By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After a two-year absence, Washburn Rural re-claimed the Topeka city girls tennis team championship Thursday at Kossover Tennis Center.
Washburn Rural poses for a team picture after winning the city girls tennis championship by a 32-28 margin over Seaman Thursday at Kossover Tennis Center. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Two-time city No. 1 doubles champs Julia Katzer and Halle Owen led the way as the Junior Blues won three of four divisions on the way to a 32-28 victory over 2025 champion Seaman while 2024 champ Hayden finished third with 24 points.
Washburn Rural seniors Halle Owen (left) and Julia Katzer won their second straight city title in No. 1 doubles Thursday at Kossover Tennis Center. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Katzer and Owen, both seniors, earned their repeat city title with an 8-3 win over Hayden juniors Hailey Caryl and Sophia Wichman and said their biggest thrill of the day was helping the Junior Blues win the team championship.
"We didn't win as a team last year, so I just really wanted to come through with that win so we could help the team out,'' Katzer said.
"It was a goal going in,'' Owen said of the team title. "I know we have a lot of strong players and we have a lot of strong underclassmen coming up, so I think that with a lot of the hard work that we've put in it's been good and it's paying off to win as a team.''
Washburn Rural also got city titles in No. 2 singles from Karmyn Faul and in No. 2 doubles from Annie Henderson and Kinley Ladd.
Faul topped Cair Paravel Latin's Mia Poole 8-6 in the No. 2 singles final while Henderson and Ladd took an 8-4 win over Seaman in the No. 2 doubles title match.
"The girls stayed patient, they remembered to play their game and stayed focused, and when you have a lead keep that gas pedal down and don't let up because these girls at these other schools are relentless and they're not going to stop,'' Washburn Rural coach Michelle Rose said.
Seaman senior Emma Sweeney won her second straight city title in No. 1 singles Thursday at Kossover Tennis Center, remaining undefeated on the season. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Undefeated Seaman senior star Emma Sweeney won her second straight No. 1 singles championship to pace the runnerup Vikings, taking an 8-0 win over Cair Paravel's Madelyn Poole in the final.
Sweeney, the Class 5A singles runnerup as a junior, lost just one game on the day after receiving a first-round bye, improving to 13-0 on the season.
"I think I've been playing pretty loose so far and that's always the goal, just to play better each day,'' Sweeney said. "I think I can always do better and work harder but so far I think I've been putting my all into each match and not taking anyone easy and just playing loose. That's the whole point.
"We've been working really hard as a team and we talk every single day about how we're going to put it all out there this year. Getting second in singles and as a team last year it was a big hurt, but we're coming back and we're all just ready to leave it out there.''
TOPEKA CITY GIRLS TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP
At Kossover Tennis Center
Team scores
Washburn Rural 32, Seaman 28, Hayden 24, Cair Paravel Latin 20, Shawnee Heights 16, Topeka High 14, Topeka West 8.
Individual results
No. 1 singles
Championship -- Sweeney, Seaman, def. Madelyn Poole, Cair Paravel, 8-0.
Third -- Hull, Hayden, def. Hoopes, Washburn Rural, 8-5.
No. 2 singles
Championship -- Faul, Washburn Rural, def. Mia Poole, Cair Paravel, 8-6.
Third -- Wiens, Seaman, def. Scheer, Hayden, 8-4.
No. 1 doubles
Championship -- Katzer/Owen, Washburn Rural, def. Caryl/Wichman, Hayden, 8-3.
Third -- Speer/Lux, Seaman, def. Ryan/Vanderpool, Shawnee Heights, 8-2
No. 2 doubles
Championship -- Henderson/Ladd, Washburn Rural, def. Prokop/Zurmely, Seaman, 8-4.
Third -- Gerdel/Gould, Hayden, def. Halverson/Allen, Shawnee Heights, 8-0.
