Sister upsets sister in Kansas state championship tennis tournament
Just like twin sisters, the 2018 Kansas Class 6A singles championship match almost mirrored last year’s.
Blue Valley North High School seniors Chloe and Ellie Kuckelman met in the final for the second straight year. Just as Ellie won 6-4, 6-4 in 2017, Chloe did the same Saturday with a 6-4, 6-4 win over her sister.
The Kuckelmans entered the 2018 state tournament as two of the top players in the state, but Chloe’s win will still be technically considered an upset.
Ellie beat Chloe at the Wichita Collegiate Tournament of Champions, a bracket that also included now-two-time Class 5A state champion Clara Whitaker of Kapaun Mt. Carmel.
But the momentum swung at the Mustangs regional as Chloe handed her sister just her second loss of the season. The sisters tore through the 6A bracket, losing only five games in eight combined matches leading up to the final.
Both sisters are verbally committed to attend Nebraska upon their graduation.
This is Chloe’s second individual state championship.
The Kuckelmans were the headliners, but the Mustangs finished with three of the top four finishes and four of the top six.
Blue Valley North’s top doubles pair, sophomore Callie Flanagan and senior Christine O’Brien, ripped through the bracket to win the 6A title over Blue Valley West sophomore Gwyn Gifford and junior Olivia Kurzban.
And in the third-place doubles match, the Mustangs’ second team of sophomore Divya Gupta and senior Tatum Trysla beat Shawnee Mission East’s senior Lucy Kendall and freshman Bridget Epstein.
This marks the Mustangs’ fourth straight team championship.
KC Christian repeats as state champs
Kansas City Christian repeated as Class 3-2-1A champion. Lilly McNeill of Kansas City Christian defeated Emily Ryan of Central Plains 6-4, 6-3 for the singles championship.
Completion of the 4A tournament in Topeka was pushed back to Monday due to rain that fell on Friday.
Here are results from tourney sites around the state. Note that some results are incomplete due to missing information on the Kansas State High School Activities Association website.
Results
CLASS 6A
Singles semifinals
Chloe Kuckelman (Blue Valley North) def. Ashley Jacobson (Olathe West) 6-0, 6-0
Ellie Kuckelman (Blue Valley North) def. Gabby Lee (Blue Valley)
Singles third place
Gabby Lee (Blue Valley) def. Ashley Jacobson (Olathe West)
Singles championship
Chloe Kuckelman (Blue Valley North) def. Ellie Kuckelman (Blue Valley North) 6-4, 6-4
Doubles semifinals
Callie Flanagan/Christine O’Brien (Blue Valley North) def. Divya Gupta/Tatum Trysla (Blue Valley North) 6-1, 6-1
Gwyn Gifford/Olivia Kurzban (Blue Valley West) def. Lucy Kendall/Bridget Epstien (Shawnee Mission East) 6-4, 6-5
Doubles third place
Divya Gupta/Tatum Trysla (Blue Valley North) def. Lucy Kendall/Bridget Epstien (Shawnee Mission East)
Doubles championship
Callie Flanagan/Christine O’Brien (Blue Valley North) def. Gwyn Gifford/Olivia Kurzban (Blue Valley West)
CLASS 5A
Singles semifinals
Clara Whitaker (Kapaun) def. Brayden Steven (Bishop Carroll) 6-0, 6-2
Brittany Steven (Bishop Carroll) def. Reagan Boleski (Kapaun) 6-3, 6-3
Singles third place
Reagan Boleski (Kapaun) def. Brayden Steven (Bishop Carroll) 6-3, 6-1
Singles championship
Clara Whitaker (Kapuan) def. Brittany Steven (Bishop Carroll) 6-1, 6-0
Doubles semifinals
Lauren Steven/Paige Stranghoner (Bishop Carroll) def. Tara Devine/Gabbi Taylor (St. James Academy)
Kelsie Burr/Jacey Arnett (Arkansas City) def. Taylor Bruce/Ceanna Allen (McPherson) 7-6(6), 6-2
Doubles third place
Tara Devine/Gabbi Taylor (St. James Academy) def. Taylor Bruce/Ceanna Allen (McPherson) 6-2, 6-2
Doubles championship
Kelsie Burr/Jacey Arnett (Arkansas City) def. Lauren Steven/Paige Stranghoner (Bishop Carroll) 6-4, 6-4
CLASS 4A
Semifinals postponed to Monday in Topeka because of rain.
CLASS 3-2-1A
Singles semifinals
Lilly McNeill (KC Christian) def. Lily Perrin (Sacred Heart) 6-0, 6-1
Emily Ryan (Central Plains) def. Halle Krehbiel (Hesston) 6-1, 6-2
Singles third place
Lilly Perrin (Sacred Heart) def. Halle Krehbiel (Hesston) 6-2, 6-7 (5-7), 6-1
Singles championship
Lilly McNeill (KC Christian) def. Emily Ryan (Central Plains) 6-4, 6-3
Doubles semifinals
Juliet Bartels/Emily Arnold (KC Christian) def. Kara Koester/Karlee Osner (Conway Springs) 4-6, 6-3, 6-1
Kylie Martin/Michaela Martin (Hesston) def. Jasmine Bates/Lydia Miller (Sterling) 6-3, 5-7, 6-3
Doubles third place
Kara Koester/Karlee Osner (Conway Springs) def. Jasmine Bates/Lydia Miller (Sterling) 6-2, 6-2
Doubles championship
Kylie Martin/Michaela Martin (Hesston) def. Juliet Bartels/Emily Arnold (KC Christian) 6-0, 6-4
This story was originally published October 13, 2018 at 5:43 PM.