Iowa City West hires Marquardt as new coach

GIRLS’ TENNIS

Xavier grad joining a new MVC program

Mike Condon, correspondent IOWA CITY — One of the state’s up and coming girls’ tennis coaches is taking over one of the state’s most storied programs.

Nina Marquardt, who coached Cedar Rapids Washington to a Class 2A team title in 2023 and coached the state singles champion last season, was named the head coach at Iowa City West on Monday.

West athletics director BJ Mayer announced the move in a news release.

Marquardt replaces Brenda Guan, who led the Trojan program for two seasons.

“We are excited to have Nina lead our program,” Mayer said in the release. “Her success as a coach at Cedar Rapids Washington speaks for itself.

“We are confident that her experience will help our (girls) tennis players to reach their potential both on and off the courts. We believe that she will be a great asset to our school.”

Marquardt, a 2018 Cedar Rapids Xavier graduate, joined Xavier as an assistant for one season in 2022. She took over the Washington program for the 2023 season, leading the Warriors to the state title.

Last season, Washington made the state team semifinals. Katelynn Kock, now playing at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, won the Class 2A singles title.

Marquardt is a graduate of the University of Iowa and is currently a student at the University of Iowa College of Law.

“I’m excited to coach the Iowa City West girls tennis team this coming season,” she said. “Iowa City West has a legacy of tennis excellence, and I’m eager to build on that tradition while empowering the girls to reach their full potential.”