Conway Springs doubles team takes 3A tennis
Down 5-2 in the first set Saturday, Conway Springs' doubles team of Abby Koester and Chelsea Ebenkamp were trying to shake a slow start in the Class 3A girls doubles championship match at Dodge City.
"They (Ellinwood's Bailey Shartz and Darrien Beckwith) had a set point, but we (Conway) battled back and won the next five games," Conway Springs coach Chris Bellar said. "I think we finally got the upper hand and once we got it going, we can pretty tough up at the net."
Koester and Ebenkamp rallied and won 7-5, 6-2 for the school's first girls tennis title. The team finished second with 29 points, 1 1/2 points behind champion Ellinwood.
Independent finished third with 28 points.
Koester, a senior, and Ebenkamp, a junior, entered the tournament with a 30-3 record and a regional title. They beat Katie Hipp and Lanea Hekele of Claflin 6-2, 6-2 in the semifinals.
Independent's Colleen Zirkle won the third-place match in 3A singles. She lost in 12 straight games to eventual champion Sara Goodwin of Kansas City Christian, but recovered quickly and beat Dani Schwartz of Marysville 6-1, 6-3.
At Dodge City
Team scores—Ellinwood 30 1/2, Conway Springs 29, Independent 28, KC Christian 23 1/2, Marysville 17, Sabetha 16 1/2, Norton 16, Claflin 14 1/2, Shawnee Maranatha 11, WaKeeney 11, Hillsboro 9, Chaparral 8, Ashland 7, Bishop Seabury 5, Meade 5, Tribune 4 1/2, Beloit 4, Lyons 3, South Central 1, Ellsworth 1, Neodesha 1, Osborne 1, Phillipsburg 1/2.
Singles
Championship—Sara Goodwin, KC Christian, def. Tawni Griffey, Norton, 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (7-5). Third— Colleen Zirkle, Independent, def. Dani Schwarz, Marysville, 6-1, 6-3. Fifth— Miranda Erisman, Shawnee Maranatha, def. Meggie Hall, Sabetha, 9-7. Seventh— Omelia Thomas, Ellinwood, def. Heather Koester, Conway Springs, 9-6. Ninth— Aspen McCann, Ashland, def. Bailey Olvera, Meade, 9-6. 11th— Shelbi Wiles, Beloit, def. Allie Dwyer, Lyons, 9-5.
Semifinals—Griffey def. Schwarz 6-0, 6-1; Goodwin def. Zirkle 6-0, 6-0.
Doubles
Championship—Abby Koester-Chelsea Ebenkamp, Conway Springs, def. Bailey Shartz-Darrien Beckwith, Ellinwood, 7-5, 6-2. Third— Katie Hipp-Lanea Hekele, Claflin, def. Jillian Poynter-Cara Anderson, Independent, 2-6, 7-5, 6-4. Fifth— Amelia Fabrizius-Leah Flax, Trego Community, def. Courtney Weber-Allison Weber, Hillsboro, 9-2. Seventh— Sierra Smith-Taylor Mathes, Chaparral, def. Madeline Tedman-Rebecca Newth, Sabetha, 9-8 (7-3). Ninth— Gentry McLeland-Kaitlyn Robl, Ellinwood, def. KJ Rackley-Sarah Gittemeier, KC Christian, 9-6. 11th— Kelcy Crittenden-Courtney Nemecheck, Tribune, def. Rachel Mercer-Stacy Sones 9-5.
Semifinals—Koester-Ebenkamp def. Hipp-Hekele 6-2, 6-2; Shartz-Beckwith def. Poynter-Anderson 6-2, 6-2.
Class 6A — Northwest's Lindy Wilkerson had the best Wichita-area finish in 6A singles at Riverside Tennis Center. She lost the seventh-place match 9-6 to finish eighth. Campus' Olivia Medaris finished 11th.
Paige Lungwitz and Jess Holman of Maize had the area's best doubles finish, taking ninth place.
Maize was the Wichita area's top team finisher, taking 10th place with seven doubles points and a half-point in singles. Northwest and Hutchinson were a half-point behind.
At Riverside Tennis Center
Team scores—SM East 55, BV North 52, Washburn Rural 20, BV West 18, BV Northwest 14, Olathe Northwest 14, Manhattan 11, SM Northwest 9, Lawrence Free State 8 1/2, Maize 7 1/2, Wichita Northwest 7, Hutchinson 7, Campus 4, Junction City 3 1/2, Olathe East 2, Derby 1, Gardner-Edgerton 1, Lawrence 1/2, Olathe South 1/2, SM North 1/2, Topeka 1/2.
Singles
Championship—Mimi Fotopoulos, SM East, def. Madison Rhyner, BV North, 6-1, 6-1. Third— Noddka Hayaski, Olathe Northwest, def. Madeline Hill, Washburn Rural, 6-1, 4-6, 6-4. Fifth— Elizabeth Barnickel, SM East, def. Shea Flanagan BV North, 9-6. Seventh— Alexis Czapinski, Lawrence Free State, def. Lindy Wilkerson, Northwest, 9-6. Ninth— Katie Fries, Blue Valley West, def. Kristin Fraley, Manhattan, 9-3. 11th— Olivia Medaris, Campus, def. Irene Nicolae, Washburn Rural, 9-3.
Semifinals—Fotopolous def. Flanagan 6-1, 6-0; Hayaski def. Wilkerson 6-2, 6-2.
Doubles
Championship—Mollie Cooper-Elizabeth Wilcox, SM East, def. Ellen Fields-Megan Schultz, BV North, 6-4, 6-2. Third— Jennifer Lowe-Lindsay Haight, BV North, def. Ariel Mittleman-Lisa Erhart, BV West, 6-4, 6-4. Fifth— Alyx Paisner-Emma Fields, BV North, def. Mary Slattery-Claire Gordon, SM Northwest, 9-5. Seventh— Meredith Shackelford-Stephanie Wilcox, SM East, def. Hannah Weber-Allison, Reiser, Hutchinson, 9-5. Ninth— Paige Lunguitz-Jess Holman, Maize, def. Maria Stoica-Alex Welch 9-7. 11th— Erin Kruse- Maddy Johnson def. Michelle Westerman-Elizabeth Yoast, Junction City, 9-7.
Semifinals—Cooper-Wilcox def. Mittleman-Erhart 6-1, 6-2; Fields-Schultz def. Lowe-Haight 6-3, 6-2.