By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Hayden senior tennis star Ainzley Zulueta capped one of the most dominant postseason runs in Kansas history on Saturday at Kossover Tennis Center, capturing her third Class 4A singles championship while leading the Wildcats to their second team title in three seasons.
Hayden senior Ainzley Zulueta won her third Class 4A state singles title Saturday at Kossover Tennis Center, helping the Wildcats win the 4A team championship. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
In fact, although a rare player may equal it, no netter will ever surpass what Zulueta accomplished this fall, going through both regionals and the state tournament without dropping a single game while posting eight straight 6-0, 6-0 victories.
Zulueta finished off her undefeated season and amazing postseason run with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Buhler freshman Sofia Spies in Saturday's state championship match.
Zulueta admitted that a perfect run wasn't necessarily a goal when postseason began, but the deeper she went, particularly in the state tournament, the more realistic it became.
"That wasn't my main goal going into it, but once I started at regionals without dropping a game that was kind of my goal going into state,'' Zulueta said.
Spies came within a point of ending Zulueta's streak when she jumped out to a 40-0 lead in the first game of the final, but Zulueta battled back to win that game and was in control the remainder of the match.
"Once I got past that first game I was really set on just staying in the point and not thinking about what would happen afterwards, just so I could stop her from getting a game, I guess,'' Zulueta said. "That was my goal.''
After winning state titles as a freshman and sophomore, Zulueta had to sit out her junior high school season after attending a tennis academy in Texas.
But she said that just made her more determined to add title No. 3.
"I was way more determined to win it this year,'' Zulueta said. "I wasn't expecting to go 0 and 0 throughout the whole entire tournament, but that makes it a lot more memorable.''
Senior Ainzley Zulueta is congratulated by fellow Hayden students after winning her third Class 4A state singles title. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Hayden senior Ainzley Zulueta receives a hug from her father after winning her third Class 4A state singles title on Saturday. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Zulueta, who will play collegiately at Ferris State (Mich.), said that winning multiple state titles became a goal before she ever got to Hayden after watching former Wildcat four-time champ Brooklyn Hunter.
"I would always look up to Brooklyn Hunter and I used to watch her when she was here, so my parents kind of instilled that goal in me. They were like, 'You could definitely do it,' so that kind of made it my goal going into high school,'' she said.
"That definitely kind of made me a lot more motivated throughout high school.''
All six members of the Hayden team earned state medals on Saturday, which made the weekend that much more memorable.
Hayden senior Emily Sheetz (right) and freshman Sophia Wichman posted a runnerup Class 4A state doubles finish Saturday, helping lead the Wildcats to the Class 4A state team title. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Senior Emily Sheetz, a two-time state doubles champion and four-time state medalist, teamed with freshman Sophia Wichman to finish second in doubles while junior Grace Funk finished ninth in singles and juniors Izzy Glotzbach and Avery O'Bray posted an 11th- place doubles finish.
No. 2 seed Sheetz and Wichman dropped a 6-1, 6-2 decision in the doubles final to Independence's top seeds Callie Schlorholtz, a senior, and junior Brooklyn Mattix.
Funk defeated Bishop Miege sophomore Ella Daniel 9-7 in the ninth-place singles match while Glotzbach and O'Bray took an 8-2 win over Miege's Mary Jeanne Thompson, a junior, and senior Shea Coughlan in the 11th-place match.
It all added up to the team championship by a 40-28 margin over McPherson, with Independence third with 26 points.
"It is a great weekend, and that was our whole goal,'' Hayden coach Christy Sheetz said of the team championship. "I knew going into it with Zulueta being back and Emily being strong at the doubles position that we had a great chance, especially because we were just very deep this year and the goal was always the team championship.''
"It's really special,'' Zulueta said. "We all get along with each other and we always stay for each other's matches. Yesterday we were here till like 9 p.m., just cheering through it all. Even though we had a football game to catch and it was Senior Night and kind of special for me and Emily, we stayed out here because we thought it was more special to be here for state.
"There was a lot of waiting yesterday, but it was worth it.''
Seaman sophomore Emma Sweeney, now a two-time state medalist, posted a fourth-place singles finish in Saturday's Class 5A state tournament. [File photo/TSN]
Sweeney leads Vikings to third-place 5A finish
Sophomore Emma Sweeney became a two-time Class 5A state singles medalist on Saturday in Andover, posting a career-best fourth-place finish to lead the way as Seaman earned the third-place team trophy.
Sweeney won both of her Friday matches before dropping a 6-3, 6-0 semifinal decision to No. 1 seed and eventual state champion Molly Gaddis, a senior.
Sweeney then played Andover junior Mia Jaramillo in the third-place match, with Jaramillo taking a 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 win.
Seaman junior Molly Gorman, a two-time state medalist in doubles, finished 10th in her first state tournament in singles, dropping an 8-2 decision to Emporia junior Kali Keough in the ninth-place match.
Seaman's doubles team of senior Sidney Chinn and junior Peyton Henry also earned state medals, finishing 12th after an 8-7 (7-3) loss to Spring Hill junior Ashley Anders and senior senior Brynna Pierson.
Andover rolled to the 5A team championship by a 58-22 margin over Kapaun Mt. Carmel while Seaman finished the tournament with 20 team points.
The Vikings tied Salina Central for third place but took the third-place trophy by virtue of having the most state participants.
Topeka High junior Madeline Deters earned her first Class 6A state medal on Saturday at Harmon Park with an eighth-place singles finish. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn Rural seniors Izzy Haggard (front) and Emerie Catlin posted a ninth-place Class 6A doubles finish on Saturday at Harmon Park. [File photo/TSN]
Deters, Rural doubles team earn 6A state medals
Topeka High junior singles player Madeline Deters and the Washburn Rural senior doubles team of Emerie Catlin and Izzy Haggard took home Class 6A state medals from Saturday's 6A state meet at Harmon Park in Prairie Village.
Deters, making her second state appearance earned her first state medal with an eighth-place finish, dropping an 8-2 decision to Blue Valley senior Morgan Zuba in the seventh-place match.
Catlin and Haggard posted a ninth-place doubles finish to earn their first state medals, defeating Mill Valley seniors Marissa Hoelting and Stella Platt, 8-6, in the ninth-place match.
Topeka High and Washburn Rural tied for ninth place in the team standings with eight points.
Olathe Northwest won the team title with 51 points.
