By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After advancing to the Class 6A state tennis tournament as a freshman in 2022, Topeka High singles player Madeline Deters fell short of that goal last fall.
Topeka High junior Madeline Deters won the No. 1 singles championship in Wednesday's Topeka High Invitational at Kossover Tennis Center. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But while that near miss was disappointing, it has also served as motivation for the Trojan junior standout this fall.
Deters continued her solid start to the '24 campaign in Wednesday's Topeka High Invitational at Kossover Tennis Center, with Deters taking the No. 1 singles championship with a perfect 4-0 record on the day.
Now 14-2 on the season, Deters capped her title run with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Olathe East's Mia Huttenmueller in the final.
"I feel amazing,'' Deters said about her start to the season. "My sophomore year was not so great and I trained really, really hard over the summer to have a way better year and I think that's really showing.
"This year I'm definitely trying to get back to state and possibly place at state.''
Deters won last week's Topeka West quadrangular with a 3-0 record and also finished second in the Seaman Invitational and third in the Emporia Invitational.
The Trojans also got third-place finishes from Hailey Caryl and Ava Ritter in No. 1 doubles and from Cora Ambrose and Sophia Ambrose in No. 2 doubles en route to a third-place team finish, just one point behind runnerup Junction City (24-23). Olathe East won the team title with 31 points.
Topeka High finished sixth in No. 2 singles, with Gabby Falk dropping a 6-4, 6-1 decision to Topeka West's Taryn Gilbert in the fifth-place match.
"I'm really happy,'' Topeka High coach Duane Pomeroy said of the Trojans' performance. "All six of them were giving it their full effort clear down to the end. This was the longest day we've had so far and they were worn out, but they weren't going to give up.''
Caryl and Ritter took a 6-2, 6-3 win over Lawrence's Channing Saint Onge and Alexa Nauholz while Ambrose and Ambrose took a 2-6, 6-2, 10-8 win over Lawrence's Jaina Poettker and Bebel Piepergrdes.
Topeka West, Shawnee Heights and Highland Park also competed in Wednesday's tournament, finishing sixth, seventh and eighth.
TOPEKA HIGH INVITATIONAL
At Kossover Tennis Center
Team scores
Olathe East 31, Junction City 24, Topeka High 23, Lawrence 21, Wichita Southeast 20, Topeka West 12, Shawnee Heights 8, Highland Park 5.
No. 1 singles
Championship -- Madeline Deters, Topeka High, def. Mia Huttenmueller , Olathe East, 6-3, 6-1.
Third -- Hannah Micheel, Junction City, def. Harper Jay, Lawrence, 6-1, 6-4.
Fifth -- Avery Martinez, Wichita Southeast, def. Izzy Van Fleet, Shawnee Heights, 7-5, 6-3.
No. 2 singles
Championship -- Grace Himmelberg, Olathe East, def. Julia Cho, Junction City, 4-6, 7-6 (7-4), 10-3.
Third -- Morgan Moeckly, Lawrence, def. Bella Ounaphom,Wichita Southeast, 6-0, 6-0.
Fifth -- Taryn Gilbert, Topeka West, def. Gabby Falk, Topeka High, 6-4, 6-1.
No. 1 doubles
Championship -- Tori Pettejohn/Ashley Bryant, Olathe East, def. Lauren Ounaphom/Mallory Martinez, Wichita Southeast, 6-2, 6-4.
Third -- Hailey Caryl/Ava Ritter, Topeka High, def. Channing Saint Onge/Alexa Nauholz, Lawrence, 6-2, 6-3.
Fifth -- Emma Young/Leila Etheridge, Junction City, def. Madison Glenn/Mariana Bernard, Topeka West, 6-2, 6-4.
No. 2 doubles
Championship -- Ava Anderson/Kaylee Melius, Olathe East, def. Aniela Adjei/Skylor O'Sullivan, Junction City, 6-1, 6-0.
Third -- Cora Ambrose/Sophia Ambrose, Topeka High, def. Jaina Poettker/Bebel Piepergrdes, Lawrence, 2-6, 6-2, 10-8.
Fifth -- Jony Dang/Ahlana Xayarath, Wichita Southeast, def. Jordan Felsburg/Kailyn Bidwell, Topeka West, 6-4, 7-6 (7-0).
