Manhattan High tennis stayed active with back-to-back meets early in the week, competing at the Topeka High Invitational on Monday, followed by the Emporia Invitational on Tuesday.

Across both events, the Indians picked up multiple bracket wins and continued to rotate lineups as the season moved toward postseason play.

At the Topeka High Invitational, Manhattan competed in a 9-team field that included Topeka High, Topeka West, Bonner Springs, Derby, Wichita East, Wichita Southeast, Liberal, Junction City, and Gardner Edgerton.

Jay Hoke once again led the way, going 5-0 to win the No. 1 singles bracket and improving his season record to 17-4. Henry He also had a steady day at No. 2 singles, finishing 3-2 and placing fifth.

In doubles, Manhattan also used the opportunity to rotate in additional pairings, giving multiple players experience in competitive match play.

Leonce Valentin and Ben Lee finished 2-3 to place sixth, while Henry Byerly and Jackson Peschel also went 2-3 and placed seventh.

The next day at the Emporia Invitational, Manhattan finished third as a team while competing against Emporia, Mill Valley, St. Thomas Aquinas, Garden City, and Great Bend.

Hoke continued his strong run with another 3-0 performance to win the No. 1 singles bracket, moving his season record to 20-4. Head coach Tony Ingram noted his consistency during this stretch.

“Jay is playing well, and that’s important this time of year,” Ingram said.

Eli White finished 1-3 and placed eighth in singles play.

In doubles, Samuel Byerly and Henry He stepped into the lineup and went 2-1, earning a third-place finish. Ingram credited their adjustment and teamwork throughout the day.

“Henry filled in for doubles since Zac had a K-State presentation for one of his classes,” Ingram said. “I was impressed with Byerly and He—they did some good things to finish third. It took Henry a few reps to get into doubles mode, but Samuel was a positive partner throughout. Their serve-and-volley game stood out—Henry’s serving and Samuel’s finishing at the net with overheads and sharp volleys were effective.”

Luke Nichols and Ayavanth Natarajan also competed in doubles, finishing 2-2 and placing sixth after dropping a tight tiebreaker in their final match. Ingram noted continued growth from the pair.

“They had a good day,” he said. “They kept the ball in play, and even though they lost a tough one in a tiebreak, their skill set is improving with each experience.”

Manhattan now turns its attention to league play on Monday at Kossover Tennis Center, where Topeka High will host the conference meet.

Regionals follow on Saturday, May 9, also at Kossover.