By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Cair Paravel Latin senior star Drew Fay plans to close the door on his competitive tennis career after this weekend's Class 3A-1A boys state tournament at Harmon Park in Prairie Village.
Cair Paravel senior Drew Fay is 26-2 and the No. 3 singles seed for this weekend's Class 3A-1A state tennis tournament. [File photo/TSN]
And Fay, a state placer in both singles and doubles in his high school career, just wants to make sure he does everything he can to make the most of his farewell event.
"It's my last tennis tournament ever,'' said Fay, who will attend college at Emporia State. "I'm not playing in college, so if I'm not having fun then I'm missing the whole point.
"So I just want to play my best and have fun while I'm doing it. Then I'll be happy.''
Fay teamed with Eric Buchenau to finish second in 3A-1A doubles last season before switching back to singles this season, winning the city title in No. 1 singles.
"I think I enjoy them (singles and doubles) both a lot,'' Fay said. "They're a lot different, but I think they're both fun. By the time the season started I felt comfortable playing singles again.''
Fay, 26-2, enters this year's state tournament as the No. 3 seed behind Wichita Collegiate sophomores Amir Khicha (19-1) and G. Farha (26-6).
And although Fay acknowledges that Khicha is the tournament favorite, he's setting his sights on reaching a second straight state final.
"I think winning it all would probably take a miracle honestly, but I think getting second would be pretty exciting, so I'd say that's my goal,'' Fay said.
Cair Paravel also qualified freshman singles player Jonah Arnold and the doubles team of senior Joey Thoennes and junior David Toenjes after the Lions captured the team title in last Friday's 3A-1A regional at Kossover Tennis Center.
Arnold finished fourth at regionals and is the No. 14 seed with an 11-5 record while Thoennes and Toenjes also finished fourth in the regional tournament and are the No. 19 seed with a 1-2 record.
The 3A-1A state tournament will start at 10:30 a.m. Friday and continue on Saturday with a 9 a.m. start.
Class 6A at Wichita Riverside Tennis Complex
Washburn Rural completed a sweep of city, Centennial League and Class 6A regional team championships last Saturday at Kossover Tennis Center while qualifying five of six players for Friday and Saturday's state tournament at Wichita's Riverside Tennis Complex.
Washburn Rural seniors Cale Deutscher (left) and Dylan Willingham won a regional doubles title last Saturday to lead the Junior Blues to the team championship. [File photo/TSN]
The Junior Blues went one-two in doubles at regionals, with seniors Cale Deutscher and Dylan Willingham defeating senior teammates Kieffer O'Connor and Ben Tryhus 6-3, 6-1 in the championship match.
Deutscher and Willingham, who placed seventh in 6A doubles last season, are 28-4 this spring and earned the No. 5 state seed while O'Connor and Tryhus are 25-6 and the No. 12 seed.
Junior singles player Greyson Jones posted a fourth-place regional finish, retiring with cramping issues in the third-place match.
Jones will take a 21-11 record into the state tournament and is the No. 20 seed.
Topeka High will also be well-represented in the state tournament, qualifying senior singles player Tres Lassister and the doubles team of seniors Victor Arriaga and Christian Sink.
Lassiter finished second at regional and will be the No. 15 state seed with a 28-9 record.
Arriaga and Sink finished fifth in last Saturday's regional and are 23-14 and the No. 21 seed.
The 5A state tournament will start at 10:30 a.m. Friday and continue on Saturday with a 9 a.m. start.
Class 5A Andover Tennis Complex
For the second straight season Seaman qualified all six players for Friday and Saturday's Class 5A state tournament at the Andover Tennis Complex.
The Vikings are coming off back-to-back team championships in the United Kansas Conference and 5A regional tournaments.
Sophomore Camden Dutton led regional champion Seaman with a runnerup singles finish last Saturday at Kossover Tennis Center. [File photo/TSN]
Sophomore singles player Camden Dutton paced Seaman with a runnerup finish in last Saturday's regional tournament at Kossover while freshman Kenton Myrick finished third.
