LINDSBORG – Larned’s No. 2 singles Ella McNett (23-0) stayed unbeaten with a 6-0, 6-0 victory over Smoky Valley’s Kelsee Adam for first place in the Central Kansas League Tennis Tournament.
Larned’s No. 1 singles Abigail Holt (19-4) lost 2-6, 6-1, (10-4) in a championship tiebreaker against Smoky Valley’s Magdalena Rauchholz.
Larned’s No. 1 doubles Sarah Manry/Reese Watkins (14-9) placed fourth.
Smoky Valley (78) captured the team title with Larned (62) finishing runner-up. Larned competes at Friday’s Goodland 3-1A tennis regional. The top six singles and doubles finishers qualify for the state tournament.
Hoisington’s No. 2 doubles Rayna Bray/Lauren Higgins pulled the surprise of the tournament with a 6-1, 3-6 (10-8) tiebreaker victory over Larned’s No. 1 seed Arianna Hemken/Breanna Hemken (23-5), who placed fourth. Smoky Valley’s Kayla Norberg/Lily Heline downed Bray/Higgins, 6-0, 6-0 in the championship match.
“They played the best tennis I’ve seen them play,” said Hoisington coach Taylor Smith. “They upset the No. 1 seed to make it to the championship match. They fought hard. They can keep the momentum going into regionals Friday.”
Hoisington’s No. 1 singles Emma Willesden, No. 2 singles Hailey Petersilie and No. 1 doubles Claire Crutcher/Reese Merlau both placed seventh.
“Our doubles battled tough teams and came up short,” Smith said. “Hailey Petersilie fought back to win in a tiebreaker against Nickerson. She has determination. They all played great matches on Saturday.”
Hoisington plays at Friday’s WaKeeney 3-1A tennis regional.
CENTRAL KANSAS LEAGUE
LINDSBORG
TEAM TOTALS—1—Smoky Valley 78; 2—Larned 62; 3—Pratt 56; 4—Hesston 55; 5—Hoisington 50; 6—Hillsboro 28; 7—Haven 18; 8—Nickerson 17; 9—Lyons 16
NO. 1 SINGLES—1—Magdalena Rauchholz, SV def. Abigail Holt, Larned, 2-6, 6-1 (10-4); 3—Bailey Jackson, P def. Zoe Coonce, N, 6-3, 6-1; 5—Molly Martin, Hesston def. Anna Jorrgeson, Hillsboro, 9-3; 7—Emma Willesden, Hoisington def. Mia Bryant, Lyons, 9-0
Holt def. Bryant, 6-0, 6-1; Holt def. Coonce, 7-5, 6-3; Jackson def. Willesden, 6-1, 6-2; Martin def. Willesden, 9-3
NO. 2 SINGLES—1—Ella McNett, Larned def. Kelsee Adam, SV, 6-0, 6-0; 3—Kena Sterling, P def. Carolina Yoder, Hesston, 6-3, 6-2; 5—Anahi Pina, Lyons def. Kamryn Gooch, Hillsboro, 9-2; 7—Hailey Petersilie, Hoisington def. Carly Bontrager, N, 9-8 (7-4)
McNett def. Pina, 6-0, 6-0; McNett def. Yoder, 6-2, 6-0; Adam def. Petersilie, 6-3, 6-3; Petersilie def. Bontrager, 9-6; Pina def. Petersilie, 9-6
NO. 1 DOUBLES—1—Campbell Gaskill/Kelsee Adam, SV def. Kori Kramer/Cassandra Albin, Hesston, 6-1, 5-7 (13-11); 3—Sharp/Thompson, Pratt def Sarah Manry/Reese Watkins, Larned, 6-4, 4-6 (10-4); 5—Kinley Jacques/Brook Barnett, Haven def. Violet Klein/Katie Rempel, Hillsboro, 9-6; 7—Claire Crutcher/Reese Merlau, Hoisington def. Shelby Johnston/Kendal Webb, Lyons, 9-3
Manry/Watkins def. Jacques/Barnett, 6-0, 6-1; Gaskill/Adam def. Manry/Watkins, 6-0, 6-1; Kramer/Albin def. Crutcher/Merlau, 6-0, 6-1; Klein/Rempel def. Crutcher/Merlau, 9-7; Crutcher/Merlau def. Ria Shah/Jolie Shultz, N, 9-0
NO. 2 DOUBLES—1—Kayla Norberg/Lily Heline, SV def. Rayna Bray/Lauren Higgins, Hoisington, 6-0, 6-0; 3—Katherine Friesen/Jaiden Callahan, Hesston def. Arianna Hemken/Breanna Hemken, Larned, 7-5, 6-4; 5—Hope Hughes/Graceyn lFleming, Pratt def. Cassidy Peterson/Amanda Higginbotham, Haven, 9-4; 7—Tylee Miller/Cassidy Burnhart/Hillsboro def. Victoria Contreras/Willa Bryant, Lyons, 9-8 (7-5)
Bray/Higgins def. Peterson/Higginbotham, 6-1, 6-1; Bray/Higgins def. Hemken/Hemken, 6-1, 3-6 (10-8); Hemken/Hemken def. Miller/Burnhart, 6-1, 6-2
