By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Hayden's girls tennis team will be out in full force Friday and Saturday in Winfield as the Wildcats defend their Class 4A state championship.
The Wildcats put themselves in position for another strong state performance in Saturday's regional tournament at Kossover Tennis Center, qualifying all six players for state while winning the regional team title by a 19-18 margin over Bishop MIege.
Hayden senior Lauren Sandstrom returns a shot during Saturday's Class 4A regional tennis tournament. Sandstrom and partner Emily Sheetz are the defending Class 4A doubles champs. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Hayden junior Emily Sheetz and doubles partner Lauren Sandstom are 26-3 on the season after winning the Class 4A doubles title a year ago. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Hayden's doubles team of junior Lauren Sandstrom and sophomore Emily Sheetz, now 26-3, repeated as regional champions with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Bishop Miege's Livi Shull and Ellie Gudex and the Wildcat standouts will enter state as the defending state doubles champs.
The Wildcats also got a fourth-place double finish from sophomores Izzy Glotzbach and Avery O'Bray while sophomore Grace Funk posted a runnerup finish in singles and junior Sofia Sexton qualified for state with a sixth-place regional finish.
"I'm thrilled,'' Hayden coach Christy Sheetz said. "I knew that they could play this well and I knew that they had it in them. To watch them come out here and be able to put into practice all the things that they've learned and worked for this season is really, really gratifying and satisfying.''
Hayden sophomore Grace Funk finished second in Saturday's Class 4A regional tournament and is a returning state medalist. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Funk (17-13) placed 10th at state last season and is one of three Hayden returners from last year's state title team, along with Sandstrom and Sheetz.
Two time 4A state singles champion Ainzley Zulueta is not playing high school tennis this fall while the Wildcats also graduated a doubles team from last season.
"Of course we miss Zulueta and we also miss the two seniors that we lost,'' Christy Sheetz said. "But we have leaned on Emily and Lauren for leadership and guidance. I'm very impressed, especially with this little doubles team.
"Izzy Glotzbach is a dual sport athlete -- she plays golf and tennis -- and Sofia Sexton, it's fun to have her out and Grace Funk has really stepped up at the No. 1 singles spot. She has done an indredible job.''
Glotzbach and O'Bray are 15-15 on the season while Sexton is 12-18.
CLASS 4A REGIONAL GIRLS TENNIS
At Kossover Tennis Center
Team scores
Hayden 19, Bishop Miege 18, Clay Center 9, Baldwin 6, Ottawa 4, Wamego 2.
Individual results
Singles
Championship -- Daniel, Bishop Miege, def. Funk, Hayden, 6-2, 6-1.
Third -- Hagman, Baldwin, def. Smith, Clay Center, 6-4, 1-6, 7-5.
Fifth -- Pfizenmaier, Clay Center, def. Sexton, Hayden, 6-1, 6-1.
Doubles
Championship -- Sandstrom/Sheetz, Hayden, def. Shull/Gudex, Bishop Miege, 6-1, 6-3.
Third -- Kurt/Pedrotti, Bishop MIege, def. Glotzbach/O'Bray, Hayden, 6-3, 6-1.
Fifth -- Paddock/Cain, Ottawa, def. Kramer/Catlin, Clay Center, 6-2, 6-3.
Rural wins 6A regional, Topeka High qualifies in singles, doubles
Washburn Rural added a regional team title on Saturday at Wichita after earlier winning city and Centennial League championships.
Washburn Rural junior Carolina Chedzoy won a regional singles championship Saturday in Wichita, helping the Junior Blues win the team title. [File photo/TSN]
Seniors Claire Ireland (left) and Gabby Martinez won a Class 6A regional doubles championship Saturday in Wichita. [File photo/TSN]
Brad Johnston's Junior Blues dominated the regional meet, finishing first and second in doubles and first and fourth in singles to win the team title by a 24-10 margin over Manhattan.
Rural junior Carolina Chedzoy (19-8) won the regional singles championship with a win over Junction City's Hannah Micheel while senior Mena DiMarzio (22-6) qualified for state with a fourth-place singles finish, dropping the third-place match to Manhattan's Keylee Schartz.
Rural seniors Claire Ireland and Gabby Martinez (25-5) won the regional doubles title, topping junior teammates Emerie Catlin and Izzy Haggard (21-7) in an all-Rural championship match.
Topeka High senior singles player McCall Beall qualified for the Class 6A state tennis meet for the second straight season. [File photo/TSN]
Topeka High also turned in a solid regional performance, finishing fourth as a team while qualifying senior singles player McCall Beall and the doubles team of senior Sienna Boiteau and sophomore Ava Ritter for state.
Beall (21-5) finished fifth in singles at regionals while Boiteau and Ritter (14-17) placed fifth in doubles.
The 6A state tournament will be played at Junction City Friday and Saturday.
