It turned out to be a good day for the Great Bend High School boys’ tennis team.
It started at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday when the team had to use rollers to get rain water off the courts at Veterans Memorial Park. The Great Bend Invitational got under way at 10, and ended with the Panthers sweeping the competition.
“Once we got started, we did well,” Great Bend head coach Shannon Schartz said. “Everyone went undefeated. We had one real exciting match. Great Bend and Garden City were both undefeated heading into the final match at No. 1 doubles.
“It was a match where we were down, then they were down. It was tied three times. Then we took a lead at 6-5, and broke their serve to make it 7-5. Chase (Buntain) helped serve to close it out at 8-5.”
Schartz said that he’s happy with where his team is at early in the season, especially against Western Athletic Conference opponents.
“We’ve seen now everyone in the WAC,” Schartz said. “We beat Hays at McPherson (in the season opener), and the rest of the WAC schools were here, and we swept them.
“Getting a clean sweep at your home tournament is always special.”
Buntain joined with Austin Jacobs for No. 1 doubles action, only losing eight sets against the seven-team field.
Nick Moyers only lost four sets as he swept the No. 1 singles competition.
Great Bend’s No. 2 singles player, Grant Harris, won out in his bracket, losing only five sets.
Adam Neeland and Patrick McCluskey won the No. 2 doubles portion of the invite.
Their closest game came against the Great Bend junior varsity duo of Ryan Clark and Jun Rui Chen, an 8-3 victory.
Ellinwood only brought two singles players, so Great Bend JV players filled in the doubles brackets.
Peter Marston and Ethan Henderson competed in the No. 1 doubles competition.
“At those spots, we had two seniors win three matches at No. 1 doubles,” Schartz said. “That was excellent. They took fifth.
“At No. 2 doubles, we had two JV kids medal, taking third place. There’s a lot of good depth.”
Great Bend travels to Buhler for a quadrangular, starting at 3 p.m. on Tuesday.

Hoisington finishes
tied for fifth
The Hoisington Cardinals claimed a share of fifth place at the Great Bend Invitational, finishing tied with Liberal at 13 points apiece.
Hoisington No. 1 singles player Evan Smith went 2-4 with wins over Liberal’s Joseph Cotto and Sterling’s Andrew McPherson.
No. 2 singles player Conner Mooney won his last two matches of the day, beating Ian Stephens of Sterling and Kyle Jenks of Ellinwood.
No. 1 doubles duo Peter McCool and Lucas Flagor only managed one win, beating Liberal’s Angel Hernandez and Buddy Buchanan.
Tagan Brown and Brennan Knapp went winless in No. 2 doubles play.

Ellinwood’s Waite, Jenks
compete in singles action
Ellinwood No. 1 singles player Marc Waite split his six matches, getting wins against Sterling’s McPherson, Liberal’s Cotto and Hoisington’s Smith.
Kyle Jenks struggled in No. 2 singles action, falling 8-7 against Sterling’s Stephens and 8-5 against Hoisington’s Mooney on his way to a 0-6 mark.

HIGH SCHOOL TENNIS
Great Bend Invitational

At Great Bend
Veterans Memorial Park

Saturday

Team standings
1. Great Bend, 60; 2. Garden City, 47; 3. Dodge City, 34; 4. Sterling, 17; 5. Liberal, 13; 5. Hoisington, 13; 7. Ellinwood, 9

Great Bend results
No. 1 singles — Nick Moyers def. Marc Waite, Ellinwood, 8-0; def. Evan Smith, Hoisington, 8-0; def. Joseph Cotto, Liberal, 8-0; def. Andrew McPherson, Sterling, 8-2; def. Jonas Gotte, Dodge City, 8-0; def. Sebastian Kyaw, Garden City, 8-2
No. 2 singles — Grant Harris def. Kyle Jenks, Ellinwood, 8-0; def. Conner Mooney, Hoisington, 8-0; def. Michell Irby, Liberal, 8-1; def. Ian Stephens, Sterling, 8-0; def. Trevor Brock, Dodge City, 8-3; def. Dozie Eweariri, Garden City, 8-1
No. 1 doubles — Chase Buntain & Austin Jacobs def. Peter Marston & Ethan Henderson, Great Bend JV, 8-1; def. Peter McCool & Lucas Flagor, Hoisington, 8-1; def. Angel Hernandez & Buddy Buchanan, Liberal, 8-0; def. Henry Weiner & Coby Comley, Sterling, 8-0; def. Matt Goedeken & Dillon Burkhard, Dodge City, 8-1; def. Evan Riggs & Denton Keller, Garden City, 8-5
No. 2 doubles — Adam Neeland & Patrick McCluskey def. Ryan Clark & Jun Rui Chen, Great Bend JV, 8-3; def. Tagan Brown & Brennan Knapp, Hoisington, 8-0; def. Payton Grant & Krunal Bombaywala, Liberal, 8-0; def. Brian Walker & Luc Robson, Sterling, 8-1; def. Robert Askew & Jacob Waldman, Dodge City, 8-1; def. Brevin Irwin, Garden City, 8-2

Ellinwood results
No. 1 singles — Marc Waite lost to Moyers, Great Bend, 8-0; def. McPherson, Sterling, 8-2; lost to Gotte, Dodge City, 8-4; def. Cotto, Liberal, 8-6; lost to Kyaw, Garden City, 8-4; def. Smith, Hoisington, 8-6
No. 2 singles — Kyle Jenks lost to Harris, Great Bend, 8-0; lost to Stephens, Sterling, 8-7; lost to Brock, Dodge City, 8-0; lost to Irby, Liberal, 8-1; lost to Eweariri, Garden City, 8-3; lost to Mooney, Hoisington, 8-5

Hoisington results
No. 1 singles — Evan Smith lost to lost to Gotte, Dodge City, 8-1; lost to Moyers, Great Bend, 8-0; lost to Kyaw, Garden City, 8-1; def. Cotto, Liberal 8-7 (7-3); def. McPherson, Sterling 8-1; lost to Waite, Ellinwood, 8-6
No. 2 singles — Conner Mooney lost to Brock, Dodge City, 8-0; lost to Harris, Great Bend, 8-0; lost to Eweariri, Garden City, 8-0; lost to Irby, Liberal 8-4; def. Stephens, Sterling, 8-6; def. Jenks, Ellinwood, 8-5
No. 1 doubles — Peter McCool & Lucas Flagor lost to Goedeken & Burkhard Dodge City, 8-1; lost to Buntain & Jacobs, Great Bend, 8-1; lost to Riggs & Keller, Garden City, 8-4; def. Hernandez & Buchanan, Liberal, 8-1; lost to Weiner & Comley, Sterling, 8-0; lost to Marston & Henderson, Great Bend JV, 8-2
No. 2 doubles — Tagan Brown & Brennan Knapp lost to Askew & Waldman, Dodge City, 8-3; lost to Neeland & McCluckey, Great Bend, 8-0; lost to Irwin & Barragan, Garden City, 8-1; lost to Grant & Bombaywala, Liberal, 8-5; lost to Walker & Robson, Sterling 8-7 (7-4); lost to Clark & Chen, Great Bend JV, 8-1