The Great Bend High School boys’ tennis team had perhaps its best meet ever Saturday in winning its own invitational Saturday at Veterans Park.
The Panthers swept the six-team field, recording 50 points.
“It just couldn’t have gone more perfect,” GBHS head coach Shannon Schartz said. “We had perfect weather. The courts looked great and the kids played up to their potential. It was kind of a dominant meet for us.
“It was the first time in the school’s history that we swept the tournament.”
Western Athletic Conference foe Garden City placed second with 50 points.
“Garden City was the second toughest kids here,” Schartz said. “All of the Garden City kids lost one match on the day and that was to us. If they hadn’t played us, they would have been undefeated.
“We kind of ran away with the tournament and Garden City ran away with second place. Then we had a battle for third through sixth.”
Hoisington finished in fourth place with 15 points, and Ellinwood finished in sixth place with 13.
The Panthers started the day, sweeping Hoisington 8-0 across the board.
“The first round of the tournament, everybody won 8-0,” Schartz said. “That got us off on the right foot.”
Great Bend No. 1 singles place Austin Jacobs went 5-0 and never gave up more than two games in a match.
The No. 1 doubles players Nick Moyers and Chase Buntain beat every team 8-0 with the exception of Ellinwood’s No. 2 doubles duo —Kale Clawson and Kyle Blakeslee. Moyers and Buntain handled the Eagles 8-5.
Grant Harris, Great Bend’s No. 2 singles player, beat Garden City’s Sebastian Kyaw 8-3, his closest match.
Ramon Garcia and Adam Neeland combined as Great Bend’s No. 2 doubles duo,  beating Garden City 8-5.
“I’m satisfied with how everyone played,” Schartz said. “They played hard, and it’s tough playing five matches in one day.”
Hoisington, which has one senior in No. 2 singles player Brian Schauf, is battling inexperience this season.
“We did OK,” Hoisington head coach Kerry Mooney said. “We could have been better. We’re still getting in the varsity mind set. We returned only one varsity player from last year, so its been an uphill battle.”
Ellinwood’s Clawson and Blakeslee finished 3-2 on the day. They lost to Garden City in a 7-4 tiebreaker.
“That was definitely our bright spot today,” Ellinwood head coach Lyle Stickney said of his No. 1 doubles pair. “It could have definitely been brighter. We played Great Bend pretty well, but we could have done better against Garden City. Our serves were suspect.”

HIGH SCHOOL TENNIS
Great Bend Invitational
Tennis Tournament

At Great Bend
Veterans Park

BOYS

Saturday

Team scores
1. Great Bend, 50; 2. Garden City, 40; 3. Liberal, 18; 4. Hoisington, 15; 5. Dodge City, 14; 6. Ellinwood, 13

Great Bend results
No. 1 singles — Austin Jacobs def. Smith, Hoisington, 8-0; def. Brock, Dodge City, 8-2; def. Troyer, Ellinwood, 8-2; def. Stucky, Garden City, 8-2; def. Cotto, Liberal, 8-1
No. 2 singles — Grant Harris def. Schauf, Hoisington, 8-0; def. Teidemann, Dodge City, 8-2; def. Isern, Ellinwood, 8-1; def. Kyaw, Garden City, 8-3; def. Amado, Liberal, 8-0
No. 1 doubles — Nick Moyers & Chase Buntain def. Mooney & Kaiser, Hoisington, 8-0; def. Askew & Burkhard, Dodge City, 8-0; def. Clawson & Blakeslee, Ellinwood, 8-5; def. Riggs & Clark, Garden City, 8-0; def. Norez & Maria, Liberal, 8-0
No. 2 doubles — Ramon Garcia & Adam Neeland def. Brickley & Crawford, 8-0; def. Haas & Barren, Dodge City, 8-1; def. Niles & McFerrin, Ellinwood, 8-1; def. B. Keller & D. Keller, Garden City, 8-5; def. Gayton & Garcia, Liberal, 8-1

Hoisington results
No. 1 singles — Evan Smith lost to Jacobs, Great Bend, 8-0; def. Troyer, Ellinwood, 8-2; lost to Stucky, Garden City, 8-1; lost to Cotto, Liberal, 8-4; lost to Brock, Dodge City, 8-1
No. 2 singles — Brian Schauf lost to Harris, Great Bend 8-0; def. Isern, Ellinwood, 8-2; lost to Kyaw, Garden City, 8-1; def. Teidermann, Dodge City, 8-6
No. 1 doubles — Conner Mooney & Jeffrey Kaiser lost to Moyers & Buntain, Great Bend, 8-0; lost to Clawson & Blakeslee, Ellinwood, 8-1; lost to Riggs & Clark, Garden City, 8-0; def. Norez & Maria, Liberal, 8-1; lost to Askew & Burkhard, Dodge City, 8-6
No. 2 doubles — Darwin Brickley & Taylor Crawford lost to Garcia & Neeland, Great Bend, 8-0; lost to Niles & McFerrin, Ellinwood, 8-4; lost to B. Keller & D. Keller, Garden City, 8-2; def. Gayton & Garcia, Liberal, 8-1; lost to Hass & Barren, Dodge City, 8-6

Ellinwood results
No. 1 singles — Shawn Troyer lost to Cotto, Liberal, 8-1; lost to Smith, Hoisington, 8-2; lost to Jacobs, Great Bend, 8-2; lost to Brock, Dodge City, 8-4; lost to Stucky, Garden City, 8-2
No. 2 singles — Chris Isern lost to Amado, Liberal, 8-4; lost to Schauf, Hoisington, 8-5; lost to Harris, Great Bend, 8-1; lost to Teidermann, Dodge City, 8-4; lost to Kyaw, Garden City, 8-2
No. 1 doubles — Kale Clawson & Kyle Blakeslee def. Norez & Maria, Liberal, 8-2; def. Mooney & Kaiser, Hoisington, 8-1; lost to Moyers & Buntain, Great Bend, 8-5; def. Askew & Burkhard, Dodge City, 8-1; lost to Riggs & Clark, Garden City, 8-7 (7-4)
No. 2 doubles — Matt Niles & Trey McFerrin def. Gayton & Garcia, Liberal, 8-3; def. Brickley & Crawford, Hoisington, 8-4; lost to Garcia & Neeland, Great Bend, 8-1; lost to Haas & Barren, Dodge City, 8-5; lost to B. Keller & D. Keller, Garden City, 8-1