WaKEENEY — The Central Plains High School boys’ tennis team rolled to a Class 3-1A regional championship on Friday evening at a tournament hosted by Trego Community.
The Oilers finished with 23 points, beating second-place Ellsworth by 10.
Ellinwood, Hoisington and Scott City all tied for third place.
Central Plains qualified its whole team for the 3-1A State Tournament, which will be held on Friday and Saturday at Hillsboro Sports Complex in Hillsboro.
Layne Bieberle led the Oilers with a regional title, beating teammate Michael Ryan in the championship match, 6-0, 6-2.
Bieberle breezed through the first three matches, not giving up a set until running into his teammate.
Ryan knocked off Kyle Jenks of Ellinwood in Round 1 before beating Isaac Herzog of Ellis and Ellinwood’s Marc Wait to advance to the final match.
Waite took third, beating Hoisington’s Evan Smith, 6-0, 6-2. Both players qualified for the state tournament.
Meritt Hammeke and Carson Kirmer beat Ellsworth’s Taylor Bahan and Josh Bahr, 6-4, 6-1, for the crown in the doubles competition.
The combo entered as the No. 2 seed, beating out the No. 1 seed in the finals match.
Doubles duo Matt Demel and Michael Lamatsch finished in fifth place, beating Cimarron, 6-1, 6-1.
They won their first match before getting bumped by Angus Dufon and Roy Zelenka of Ellis, 6-4, 6-4.
However, Demel and Lamatsch won their final two matches.

                                                               — Kevin Price

HIGH SCHOOL TENNIS
Class 3-1A Regional Tournament

BOYS

At WaKeeney

Friday

Area results
Singles
First place — Layne Bieberle, Central Plains def. Michael Ryan, Central Plains, 6-0, 6-2
Third place — Marc Waite, Ellinwood def. Evan Smith, Hoisington, 6-0, 6-2
Doubles
First place — Hammeke & Kirmer, Central Plains def. Bahan & Bahr, Ellsworth, 6-4, 6-1
Fifth place — Demel & Lamatsch, Central Plains def. Mendoza & Jimenez, Cimarron, 6-1, 6-1