Dutton, 18-11 on the season, is the No. 13 5A singles seed for state while Myrick, 22-7, is the No. 18 seed.
The Vikings' doubles teams of seniors Dayton Schneider and Owen Stewart and sophomores Aaron Sampson and Cooper Hopeck finished third and fourth, respectively at regionals.
Schneider and Stewart are 22-6 and the No. 18 state doubles seed while Sampson and Hopeck are 23-9 and seeded No. 19.
Topeka West sophomore Collin McGee, a two-time Class 5A state qualifier, teamed with Zander Rice to finish second in doubles at regionals. [File photo/TSN]
Topeka West's doubles team of sophomore Collin McGee and junior Zander Rice followed up its runnerup finish in the UKC meet with a second-place showing at regionals.
McGee and Rice are 28-10 on the season and the No. 13 state seed.
The 5A state meet will get under way at 10:30 a.m. Friday and continue at 9 a.m. Saturday.
Class 4A at Topeka Kossover Tennis Center
Hayden posted a second-place team finish in the McPherson Class 4A regional last Friday while qualifying five of six players for the state tournament, which the Wildcats will host this weekend at the Kossover Tennis Center.
Seniors William Luke and Brock Reynoldson paced Hayden with a runnerup doubles finish at regionals while the Wildcats also qualified the doubles team of sophomore Patrick Luke and freshman Miles Allphin, who finished fifth.
Junior Brek Wahlmeier qualifed for state in singles with a third-place finish.
W. Luke and Reynoldson are now 17-18 on the season and are the No. 14 state seed while P. Luke and Allphin are 20-11 and seeded No. 21.
Wahlmeier will take a 20-15 record into state and is the No. 15 singles seed.
Hayden coach Christine Voegeli has announced that she is stepping down after this weekend's state tournament, ending a long stint as an assistant and head coach in the Hayden program.
The state tournament will get under way at 10:30 a.m. Friday and continue at 9 a.m. Saturday.
TOPEKA STATE TENNIS QUALIFIERS
Class 6A
At Riverside Tennis Complex, Wichita
Topeka High -- Singles: Tres Lassiter, sr., 28-9 (No. 15 seed). Doubles: Victor Arriaga, sr., and Christian Sink, sr., 23-14 (No. 21 seed).
Washburn Rural -- Singles: Greyson Jones, jr., 21-11 (No. 20 seed). Doubles: Cale Deutscher, sr., and Dylan Willingham, sr., 28-4 (No. 5 seed); Kieffer O'Connor, sr., and Ben Tryhus, sr., 25-6 (No. 12 seed).
Class 5A
At Andover Tennis Complex
Seaman -- Singles: Camden Dutton, so., 18-11 (No. 13 seed); Kenton Myrick, fr., 22-7 (No. 18 seed). Doubles: Dayton Schneider, sr., and Owen Stewart, sr., 23-9 (No. 19 seed); Aaron Sampson, so., and Cooper Hopeck, so., 23-9 (No. 19 seed).
Topeka West -- Doubles: Collin McGee, so., and Zander Rice, jr., 28-10 (No. 13 seed).
Class 4A
At Kossover Tennis Center, Topeka
Hayden -- Singles: Brek Wahlmeier, jr., 20-15 (No. 15 seed). Doubles: William Luke, sr., and Brock Reynoldson, sr., 17-18 (No. 14 seed); Patrick Luke, so., and Miles Allphin, fr., 20-11 (No. 21 seed).
Class 3A-1A
At Harmon Park Tennis Complex, Prairie Village
Cair Paravel Latin -- Singles: Drew Fay, sr., 26-2 (No. 3 seed); Jonah Arnold, fr., 11-5 (No. 14 seed). Doubles: Joey Thoennes, sr., and David Toenjes, jr., 1-2 (No. 19 seed).
