McPHERSON — The Great Bend High School boys’ tennis team opened the season with a fifth-place finish at the McPherson Tennis Invitational on Monday.
The Panthers finished with 30 points, narrowly missing third place, which was a tie between Winfield and Salina South at 32 points.
“All the No. 1’s and No. 2’s played in the same tournament bracket,” GBHS head coach Shannon Schartz said. “Even though we finished in fifth place as a team, we were only two points behind third place and six behind second place.”
McPherson won the invite with 44 points.
Great Bend’s No. 1 doubles duo, Nick Moyers and Chase Buntain, defeated Winfield 8-1 and two Salina South pairs 8-3 and 8-1. Moyers and Buntain finished in fifth place to lead the Panthers.
Moyers and Buntain fell to McPherson, 8-4.
“McPherson is ranked No. 2 in the state in (Class) 4A and Newton is ranked No. 3 in 5A,” Schartz said. “I thought our team competed really well. We lost two tough tiebreaker matches that could have put us in second or third place. Our doubles teams competed especially well. Nick and Chase’s only loss came at the hands of the tournament champions.”
Panthers No. 1 singles player Austin Jacobs beat McPherson 8-6 before falling to Salina South 8-2, Newton 8-7 (7-5) and Hays 8-6. Jacobs finished in seventh place.
Grant Harris, GBHS No. 2 singles player, finished in 10th place, and No. 2 double players Adam Neeland and Ramon Garcia finished in seventh place.
The Great Bend Invitational begins at 9 a.m. on Saturday at the tennis courts at Veterans Park.

                                                                            — Kevin Price

HIGH SCHOOL TENNIS
McPherson Tennis Invitational

At McPherson

BOYS

Monday

Team standings
1. McPherson 44, 2. Newton 36, 3. Winfield 32, 3. Salina South 32, 5. Great Bend 30, 6. Derby 22, 7. Hays 14

Great Bend results
SINGLES
Austin Jacobs — def. McPherson 8-6, lost to Salina South 8-2, lost to Newton 8-7 (7-5), lost to Hays 8-6, finished seventh place
Grant Harris — lost to Derby 8-7 (7-3), def. Hays 8-0, def. Salina South 8-3, lost to Winfield 8-6, finished 10th place
DOUBLES
Nick Moyers & Chase Buntain — def. Winfield 8-1, lost to McPherson 8-4, def. Salina South 8-3, def. Salina South 8-1, finished fifth place
Adam Neeland & Ramon Garcia — def. Hays 8-2, lost to McPherson 8-3, lost to Salina South 8-4, def. Salina South 8-7 (8-6), finished seventh place