By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Junior Emma Sweeney has been a star for the Seaman girls tennis team since she stepped on campus.
Seaman junior Emma Sweeney, the No. 2 seed, will be aiming for her third straight Class 5A singles medal in this weekend's state tournament at Kossover Tennis Center. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Megan Sweeney roots on big sister Emma Sweeney during last Saturday's Class 5A regional tournament at Kossover Tennis Center. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
And after earning a Class 5A state medal with an 11th-place singles finish as a freshman and turning in a strong fourth-place showing as a sophomore, Sweeney feels like she's in position to take another big step in Friday and Saturday's state meet at Kossover Tennis Center.
Sweeney has put together a banner 27-1 campaign so far with a sweep of city, United Kansas Conference and 5A regional titles and earned the No. 2 seed for this weekend's state event.
"I'm excited,'' Sweeney said. "I'm nervous, but nerves are good. I've been hitting really good, really loose and just hitting good shots.
"And then from a mental standpoint, I think my head's pretty clear, too.''
Seaman is coming off a sweep of city, United Kansas Conference and regional team championships and will be aiming for a second straight 5A team trophy after finishing third a year ago.
"I think we're aiming for third or above,'' Sweeney said. "We got it last year so, I think that's what we're looking for this year, and we've all made it (to state), so if we are all able to make it to the second day and place I think we're putting ourself in a good position.''
Two-time regional champ Sweeney led the way last Saturday at Kossover as the Vikings edged St. James Academy for the regional crown.
Seaman senior Molly Gorman is a three-time Class 5A state medalist entering this weekend's state tournament at Kossover Tennis Center. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Viking senior Molly Gorman finished second to Sweeney at regionals for the second straight season and will be shooting for her fourth straight state medal.
Gorman finished 10th in 5A singles last season after teaming with Katie Krumins to earn state medals in doubles as a freshman and sophomore.
Gorman is 24-6 on the season and has been installed as the eighth seed for state.
Seaman senior Peyton Henry and junior Camryn Lux finished third at regionals while Viking juniors Kaylyn Hiebsch and Cadence Speer finished fourth.
Henry and Lux are 25-5 on the season and the No. 6 seed for state while Hiebsch and Speer are 22-8 and seeded No. 13.
The 5A state tournament will start at 10:30 a.m. Friday and continue on Saturday with a 9 a.m. start.
Class 6A at Olathe College Boulevard Activity Center
Washburn Rural and Topeka High finished one-two in the Class 6A regional at Wichita while combining for eight state qualifiers for this weekend's state meet at the College Boulevard Activity Center in Olathe.
Topeka High senior Madeline Deters won a Class 6A regional title last Friday and will be aiming for her second straight state medal this weekend. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn Rural junior Julia Katzer is headed to her second Class 6A state tournament this weekend after advancing in singles last season. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn Rural junior Halle Owen (above) teamed with Julia Katzer to win a Class 6A regional doubles title last Friday. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
The Trojans and Junior Blues swept the regional singles and doubles championships, with Topeka High senior Madeline Deters taking the singles crown and Washburn Rural juniors Julia Katzer and Halle Owen winning the doubles title.
Deters, a three-time state qualifier who placed eighth at state in 2024, is 29-4 this fall and has been installed as the No. 4 seed for state.
Katzer and Owen will take a 25-4 into the state meet and are seeded No. 9. Katzer will be making her second straight state appearance after qualifying in singles a year ago.
Rural also qualified freshman singles player Bridget Hoopes and the doubles team of senior Alizah Alvarez-Chedzoy and sophomore Annie Henderson for state while Topeka High qualified the doubles team of senior Ava Ritter and sophomore Hailey Caryl.
Hoopes (18-5) finished third at regionals and is seeded No. 14 for state while Alvarez-Chedzoy and Henderson (7-2) posted a fifth-place regional finish and are seeded 21st for state.
Caryl and Ritter (24-8) took third at regionals to earn their second straight state berth and are the No. 17 doubles seed.
