Kansas high school girls tennis state results: Wichita Trinity duo has eyes on title
The game of tennis has always been more mental than physical for Wichita Trinity Academy junior Darcy Dunne.
She’s trained for years to know what to do with her racket and when to do it, but to reach the level of success she wanted, she had to conquer her own mind. In fact, that pressure nearly led to Dunne not playing high school tennis this season.
“I just didn’t even know because tennis really used to stress me out,” Dunne said. “It plays games with your mind.”
In the end, Dunne, a junior, was persuaded to come out for the team by the opportunity to play doubles again with Sophia Majors, a sophomore, a duo that reached the state tournament last season but had a quick exit.
In their second season playing together, the Dunne-Majors pairing has become one of the best partnerships in Kansas. Not only has the Trinity duo once again qualified for the Class 4A state tournament, which started Friday in Winfield, but they have earned a No. 1 seed after winning a regional title and advanced to Saturday’s state semifinals with a 25-4 record.
“They’ve got a little bit of fire to them and they started off this season like two completely new individuals,” Trinity coach Michael Bond said. “I hardly recognized them from their first match of the season. They were confident. They were motivated. They’ve got their eyes on not just getting to state, but to improving their record at state.”
Like all great doubles teams, the strengths of Dunne and Majors compliment one another. Dunne is superb at the net, always ready for a sharp volley, while Majors has the athleticism to track everything down that makes it past her partner and the ability to hit winners from all angles.
But the reason why they’ve ascended from a good team to a great one? Confidence.
“We’re both so determined to win,” Majors said. “We have the same mindset and if one of us gets down, then the other is there to get them back up. We’re never both down. We really communicate well and we’re making the game simple for us.”
After struggling in the past maintaining a positive mindset, Dunne said this season has been a revelation for her. She finally realized the control she has over her attitude.
“I really struggled keeping a good mindset and a level head in the past,” Dunne said. “But this year, from Day One, I decided I’m not going to get down. I’m an upperclassman now and I have the opportunity to lead and I can’t act like a child. I have to go out there and no matter what happens stay positive.”
It also helps being supported by a playing partner who she has experience and chemistry with. After playing doubles together last season, Dunne and Majors played together on the Trinity soccer team in the spring and sing in the school choir together. In fact, the night before they began their state tournament run on the court, Dunne and Majors performed together in Trinity’s fall choral concert.
Now they have a legitimate shot at winning a state championship together. Not bad for a duo who almost never came together this season.
“I’m so glad that I decided to come out,” Dunne said. “This has been so much fun. I don’t think either of us really expected this to happen. But Sophia and I have worked really hard together. I knew she deserved to have the chance to play together again. I’m so glad that it worked out.”
Kansas high school girls tennis state tournament results
Class 6A
Where: Riverside Tennis Complex, Wichita
Saturday’s singles semifinals
Jill Harkin, jr., Manhattan (32-2) vs. Ella Novion, so., Olathe Northwest (29-5)
Emily Chiasson, jr., BV Northwest (20-2) vs. Bridget Epstein, sr., SM East (14-1)
Saturday’s doubles semifinals
Bryson Langford, jr., Greta Stechschulte, jr., SM East (19-2) vs. Josephine Mestad, so., Sofia Tewell, sr., BV West (21-5)
Sree Mylavarapu, sr., Christina Stone, sr., Blue Valley (20-2) vs. Abigail Long, so., Katie Schmidt, so., SM East (9-2)
Friday’s singles quarterfinal results
Jill Harkin, jr., Manhattan, def. Katie Murphy, so., SM East, 4-6, 6-0, 6-0
Ella Novion, so., Olathe Northwest, def. Livia Andriola, sr., SM South, 6-1, 6-2
Emily Chiasson, jr., BV Northwest def. Emma Evans, sr., Lawrence Free State, 6-0, 6-1
Bridget Epstein, sr., SM East def. Sheriden Wichman, sr., Washburn Rural, 6-3, 6-0
Friday’s doubles quarterfinal results
Bryson Langford, jr., Greta Stechschulte, jr., SM East def. Hannah Carney, fr., Riley Terhune, fr., Olathe Northwest, 6-2, 6-0
Josephine Mestad, so., Sofia Tewell, sr., BV West def. Katherine Fritz, jr., Meredith Kucera, jr., Washburn Rural, 7-5, 6-0
