Larned Indian coach Mark Lessard features a balanced and talented girls tennis team.
3A Larned (29) earned first with 5A Great Bend (26) placing runner-up at Tuesday's Great Bend round-robin tournament. Temperatures reached the upper 90s at the Shannon Schartz tennis complex.
No. 1 singles Abby Holt (4-0) and No. 2 singles Cassie Manry (2-0) placed first and No. 2 doubles Reese Watkins/Isabella Bailey (3-1) finished runner-up. Holt placed fourth at last year's 3-1A state tournament. Arianna Hemken/Breanna Hemken also qualified for 3-1A state doubles last year.
Holt downed Great Bend's Kaylin Wahlmeier 8-3 with a consistent mistake-free effort in the championship match. Manry downed Junction City's Emma Young 8-6 for first place. Hays High's Kaelin Maier/Alyse Zimmerman downed Watkins/Bailey 8-1 in the championship match.
Great Bend's No. 1 singles Wahlmeier (3-1) and No. 1 doubles Taylor Lashley/Samanatha Mayers (3-1) placed runner-up in the round-robin tournament.
Panthers Lashley/Mayers performed at a high level to outlast Larned's Hemkens 8-6. Hays High's Kinley May/Jaiden Pfannenstiel outlasted Lashley/Mayers 8-1 in the championship match.
Great Bend coach Zachary Bartel likes the round-robin format to give his players a variety of opponents to play against.
"Beating Larned is the type of match that shows the Lashley/Mayers team is improving," Bartel said.
GREAT BEND ROUND ROBIN
TEAM SCORES—1—Larned 29; 2—Great Bend 26; 3—Hays High 17; 4—Dodge City 14, Junction City 14
NO. 1 SINGLES—1—Abby Holt, L, 4-0; 2 Kaylin Wahlmeier, GB, 3-1; 3 Bunkall, DC, 2-2; 4 Mateak, JC, 1-3; 5 Holdeman, H, 0-4; Holt def. Wahlmeier, 8-3; Holt def. Bunkall, 8-1; Holt def. Mateak, 8-1; Holt def. Holdeman, 8-1; Wahlmeier def. Bunkall, 8-3; Wahlmeier def. Mateak, 8-7 (7-3); Wahlmeier def. Holdeman, 8-1
NO. 2 SINGLES—1—Cassie Manry, L, 4-0; 2—Young, JC, 3-1; 3—Clarice Snapp, GB, 2-2; 4—Woydziak, DC, 1-3; 5—Edmonds, H, 0-4; Manry def. Young, 8-6; Manry def. Snapp, 8-3; Manry def. Woydziak, 8-1; Manry def. Edmonds, 8-1; Young def. Snapp, 8-5; Snapp def. Woydziak, 8-4; Snapp def. Edmonds, 8-1
NO. 1 DOUBLES—1—May/Pfannenstiel, H, 3-1; 2—Taylor Lashley/Samantha Mayers, GB, 3-1; 3—Rivera/Velasquez, DC, 2-2; 4—Monroe/Change, JC, 1-3; 5—Arianna Hemken/Breanna Hemken, L, 1-3; May/Pfannenstiel def. Lashley/Mayers, 8-1; Lashley/Mayers def. Rivera/Velasquez, 8-1; Lashley/Mayers def. Monroe/Chang, 8-1; Lashley/Mayers def. Hemken/Hemken, 8-6; Hemken/Hemken def. May/Pfannenstiel, 8-1; Monroe/Chang def. Hemken/Hemken, 8-6; Rivera/Velasquez def. Hemken/Hemken, 8-5
NO. 2 DOUBLES—1—Maier/Zimmerman, H, 4-0; 2—Reese Watkins/Isabella Bailey, L, 3-1; 3—Danica Strickland/MacKenzie LaViolette, GB, 2-2; 4—Powell/Etheridge, JC, 1-3; 5—Alvarado/Calderon, DC, 0-4; Maier/Zimmerman def. Watkins/Bailey, 8-1; Watkins/Bailey def. Strickland/LaViolette, 8-3; Watkins/Bailey def. Powell/Etheridge, 8-6; Maier/Zimmerman def. Strickland/LaViolette, 8-1; Strickland/LaViolette def. Alvarado/Calderon, 8-6; Strickland/LaViolette def. Powell/Etheridge, 8-4