The first round of state competition will begin at 10:30 a.m. Friday.
Class 4A at Prairie Village Harmon Park Tennis Complex
Hayden will enter the Class 4A state tournament as the defending state champion and is coming off a regional team title Saturday at Marysville while qualifying its entire team for state at the Harmon Park Tennis Complex in Prairie Village.
Wildcat senior Avery O'Bray and sophomore Sophia Wichman won the regional doubles championship and will take an 11-5 record into the state meet as the ninth seed. Wichman teamed with then-senior Emily Sheetz to finish second in the 2024 state meet while O'Bray teamed with Izzy Glotzbach to earn an 11th-place medal.
Hayden freshman Lana Hull (20-8) and senior Grace Funk (5-5) posted third and fourth-place singles finishes at regionals and are seeded No. 11 and No. 12 for state.
Funk is a two-time state medalist, including a ninth-place finish in 2024.
Senior Kinsey Bullock and junior Kaelyn Gerdel (4-8) qualified for state with a fifth-place regional finish and are the 21st seed for this weekend's tournament.
The first round of state competition will begin at 10:30 a.m. Friday.
Class 3A-1A at Salina Tennis Center
Cair Paravel Latin junior Madilyn Poole and Silver Lake sophomore Evelynn Thompson finished one-two in singles in the Class 3A-1A regional tournament last Friday at Kossover Tennis Center, punching their tickets for the state tournament at Salina Tennis Center.
Cair Paravel junior Madilyn Poole won the singles title in last Friday's Class 3A-1A tennis regional at Kossover Tennis Center. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Poole is 16-2 on the season and has been installed as the No. 3 seed for the state meet while Thompson is 12-5 and the No. 9 state seed.
Poole also qualified for state as a sophomore and feels like she's ready to challenge for a state medal this weekend.
"I think I'm a more confident player,'' Poole said. "I practiced a lot over the summer so that gave me confidence and made me realize what kind of stuff works for me.
"I want top-five at state, but I'm just going to play my best. I think it's realistic.''
The first round of state competition will begin at 10:30 a.m. Friday.
SHAWNEE COUNTY STATE TENNIS QUALIFIERS
Class 6A
At College Boulevard Activity Center, Olathe
Topeka High -- Singles: Madeline Deters, sr., 29-4 (No. 4 seed). Doubles: Hailey Caryl, so., and Ava Ritter, sr., 24-8 (No. 17 seed).
Washburn Rural -- Singles: Bridget Hoopes, fr., 18-5 (No. 14 seed). Doubles: Julia Katzer, jr., and Halle Owen, jr., 25-4 (No. 9 seed); Alizah Alvarez-Chedzoy, sr., and Annie Henderson, so., 7-2 (No. 21 seed).
Class 5A
At Kossover Tennis Center
Seaman -- Singles: Emma Sweeney, jr., 27-1 (No. 2 seed); Molly Gorman, sr., 24-6 (No. 8 seed). Doubles: Peyton Henry, sr., and Camryn Lux, jr., 25-5 (No. 6 seed); Kaylyn Hiebsch, jr., and Cadence Speer, jr., 20-10 (No. 14 seed).
Topeka West -- Doubles: Taryn Gilbert, sr., and Jordan Felsburg, sr., 23-13 (No. 19 seed).
Class 4A
At Harmon Park Tennis Complex, Prairie Village
Hayden -- Singles: Lana Hull, fr., 20-8 (No. 11 seed); Grace Funk, sr., 5-5 (No. 12 seed). Doubles: Avery O'Bray, sr., and Sophia Wichman, so., 11-5 (No. 9 seed); Kinsey Bullock, sr., and Kaelyn Gerdel, jr., 4-8 (No. 21 seed).
Class 3A-1A
At Salina Tennis Center
Cair Paravel Latin -- Singles: Madilyn Poole, jr., 16-2 (No. 3 seed).
Silver Lake -- Singles: Evelynn Thompson, so., 12-5 (No. 9 seed).
