The Manhattan High girls tennis team wrapped up its season at the Class 6A State Championships in Olathe this past weekend, highlighted by seniors Keylee Schartz and Jacque Hsu, who earned a 10th-place finish in doubles.
It marked the third career state medal for Schartz and the first for Hsu.
The duo opened state with a dominant 6-2, 6-0 victory over Dodge City’s Macias and Banuelos before falling to Blue Valley West’s Vijaykumar and Wang 4-6, 3-6 in the second round.
They rebounded in the consolation bracket with back-to-back wins — an 8-0 sweep of Dodge City’s Taylor and Bell and an 8-6 comeback victory over Olathe Northwest’s Spencer and Hearshman — to advance to the second day of play.
“They started that Olathe Northwest match trailing 0-3,” head coach Tony Ingram said. “We talked about getting rid of the nerves and finishing some shots, and they went on a five-game run to take a 5-3 lead. There was a 12- to 15-point rally that really turned the tide. You get to six, seven, eight-game pro sets, and you either take control or you let the other team take it — and they took it.”
Schartz and Hsu dropped their quarterfinal match in the consolation bracket to Blue Valley’s Irani and Warwick 8-2, then defeated Blue Valley Northwest’s Peng and Pikus 8-3 before falling to Lawrence Free State’s Jones and Pilakowski 8-3 in the 9th-place match.
Ingram pointed to their chemistry and steady improvement late in the season.
“Jacque can take a cross-court shot and drive it down the line, and she was doing that really well,” he said.
“Combine that with Keylee’s competitiveness and Jacque’s topspin serve, and they became a tough duo to face. They started off a bit slow, but by October, they had found their rhythm and made the most of their chance.”
The finish capped off Manhattan’s postseason, as the team tied Washburn Rural for 14th place with five points. Olathe Northwest took the 6A state title with 38 points, followed by Lawrence Free State with 30 and Blue Valley North with 25. Free State’s freshman Eli Ward won the 6A singles championship.
For Schartz and Hsu, the finish represented the culmination of four years of growth and leadership.
“I was extremely happy for them and their families to place,” Ingram said. “Their experience and senior leadership really paid off. They made the most of their final chance, and it showed.”
Wabaunsee
Competing at 3A-1A state tennis for the first time as a team, Wabaunsee girls’ tennis picked up a handful of wins in Salina over the weekend.
Each of the Chargers’ doubles teams picked up a win in the opening round.
The Denton sisters, Emmie and Sarah, entered as the No. 10 seed and won 6-1, 6-4 to advance in the winner’s bracket.
There, they fell to the No. 7 seed pair from Ellsworth.
Seeded No. 14, Ava Hurla and Leah Schrader also won their opening matchup (6-1, 6-4) over the No. 19 seed from Maranatha Christian Academy. Matched up with the No. 3 seed next, Conway Springs’ duo bested Hurla and Schrader 6-1, 6-4. Wabaunsee’s pair won a second matchup in the consolidation bracket before wrapping up their state trip.
The No. 16 seed in singles Talen Orton won her opening matchup (6-1, 6-4) over the No. 17 seed from Classical School of Wichita. Orton matched up with Sterling’s Chelsie Brown, the No. 1 seed, in the ensuing round. Brown, who won the singles state title, won 6-0, 6-1 over Orton.
Also competing in singles, No. 24 seed Zoey Stone fell in the opening round (6-3, 6-3) against Silver Lake’s No. 9 seed.
Wamego
Wamego’s lone representative at 4A state, Tatum Vanderbilt, did not place after entering as the No. 19 seed at Prairie Village’s Harmon Park Tennis Complex.
Vanderbilt matched up with Parsons’ Kadence Ball, the No. 14 seed, falling 6-2, 6-0 in the opening round. In the consolidation side of the bracket, McPherson’s Mayson Wiens downed Vanderbilt 8-0.
In the team 4A standings, McPherson took second while Wichita Collegiate finished first.
The junior placed sixth at the Marysville Regional Tennis Tournament to clinch her spot and state, and will look to qualify again next year.