By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Class 3A-1A state singles champion Alex Sherer of Rossville headlines eight state placers on Top.Sports.news' 2021 All-Shawnee County boys tennis team.
Sherer competed during the regular season for Hayden as a co-op player before playing for Rossville in postseason, giving the school its first-ever state tennis champ.
Sherer went 36-2 on the season and finished off his championship run with a 6-7 (8-10 tiebreaker), 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) win over junior Nick Grabon of Wichita Collegiate in the 3A-1A state championship match.
Rossville senior Alex Sherer capped his first and only season of high school tennis with the Class 3A-1A state singles championship. [File photo/TSN]
Hayden's double team of junior Michael Sandstrom and sophomore Gus Glotzbach also advanced to the state finals, finishing second in 4A doubles to McPherson seniors Brennan Gipson and Conner Glazner (6-2, 6-3).
Hayden sophomore Gus Glotzbach (front) and junior Michael Sandstrom finished second in doubles at the Class 4A state tournament. [File photo/TSN]
Topeka West sophomore twin brothers Ian and Miles Cusick placed ninth in 5A doubles after winning city, Centennial League and regional titles while Washburn junior singles player Kyler Knudtson finished 11th in the 6A state tournament and Rural junior Nick Luetje and sophomore Mason Casebeer were 12th in 6A doubles.
Topeka West's Miles Cusick (left) and his twin bother, Ian, swept city, Centennial League and 5A regional doubles titles before finishing ninth at state. [File photo/TSN]
Topeka West sophomore Carter Cool won city and 5A regional singles titles in his first season of high school tennis. [Submitted]
Also earning spots on the all-county team were Topeka West sophomore Carter Cool, Shawnee Heights junior Jaden Rodriguez, Washburn Rural senior Aryamann Zutshi and Rural juniors Jiyoon Park and Zach Willingham.
Cool was the city champion in No. 1 singles and was also a regional champion while Zutshi was the city champion at No. 2 singles and Rodriguez the city runner-up in No. 1 singles.
Park and Willingham were the city champions in No. 2 doubles.
All-Shawnee County capsules:
MASON CASEBEER, Washburn Rural -- A sophomore, Casebeer teamed with Nick Luetje to earn a 6A state doubles medal with a 12th-place finish. Casebeer and Luetje were second in the city in No. 1 doubles, second at regionals and fifth in the Centennial League.
CARTER COOL, Topeka West -- The West sophomore claimed the city No. 1 singles title and a 5A regional singles championship in his first season of high school tennis. Cool also finished as the Centennial League singles runner-up and competed in the 5A state tournament.
IAN CUSICK, Topeka West -- A sophomore, Cusick teamed with his twin brother, Miles, to win the city title in No. 1 doubles as the Chargers captured the city team title. The Cusicks added Centennial League and 5A regional doubles titles before placing ninth in the 5A state tournament.
MILES CUSICK, Topeka West -- Cusick, a sophomore, teamed with his twin brother, Ian, to sweep city, Centennial League and 5A regional doubles championships before earning state medals with a 9th-place showing in the 5A state championships.
GUS GLOTZBACH, Hayden -- A sophomore, Glotzbach teamed with Michael Sandstrom for a second-place finish in doubles in the 4A state tournament. Glotzbach and Sandstrom were also regional champs and placed third in the city meet in No. 1 doubles.
KYLER KNUDTSON, Washburn Rural -- Knudtson capped his junior season with a 6A state medal, placing 11th in singles. Knudtson also placed third in the city tournament in No. 1 singles, was fourth in the Centennial League and third at regionals.
NICK LUETJE, Washburn Rural -- The Rural junior teamed with Mason Casebeer to earn a 6A state doubles medal with a 12th-place finish. Luetje and Casebeer were second in the city in No. 1 doubles and were second at regionals and fifth in the Centennial League.
JIYOON PARK, Washburn Rural -- A junior, Park teamed with Zach Willingham to win the city title in No. 2 doubles. Park and Willingham qualified for the 6A state tournament with a fifth-place regional finish and placed sixth in Centennial League doubles.
JADEN RODRIGUEZ, Shawnee Heights -- A junior, Rodriguez finished as the No. 1 singles runner-up in the city tournament and competed in the 5A state tournament after qualifying for state with a fourth-place regional finish in singles for the T-Birds.
MICHAEL SANDSTROM, Hayden -- A junior two-time state medalist, Sandstrom teamed with Gus Glotzbach to post a second-place finish in doubles in the 4A state tournament, finishing off a 27-10 record on the year. Sandstrom and Glotzbach were regional doubles champions and finished third in the city meet.
ALEX SHERER, Rossville -- Sherer, a senior, captured the 3A-1A state singles championship in his only season of high school tennis, finishing off a 36-2 season. Sherer competed for Hayden as a co-op player in the regular season before playing for the Bulldawgs in postseason, including a second-place regional finish.
ZACH WILLINGHAM, Washburn Rural -- A junior, Willingham teamed with Jiyoon Park to earn the city championship in No. 2 doubles. Park and Willingham qualified for the 6A state tournament with a fifth-place regional finish and placed sixth in Centennial League doubles.
ARYAMANN ZUTSHI, Washburn Rural -- Zutshi, a senior, was the city champion in No. 2 singles and went on to place fourth in singles in 6A regional competition to earn a spot in the state tournament.
