LIBERAL — The Great Bend High School boys’ tennis team wrapped up a Western Athletic Conference title on Monday by sweeping the conference tournament.
The Panthers finished with 16 points to beat second-place Garden City, which finished with 12 points. Those two programs accounted for the entire all-conference list.
“We had a good day,” GBHS head coach Shannon Schartz said. “All of our kids played some great matches. We were able to get a clean sweep of the tournament.”
Great Bend missed sweeping the conference meet last season by one match. It swept this time around.
Nick Moyers, who was selected as the WAC Player of the Year, went 4-0, dropping five games over the day. He makes it two straight WAC player-of-the-year honors for the Panthers after Grant Harris captured the award last season.
“Nick played some of the best tennis he’s ever played against the Garden City player,” said Schartz, who captured conference coach-of-the-year honors. “A week ago at Garden City, our No. 1 and No. 2 singles players had a little trouble against Garden City, so we were a little concerned heading into today.”
However, those concerns were unfounded, as the Panthers took care of business.
“Grant Harris had a great match against Garden City as well,” Schartz said. “We were able to have a clean sweep of the competition. We were able to sweep Garden City for the third time this season.”
The No. 1 doubles team, composed of Austin Jacobs and Chase Buntain, beat Garden City 8-3, the only match of the day where they lost a game.
Harris, at No. 2 singles, beat Garden City 8-4, a score that tied for his closest match of the day with his win over a Liberal opponent.
Adam Neeland and Patrick McCluskey combined to win the No. 2 doubles competition for GBHS.
“That was our main goal, beating Garden City,” Schartz said. “They were our main competition coming into today. Garden City sent their whole team to the (Class) 6A tournament last year. They are a really good team.”
The Panthers compete at a 5A regional tournament at Salina Central on Friday, starting at 10 a.m.
— Kevin Price
HIGH SCHOOL TENNIS
Western Athletic Conference Tournament
BOYS
At Liberal
Monday
Team scores
1. Great Bend, 16; 2. Garden City, 12; 3. Dodge City, 5; 4. Hays, 4; 5. Liberal, 3.
Great Bend results
No. 1 singles — Nick Moyers def. Hays, 8-0; def. Liberal, 8-2; def. Garden City, 8-3; def. Dodge City, 8-0
No. 2 singles — Grant Harris def. Hays, 8-0; def. Liberal, 8-4; def. Garden City, 8-4; def. Dodge City, 8-3
No. 1 doubles — Austin Jacobs & Chase Buntain def. Hays, 8-0; def. Liberal, 8-0; Garden City, 8-3; def. Dodge City, 8-0
No. 2 doubles — Adam Neeland & Patrick McCluckey def. Hays, 8-2; def. Liberal, 8-1; def. Garden City, 8-2; def. Dodge City, 8-3
ALL-WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
Tennis team
Name School
Nick Moyers Great Bend
Grant Harris Great Bend
Adam Jacobs Great Bend
Chase Buntain Great Bend
Austin Neeland Great Bend
Patrick McCluskey Great Bend
Bryan Clarke Garden City
Evan Riggs Garden City
Denton Keller Garden City
Player of the Year — Nick Moyers, Great Bend
Coach of the Year — Shannon Schartz, Great Bend
