ARKANSAS CITY — Great Bend High School juniors Nick Moyers and Chase Buntain achieved their goals for the 2012 tennis season and then some.
On Saturday, the doubles team finished in 10th place to earn a medal at the Class 5A state tournament.
“I felt like we did very good,” Buntain said. “We beat a No. 1 seed, so that was great. People didn’t think we could get this far, but we did. It was just great to be able to get this far.”
Great Bend head coach Shannon Schartz said that the duo exceeded his expectations.
“By placing 10th, they are state medalists,” Schartz said. “At the beginning of the season, our goal was to make the state tournament. They achieved that, and to go beyond that and win a medal is just great for the boys.”
Buntain and Moyers started Friday morning by beating a doubles team from Shawnee Mill Valley 6-3, 6-4, earning them a chance to challenge a regional champion and No. 1 seed Emporia.
The duo toppled Emporia, 6-4, 6-3.
“It was a really exciting event,” said Moyers, who was competing at his first state tournament. “It was nice to see so many people from all over the state coming together to compete in a tournament.
“We finished in 10th, and we upset a No. 1 seed. We played some close matches that we thought we could have won, but it was still a great experience.”
The Panthers were tripped up by Arkansas City in the final match of the first day, falling 6-0, 6-1.
“They played excellent tennis,” Schartz said after the first day. “They played the best that they’ve played all year. They came out relaxed. They were consistent and aggressive. Beating Emporia was a great upset.”
Moyers and Buntain fell to Salina South 9-7 in the first match of Day 2.
“The consolation bracket was a nine-game pro set,” Schartz said. “The championship bracket is best-of-three sets. They played well (the second day). Overall, not as good as before, but they still did very well.”
With a medal on the line, Great Bend was able to beat Andover Central 9-5 to advance to the ninth-place match.
The Panthers fell to St. Thomas Aquinas 9-7 to finish in 10th place.
“It really gets me excited,” Moyers said. “I know what I need to work on. I want to work hard over the summer and next year so we can get back here.”

                                            — Kevin Price

HIGH SCHOOL TENNIS
Class 5A state tournament

At Arkansas City

Friday-Saturday

BOYS

Team standings
1. St. Thomas Aquinas, 47; 2. Lansing, 34; 3. Salina Central, 31.5; 4. Bishop Miege, 23; 5. Goddardm 22; 6. Arkansas City, 12; 6. Winfield, 12; 8. Newton, 9; 9. Salina South, 7.5; 9. Topeka West, 7.5; 11. Goddard Eisenhower, 7; 12. Great Bend, 5; 12. Andover Central, 5; 14.
Andover, 4.5; 15. BV Southwest, 3; 15. Kapaun-Mt. Carmel, 3; 17. Bishop Carroll, 2; 18. Topeka Seaman, 1.5; 19. Emporia, 1; 20. Blue Valley, .5

Individual results
Singles
Championship — Anil Patel, Lansing, dec. Alberto Buogo, Lansing, 1-6, 6-1, 6-0.
Third — Christian Boschert, Aquinas, dec. Steven Wirtz, Miege, 7-6, (7-2), 7-5.
Fifth — Ben Grove, Miege, dec. Blake Jackson, Aquinas, 9-4.
Seventh — Jack Weiner, Salina Central, dec. Cory Otis, Goddard Eisenhower, 9-3.
Ninth — Austin Davids, Topeka West, dec. Timio Lopez, Goddard, 9-3.
Eleventh — Steven Wagner, Andover, dec. Mason Born, Kapaun, 9-2.
Semifinals — Buogo, Lansing, dec. Wirtz, Miege, 1-6, 6-1, 6-0; Patel, Lansing, dec. Boschert, Aquinas, 6-1, 6-0.

Doubles
Championship — Nick Logan-Parker Turek, Aquinas, dec. Britt Hansen-Ryan Wolfe, Goddard, 7-5, 6-3.
Third — Justin Bengstson-Nathan Garlow, Salina Central, dec. John Rohr-Macen Vargas, Arkansas City, 7-5, 6-1.
Fifth — Sam Camp-Alex Hanna, Winfield, dec. Zachary Hampton-David Weiner, Salina Central, 9-7.
Seventh — Brooks Taylor-Josh Carlgren, Newton, dec. Kyler Arpin-Pierce Carey, Salina South, 9-1.
Ninth — Mike Ibarra-Eric Robinson, Aquinas, dec. Nick Moyers-Chase Buntain, Great Bend, 9-7.
Eleventh — Zack London-Nick Gazda, Andover Central, dec. Jeffrey Stevens-Niklas Hagenbeck, BV Southwest, 9-4.
Semifinals — Logan-Turek, Aquinas, dec. Rohr-Vargas, Arkansas City, 6-1, 6-3; Hansen-Wolfe, Goddard, dec. Bengstson-Garlow, Salina Central, 6-2, 6-1.

Great Bend results
Doubles — Nick Moyers & Chase Buntain def. Shawnee Mill Valley 6-3, 6-4; def. Emporia 6-4, 6-3; lost to Arkansas City 6-0, 6-1; lost to Salina South 9-7; def. Andover Central 9-5; lost to St. Thomas Aquinas 9-7