Kansas high school boys tennis: What to know from the Wichita-area state qualifiers
Entering the Class 5A boys tennis regional hosted in Andover, the Andover Central doubles team of senior Seth Newton and junior Blake Wilson understood the challenge ahead.
They were the No. 4 seed in the doubles bracket and for good reason: the duo had lost to the top three teams in the field.
But Newton and Wilson proved results in April don’t always translate to wins in May, as the pair were the surprise winners of the loaded doubles field to take home a regional championship and a No. 1 seed to the Class 5A state tournament in Topeka starting Friday.
“It gives them confidence and sets them up well for state and in the bracket,” Andover Central coach Mark Fleske said about the win. “But we have to keep improving. If we want to do well at state, we have to keep improving because all of these teams we’re going to see again at state somewhere in the bracket. But it does give those kids confidence that they can compete and win at that level.”
Newton and Wilson pulled off the first stunner of the day in the semifinals when they took down the top-seeded O’Donnell brothers, Dawson and Oakley, from Arkansas City in straight sets. The Andover Central duo came out on top in two highly-competitive sets, 6-4, 7-6 (4), to revenge a loss to the exact same team from just three days before in the semifinals at the AV-CTL Division II meet, a match that the O’Donnell brothers won in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2.
“We knew we could compete, but we just hadn’t gotten over that hump yet,” Fleske said. “I couldn’t be more proud of how they competed.”
Up next was a different challenge in the Newton pair of Justin Franz and Otis Musser, who excel in the serve-and-volley game. Because Franz and Musser were so good at the net, the Andover Central duo had to adjust their game and become more creative with their shots and rely more on lobs.
It took some time -- Franz and Musser easily took the first set, 6-3 -- but once Newton and Wilson found their rhythm, they could not be stopped. The duo won the second set, 6-2, before a flawless third set, 6-0, to close out the match and win the title.
Perhaps the match of the day in Andover was the singles final between Bishop Carroll junior Barrett Steven and Andover sophomore Paul Jittawait, who battled in an entertaining, three-set thriller.
After Steven claimed the first set, 6-3, Jittawait responded with a bounce-back performance to win the second set, 6-2, then prevailed in the decisive third set, 6-4, to earn a top seed at the state tournament. It was the first time this season that Jittawait had beaten Steven.
Class 5A: Maize South makes a statement before state
Maize South came three points away from winning its first team state championship last season. This year the Mavericks look even stronger.
Maize South qualified all four of its entries to the Class 5A state tournament with an impressive performance at a regional hosted by Salina Central.
Senior Harris Kossover took care of business in the singles field, dropping just two games in four matches to win the title. The duo of junior Mitchell Krumm and senior Grayson Wright also continued their impressive season together, winning the doubles title over a strong team from Salina Central in the final.
Maize South also qualified sophomore Logan Garrison in singles and the doubles team of freshman Hudson Grizzell and senior Noah Rodriguez finished third in the field.
Class 3-1A: Collegiate’s Nick Grabon continues unbeaten season
After suffering the heartbreak of losing in a third-set tiebreaker in the singles championship match at the state tournament last spring, Wichita Collegiate senior Nick Grabon has been on another level for his final season.
Grabon continued his undefeated season with another dominant performance at a regional hosted on his own court, as he didn’t drop a single game on the day in a perfect sweep of the singles field.
At the regional hosted in Lindsborg, the Hesston duo of junior Micah Dahlsten and freshman Asher Deutschendorf didn’t drop a set on its way to the doubles title. Dahlsten and Deutschendorf handed Marion’s top doubles team just its second loss of the season in the semifinals in a 7-6 (4), 6-1 victory, then swept the top Ellsworth team, 6-0, 6-0, in the finals to advance to state with a No. 1 seed and 27-3 record.
At the regional hosted in Conway Springs, Hutchinson Trinity came away with both of the titles. Senior Connor Harcrow only dropped three games in his four matches to win the singles field, while the duo of juniors Anthony Clennan and Garrett Hageman only dropped four games in their four matches to win the doubles title.
Class 4A: Wellington capitalizes on home court to win a pair of titles
Wellington senior Jax Cornejo became the first singles player in program history to win a second regional title by battling back to win the third set, 6-0, in the finals against Winfield’s Drake Lowe to capture the title at the Class 4A regional hosted on his home court.
The Crusaders took advantage of playing on their home court, as they also won the doubles title with the senior duo of Justin Norris and Carson Rademacher. They had a rally of their own in the semifinals against Winfield’s top team when the Wellington duo lost the first set in a lengthy tiebreaker before dropping just one game to claim the next two sets. They won in the finals after winning the first set and Circle’s team being unable to finish due to injury.
A threat for the 4A singles crown is Buhler freshman Davian Spies, who made short work of the field in the McPherson regional to win the singles title while dropping just five games in the tournament. Spies enters the state tournament with a No. 1 seed and a 32-3 record.
McPherson figures to be a player in the 4A team title race after qualifying all four of its entries, led by both of its doubles teams reaching the finals with the senior duo of Tyler Bontrager and Wesley Wurm emerging victorious in a three-set championship match.
Class 6A: Campus doubles team rallies for title as No. 4 seed
The Campus doubles team of senior Dallas Parker and senior Gavin Williams picked a good time to play their best tennis of the season.
The duo were the surprise winners of the doubles championship at the Class 6A regional hosted in Dodge City, as the No. 4 seed took down the top seed from Dodge City in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2, and did the same to the second seed from Wichita West, 6-2, 6-4, to capture the title.
