schulte, defeated the freshman, his younger brother Dylan Schulte, to win the first state championship for Prairie High School—and for his family. The match also marked the first time brothers faced off in an Iowa high school state tennis final.

“It was really weird,” Anthony said about playing his brother in the championship match. “The environment was strange because nobody knew who to cheer for. My semifinal match was way louder and more intense. Playing against Dylan, there was a lot of pressure on me because that was my last chance to win a state title. He was a freshman, so he had a lot more opportunities to win.

“I definitely felt more relief than joy after winning. Looking back on it, I probably should have been a little bit more happy than relieved.”

Both brothers felt like most of the family was rooting for Anthony because it was his final shot at state. Certainly Anthony’s twin sister was. Probably the parents were, too.

“If you ask them, I think they’d say no,” Dylan said. “But deep down, I think they were.”

Historic Sibling Final

The match itself—a 7-5, 7-5 result on May 28 at the Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Complex in Iowa City—was not an artform, as neither player played his best. Probably because of the family dynamic and the fact that it was for the state title, but both siblings left points on the court. Dylan thinks his brother handled the pressure better.

Anthony started playing tennis when he was about 6 years old. He had been playing T-ball, and his father wanted him to find something else to keep him occupied. He took to tennis quickly, and he believes his success might have influenced Dylan.

“I think he got into tennis because I was doing it, and he wanted to see what it was all about,” Anthony said. “I don’t know if he models me in any other aspect, but I think I kind of helped him get into the game of tennis a little bit.”

Dylan is much more emphatic about it.

“I would say he was the major inspiration,” he said. “Watching him play tennis, I thought I could be better than him, so I tried that. That was my main goal.”

According to Anthony, Dylan has achieved that goal.