Sree Mylavarapu, sr., Christina Stone, sr., Blue Valley def. Mary Crossland, sr., Cimone Trysla, sr., BV North, 6-1, 6-2
Abigail Long, so., Katie Schmidt, so., SM East def. Saraphina Wambi, so., Lydia Peng, jr., 6-0, 6-2
Class 5A
Where: Emporia High School
Saturday’s singles semifinals
Brynn Steven, so., Bishop Carroll (22-3) vs. Molly Gaddis, fr., Andover (24-10)
Sarah Sinclair, sr., Andover (25-7) vs. Reagan Boleski, sr., Kapaun Mount Carmel (33-2)
Saturday’s doubles semifinals
Grace Unruh, sr., Lauren Sweeney, jr., Topeka Seaman (34-0) vs. Brooke Walker, so., Anna Jittawait, so., Andover (27-4)
Annabelle Tantemsomboon, sr., Hannah Pappademos, so., Andover (27-10) vs. Maya Chon, jr., Bryer Geoffroy, fr., Andover Central (13-1)
Friday’s singles quarterfinal results
Brynn Steven, so., Bishop Carroll def. Annabelle Aldrete, so., Maize South, 6-1, 6-1
Molly Gaddis, fr., Andover def. Jensen Gibbs, fr., BV Southwest, 7-5, 1-6, 6-3
Sarah Sinclair, sr., Andover def. Megan Ward, sr., St. James Academy, 6-1, 6-0
Reagan Boleski, sr., Kapaun Mount Carmel def. Veronica Montoya, so., Salina Central, 6-0, 6-2
Friday’s doubles quarterfinal results
Grace Unruh, sr., Lauren Sweeney, jr., Topeka Seaman def. McKinnley Evans, jr., Grace Schaefer, jr., Andover Central, 6-1, 6-1
Brooke Walker, so., Anna Jittawait, so., Andover def. Iliana Armbrust, sr., Tess Daily, jr., 6-3, 7-6 (4)
Annabelle Tantemsomboon, sr., Hannah Pappademos, so., Andover def. Lexi Steven, sr., Brynna Gormley, sr., Bishop Carroll, 6-3, 6-2
Maya Chon, jr., Bryer Geoffroy, fr., Andover Central def. Mackenzie Nutter, sr., Addison Renfro, fr., Salina Central, 4-6, 6-1, 6-3
Class 4A
Where: T.H. Vaughan Tennis Center, Winfield
Saturday’s singles semifinals
Ainzley Zulette, fr., Topeka Hayden (33-5) vs. Alejandra Gaitan Lleo, sr., Circle (23-4)
Elyssa Frieze, so., Chapman (28-0) vs. Breanna Quigley, fr., Bishop Miege (19-4)
Saturday’s doubles semifinals
Patty Huerta, sr., Perrin Schneider, sr., McPherson (29-5) vs. Jensen Lynnes, jr., Lyric Cornejo, so., Wellington (23-6)
Darcy Dunne, jr., Sophia Majors, so., Wichita Trinity Academy (25-4) vs. Maddie Dobson, sr., Sydney Achilles, sr., McPherson (15-2)
Friday’s singles quarterfinal results
Ainzley Zulette, fr., Topeka Hayden def. Kami Reichenberger, jr., Wellington, 6-0, 6-0
Alejandra Gaitan Lleo, sr., Circle def. Tegan Stratton, sr., Clay Center, 6-3, 6-3
Elyssa Frieze, so., Chapman (27-0) def. Riley McMillan, sr., Concordia, 6-0, 6-0
Breanna Quigley, fr., Bishop Miege def. Riggs Kuhn, so., McPherson, 6-2, 6-0
Doubles quarterfinals
Patty Huerta, sr., Perrin Schneider, sr., McPherson def. Ashlyn Gerten, jr., Kadynce Aufdengarten, fr., Wellington, 6-2, 6-1
Jensen Lynnes, jr., Lyric Cornejo, so., Wellington def. Olivia Frederick, jr., Kayla Babcock, jr., Buhler, 6-4, 6-2
Darcy Dunne, jr., Sophia Majors, so., Wichita Trinity Academy def. Taegan Nickel, so., Kayleigh Hamby, so., Buhler, 6-2, 6-1
Maddie Dobson, sr., Sydney Achilles, sr., McPherson def. Mercy Smith, sr., Abby Veile, jr., Independence, 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-4
Class 3-1A
Where: Maize South High School
Saturday’s singles semifinals
Emma Mantovani, jr., Wichita Collegiate (26-4) vs. Hayden Bellamy, so., Colby (31-0)
Nicole Haase, sr., Ellsworth (28-2) vs. Lilly Meier, sr., Wichita Independent (19-5)
Saturday’s doubles semifinals
Lily Conrad, sr., Ella Graham, sr., Wichita Collegiate (28-2) vs. Dylan Hawks, jr., Dahn Hanlon, jr., Norton (23-3)
Loren May, sr., Haylee Osner, so., Conway Springs (22-6) vs. Kate Rowland, jr., Karissa Wilson, jr., Sterling (26-4)
Singles quarterfinals
Emma Mantovani, jr., Wichita Collegiate def. Shea Kramer, so., Marysville, 6-1, 6-2
Hayden Bellamy, so., Colby def. Caroline Brungardt, sr., WaKeeney-Trego, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2
Nicole Haase, sr., Ellsworth def. Laney Conrad, fr., Wichita Collegiate, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5)
Lilly Meier, sr., Wichita Independent def. Kyla Metro, jr., Central Plains, 6-1, 1-6, 6-4
Doubles quarterfinals
Lily Conrad, sr., Ella Graham, sr., Wichita Collegiate def. Riley Ahlstedt, sr., Lena Rauchholz, jr., Smoky Valley, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2
Dylan Hawks, jr., Dahn Hanlon, jr., Norton def. Karee Adam, jr., Campbell Gaskill, jr., Smoky Valley, 6-3, 7-5
Loren May, sr., Haylee Osner, so., Conway Springs def. Isabella Matteucci, sr., Katie Weiss, sr., Salina Sacred Heart, 7-6, 7-3
Kate Rowland, jr., Karissa Wilson, jr., Sterling def. Isabela Gutierrez-Myers, sr., Sadie Hermosillo, sr., Scott City, 6-3, 6-7 (3), 7-5
This story was originally published October 15, 2021 at 6:00 AM.
.jpg)