By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
By this point in the 2024 high school tennis season, Seaman singles players Emma Sweeney and Molly Gorman have faced off against each other more than they can probably count.
Seaman sophomore Emma Sweeney is 27-3 and the No. 5 singles seed for Friday and Saturday's Class 5A state tennis tournament at Andover. [File photo/TSN]
Seaman sophomore Molly Gorman is 25-4 on the season and the No. 11 singles seed for the Class 5A state meet Friday and Saturday in Andover. [File photo/TSN]
Sweeney and Gorman play each other most every day in practice and also faced each other in the championship matches of the United Kansas Conference and Class 5A regional tournaments.
Gorman, a junior, and sophomore Sweeney admit that constantly going up against a teammate and close friend can get old, but the Viking standouts would welcome another meeting in this Friday and Saturday's Class 5A state tournament at the Andover District Tennis Complex.
Sweeney, who placed 11th in 5A as a freshman, is the No. 5 state seed with a 27-3 record while Gorman, a two-time state doubles medalist, is the No. 11 seed at 25-4, with two of her losses coming against Sweeney.
"It's hard, especially because me and Molly are such good friends off the court that it's just so hard and upsetting always having to play and go against her,'' Sweeney said.
Gorman agreed.
"At practice yes (it gets old) and I don't like playing her when it comes to meets, but we've got to do it,'' Gorman said.
But both players agree that playing each other also makes them both better.
"She hits the ball super aggressive and she's good on moving me around,'' Sweeney said of Gorman. "It's either way at practice at the end of the day. Me and Molly just are always trying to push each other and make each other better each day.''
Said Gorman: "Even though it gets tiring, it benefits me and it should benefit her I think.''
The good news for both Sweeney and Gorman is that if they face each other this weekend it's likely to be a very good weekend for both of them, with the two players on opposite sides of the bracket and will only play if both players advance to the state final or end up facing off in a place match.
Seaman is coming off United Kansas Conference and regional team championships -- posting perfect team scores in both events -- and will be looking to take home a team trophy (top three) this weekend after qualifying its entire team for state.
Seaman senior Sidney Chinn and junior Peyton Henry won the regional doubles title last Saturday in Bonner Spring while topping sophomore teammates Kaylyn Hiebsch and Camryn Lux in the championship match.
Chinn and Henry are 23-5 on the season and the No. 10 seed for state while Hiebsch and Lux are 22-8 and seeded No. 13.
The 5A state tournament will start at 10 a.m. Friday.
Class 6A at Prairie Village Harmon Park Tennis Complex
Washburn Rural and Topeka High combined for seven state qualifiers for this weekend's Class 6A state meet at Harmon Park.
Washburn Rural seniors Emerie Catlin (left) and Izzy Haggard followed up their city doubles title with Centennial League and regional championships and are the No. 5 seed for the Class 6A state tournament. [File photo
Regional team champion Rural qualified the senior doubles team of Emerie Catlin and Izzy Haggard and senior singles player Carolina Chedzoy and sophomore Julia Katzer for state out of last Thursday's regional tournament at Wichita while Topeka High qualified junior singles player Madeline Deters and the doubles team of junior Ava Ritter and freshman Hailey Caryl.
Catlin and Haggard won the regional doubles title after earlier winning city and Centennial League titles while Chedzoy and Katzer finished second and fifth in singles.
Catlin and Haggard are 21-4 on the year and are the No. 5 state seed while Chedzoy, a returning state medalist, is 17-10 and the No. 9 singles seed while Katzer is 17-10 and the No. 20 seed.
Topeka High's Deters placed third at regionals and is the No. 10 state seed with a 24-6 record while Caryl and Ritter took fifth at reegionals and are the No. 18 doubles seed with a 22-8 record.
The first round of state competition will begin at 10 a.m. Friday.
Class 3A-1A at Wichita Riverside Tennis Complex
Cair Paravel Latin sophomore Madilyn Poole finished second in singles in the Class 3A-1A regional tournament last Saturday at Marysville, becoming the school's first girls state tennis qualifier.
Poole is 19-6 on the season and has been installed as the No. 8 seed for Friday and Saturday's state meet at Wichita's Riverside Tennis Complex.
CITY STATE TENNIS QUALIFIERS
Class 6A
At Harmon Park, Prairie Village
Topeka High -- Singles: Madeline Deters, sr., 24-6. Doubles: Hailey Caryl, fr., and Ava Ritter, jr., 22-8.
Washburn Rural -- Singles: Carolina Chedzoy, sr., 17-10; Julia Katzer, so., 17-10. Doubles: Emerie Catlin, sr., and Izzy Haggard, sr., 21-4.
Class 5A
At Andover District Tennis Complex
Seaman -- Singles: Emma Sweeney, so., 27-3; Molly Gorman, jr., 25-4. Doubles: Peyton Henry, jr., and Sidney Chinn, sr., 23-5; Kaylyn Hiebsch, so., and Camryn Lux, so., 22-8.
Class 4A
At Kossover Tennis Center, Topeka
Hayden -- Singles: Ainzley Zulueta, sr., 20-0; Grace Funk, jr., 8-3. Doubles: Emily Sheetz, sr., and Sophia Wichman, fr., 12-2; Izzy Glotzbach, jr., and Avery O'Bray, jr., 11-7.
Class 3A-1A
At Riverside Tennis Complex, Wichita
Cair Paravel Latin -- Singles: Madilyn Poole, so., 19-6.