Class 6A state qualifiers
Singles
2D. Jacob Bush, Campus junior
3D. Brady Ollenburger, Hutchinson junior
4T. Evan Franke, Derby senior
5D. Ryan Nguyen, Campus junior
5T. Collin Meyer, Derby sophomore
6D. Isaiah Crabtree, Wichita West senior
6T. Bo Lu, Wichita East freshman
Doubles
1D. Dallas Parker, senior, Gavin Williams, senior, Campus
2T. Isaak Bowman, junior, Scott Simmons, senior, Derby
2D. Jose Trevizo, senior, Pedro Trevizo, junior, Wichita West
4D. Carson Albert, junior, Seth Allen, junior, Hutchinson
5D. Gage Gordon, junior, Carlos Silva, junior, Campus
5T. Vijay Reddy, senior, Colin Yager, junior, Wichita East
6T. Alex Hedden, senior, Colby Hedden, junior, Derby
Class 5A state qualifiers
Singles
1A. Paul Jittawait, Andover sophomore
1S. Harris Kossover, Maize South senior
2A. Barrett Steven, Bishop Carroll junior
2S. Sam Ritchie, Maize junior
3S. Erik Lopez, Maize junior
4A. Trevor Sweat, Kapaun Mt. Carmel senior
4S. Kyle King, Goddard Eisenhower freshman
5A. Jack Judkins, Kapaun Mt. Carmel sophomore
5S. Logan Harrison, Maize South sophomore
6A. Leon Grzesik, Andover Central senior
Doubles
1A. Seth Newton, senior, Blake Wilson, junior, Andover Central
1S. Mitchell Krumm, junior, Grayson Wright, senior, Maize South
2A. Justin Franz, junior, Otis Musser, junior, Newton
3A. Dawson O’Donnell, freshman, Oakley O’Donnell, sophomore, Arkansas City
3S. Hudson Grizzell, freshman, Noah Rodriguez, senior, Maize South
4A. Gavin Bhargava, senior, Johnathan McIlvain, senior, Kapaun Mt. Carmel
5A. Isaac Huber, sophomore, Cameron Strickland, junior, Andover Central
5S. Dylan Christopher, senior, Jack Ring, junior, Maize
6A. Hugo Monsell, sophomore, Jackson Rosa, sophomore, Bishop Carroll
6S. Gavin Metts, senior, Austin Rey, Maize
Class 4A state qualifiers
Singles
1M. Davian Spies, Buhler freshman (31-3)
1W. Jax Cornejo, Wellington junior
2M. Jaden Fox, McPherson senior (20-9)
2W. Drake Lowe, Winfield senior
3M. Hayden Greene, El Dorado senior (22-6)
3W. Leonardo Pedrosa, Winfield senior
4M. Ayden Johnson, McPherson senior (18-15)
4W. Ignacio Compte, Augusta junior
5M. John Ferley, El Dorado senior (21-7)
5W. Hunter Worley, Wellington sophomore
6W. Daniel Webb, Circle senior
Doubles
1M. Tyler Bontrager, senior, Wesley Wurm, senior, McPherson (19-12)
1W. Justin Norris, senior, Carson Rademacher, senior, Wellington
2M. Ty Kraemer, senior, Kayden McVicker, junior, McPherson (12-15)
2W. Landon Metzger, senior, D.J. Middleton, senior, Circle
3M. Amos Harder, sophomore, Brock Hilger, junior, Buhler (20-14)
3W. Jackson Davis, freshman, Adam Everett, freshman, Winfield
4W. Phillip Morris, senior, Noah Heger, junior, Winfield
5M. Eli Biggs, sophomore, Von Woleslagel, freshman, Buhler (13-15)
5W. Banks Hinshaw, junior, Jack Wright, junior, Wellington
6W. Logan Pfeifer, sophomore, Logan Ruddle, sophomore, Augusta
Class 3A state qualifiers
Singles
1C. Connor Harcrow, Hutchinson Trinity senior (13-6)
1W. Nick Grabon, Wichita Collegiate senior
2L. Max Bieker, Smoky Valley junior (20-10)
2W. Carter Drumwright, Wichita Collegiate freshman
3W. Jaxon Henderson, Wichita Trinity Academy junior
4C. Riley Johnsen, Conway Springs sophomore (11-20)
4L. Keaton Leiker, Smoky Valley sophomore (19-11)
4W. Max Kice, Wichita Classical senior
5C. Cristyan Grajeda, Hutchinson Trinity sophomore (12-13)
5W. Charlie Graham, Wichita Classical sophomore
6L. Ryan Waggoner, Hesston senior (11-10)
6W. Coleman Mathews, Wichita Trinity Academy senior
Doubles
1C. Anthony Clennan, junior, Garrett Hageman, junior, Hutchinson Trinity (16-3)
1L. Micah Dahlsten, junior, Asher Deutschendorf, freshman, Hesston (27-3)
2C. Levi Mies, freshman, Isaac Winter, freshman, Conway Springs (17-11)
2W. Charlie Dunne, senior, Charlie Nolan, senior, Wichita Collegiate
3W. Drew Bryant, junior, Matt Bryant, junior, Wichita Trinity Academy
4C. Ethan Mulligan, senior, Cole Zongker, senior, Haven (4-4)
4L. Trevor Gamble, senior, Joshua Shirley, senior, Hesston (19-11)
4W. Mark Feng, senior, Sky Fujinuma, sophomore, Wichita Collegiate
5C. Kaden Harding, senior, Alec Pfaff, senior, Chaparral (20-8)
6C. Jace Pauly, senior, Layne Whitney, freshman, Conway Springs (7-11)
6L. Gabe Baker, freshman, Zeke Baker, freshman, Smoky Valley (15-16)
6W. Max Ball, senior, Noah Doom, freshman, Wichita Classical
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