By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
How good was Topeka West in Friday's Class 5A boys tennis regional at Kossover Tennis Center? The Chargers coudn't have done any better.
Kurt Davids' team swept the top two sports in both singles and doubles to qualify all six players for next weekend's state tournament at Maize South while taking the regional team championship by a 26-13 margin over runner-up Shawnee Heights.
Sophomore Carter Cool, now 24-12 on the season, took the singles championship with a 6-2, 6-3 win over West freshman teammate James Maag (16-6), while sophomore twin brothers Ian and Miles Cusick won the doubles title with a 6-2, 6-1 win over junior Gavin Chavez and freshman Caden McGee. The Cusicks improved to 29-6 while Chavez and McGee are 12-10.
Topeka West sophomore Carter Cool won the 5A regional singles title Friday at Kossover Tennis Center, helping the Chargers win the team championship. [Submitted]
"We anticipated the top seeds in singles and doubles and the second seed in singles, but we knew the No. 2 singles would have a tough match in the semi and the No. 2 doubles was going to have a tough road the whole way,'' Topeka West coach Kurt Davids said. "To end up in the finals against each other was very nice.
"No 2 doubles and 2 singles really rose to the occasion. Not to take anything away from the rest of the fielf, but when Carter and the twins were challenged the most was in the finals by their teammates.''
Topeka West sophomore Miles Cusick serves the ball in Friday's Class 5A tennis regional. Miles teamed with his twin brother, Ian, to win the doubles title. [Submitted]
Ian Cusick teamed with twin bother Miles to win the doubles championship in Friday's Class 5A tennis regional at Kossover Tennis Center, helping lead Topeka West to the team title. [Submitted]
Shawnee Heights qualified junior singles players Jaden Rodriguez and Paul Quidu and the doubles team of juniors Garrison Johnson and Ajay Sharma while Highland Park qualified the doubles team of seniors Eliseo Barreno and Azarion Parkins and Seaman qualified junior singles player Justin Kruse.
Kruse (20-11) finished third in singles with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Rodriguez (21-8) in the third-place match while Quidu (22-6) finished fifth with a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Leavenworth's Angel Morgan.
Johnson and Sharma (10-8) finished third in doubles with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Lansing's Nate Hamman and Mike Bresser while Barreno and Perkins (9-15) finished fifth with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 win over Lansing's Jaylon Romine and Joren Remington.
The 5A state tournament will be played next Friday and Saturday at Maize South.
CLASS 5A REGIONAL TENNIS
Team scores
Topeka West 26, Shawnee Heights 13, Lansing 7, Seaman 7, Highland Park 3, Leavenworth 2.
Singles
Championship -- Cool, Topeka West, def. Maag, Topeka West, 6-2, 6-3.
Third -- Kruse, Seaman, def. Rodriguez, Shawnee Heights, 6-4, 6-3.
Fifth -- Quidu, Shawnee Heights, def. Morgan, Leavenworth, 6-0, 6-1.
Doubles
Championship -- I. Cusick/M. Cusick, Topeka West, def. McGee/Chavez, Topeka West, 6-2, 6-1.
Third -- Johnson/Sharma, Shawnee Heights, def. Hamman/Bresser, Lansing, 6-4, 6-2.
Fifth -- Barreno/Perkins, Highland Park, def. Romine/Remington, Lansing, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1.
