By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural's girls tennis team continued its hot start to the 2026 season on Tuesday at Kossover Tennis Center, sweeping the singles and doubles titles in its seven-school invitational tournament.
Washburn Rural girls tennis poses for a team picture after a strong performance in Tuesday's Washburn Rural Invitational at Kossover Tennis Center. [Submitted photo]
Michelle Rose's Junior Blues swept the singles and doubles championships for Rural's White team on Tuesday in their final tuneup for Thursday's city tournament, finishing second to Maize by a 63-56 margin.
Washburn Rural's Karmyn Faul won the singles title in Tuesday's Washburn Rural Invitational at Kossover Tennis Center, earning the championship in a tiebreaker. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn Rural seniors Julia Katzer (left) and Halle Owen won the doubles title for the host Junior Blues in Tuesday's Washburn Rural Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Rural's Karmyn Faul captured the singles championship with an 8-7 (7-5 tiebreaker) victory over Maize's Brooke Youngers in the final while the Junior Blues went one-two in doubles, with Julia Katzer and Halle Owen taking an 8-2 win over teammates Annie Henderson and Kinley Ladd, who competed for Rural's Blue team.
"I'm 100 percent pleased,'' Rural coach Michelle Rose said of the Junior Blues' start to the season. "We are very deep. We are blessed to have three very, very talented freshmen joining us, which has really just added more depth and drive for our juniors and seniors to keep up and hold their spot. We're going to be solid for the next three or four years.
"We have three awesome seniors and they're doing a great job of showing leadership and I just want them to really go out on a positive note and play their best tennis. If that's a win that's great, but the more important thing is for them to walk off the court proud.''
Lily Wiens finished third in singles Tuesday, leading Seaman to a third-place team finish in the Washburn Rural Invitational at Kossover Tennis Center. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Seaman posted third and fourth-place finishes in singles, with Lily Wiens taking an 8-6 win over teammate Kaylyn Hiebsch in the third-place match, while the Vikings also got a fourth-place doubles finish from McKenna Shipp and Elizabeth Pfeifer.
Shawnee Heights also competed in Tuesday's tournament, finishing seventh as a team.
Rural, Seaman and Shawnee Heights will all be back at Kossover on Thursday for the annual city tournament, with the Vikings entering the event as the defending champion.
Seaman earned its first city title since 2015 in the 2025 meet by a 32-28 margin over Washburn Rural.
WASHBURN RURAL GIRLS TENNIS INVITATIONAL
At Kossover Tennis Center
Team scores
Maize 63, Washburn Rural White 56, Seaman 52, Washburn Rural Blue 45, Manhattan 44, Emporia 30, Wichita Independent 18, Shawnee Heights 13.
Individual results
Singles
Championship -- Faul, Washburn Rural White, def. Youngers, Maize, 8-7 (7-5).
Third -- Wiens, Seaman, def. Hiebsch, Seaman, 8-6.
Fifth -- Garzon, Maize, def. Weixelman, Manhattan, NA.
Doubles
Championship -- Katzer/Owen, Washburn Rural White, def. Henderson/Ladd, Washburn Rural Blue, 8-2.
Third -- Harris/Anderson, Maize, def. Shipp/Pfeifer, Seaman, 8-3.
Fifth -- Boydo/Woodsworth, Maize, def. Geering/Kastner, Manhattan, 8-6.
