The Sterling High School varsity girls tennis team placed second at the Kansas Class 3-1A regional tennis tournament Friday and Saturday at the Lyons regional and qualified all six of its players for state.
The regional took place Friday and Saturday at Lyons High School.
Sterling and Larned tied with 20 points and Larned took first place. Ellinwood placed third with 12 points, followed by Hillsboro 4, Cimarron 1 and Nickerson 1.
Lyons, St. John-Hudson and Hutchinson Trinity Catholic did not score any points.
The top six singles players and top six doubles teams in each regional qualified for the Kansas Class 3-1A state tournament
The Sterling doubles team of Danika Zimmerman and Emma Lewis are regional champions.
The Black Bears’ doubles team of Emma Kelso and Kate McGlynn lost to Zimmerman and Lewis in the finals and are regional runners up.
Sterling’s Lauren Rowland placed second in singles and qualified for state. Natalie Williams tied for seventh place and was one win away from making it to state.
All six members of the Larned High School varsity girls tennis team punched their tickets to the Class 3-1A state tournament from the Lyons regional.
Singles state qualifiers from Larned are Lauren Sleder and Darby Sundahl.
Doubles state qualifiers from Larned are Emma McNett-Olivia Holt and Jozlyn Mead-Dani Hemken.
Ellinwood High School’s Lauren Ringwald and Lauren Rugan placed third and sixth in singles and qualified for the 3-1A state tournament.
Ellinwood will also send its doubles teams of Vivian Klepper-Camila Frayre and Eden Ringwald-Emalie Joiner to state. Klepper-Frayre defeated Eden Ringwald-Joiner in the fifth-pace match.
Hillsboro’s Brooklyn Thiessen won two matches on Saturday to place fifth and qualified for the state tournament. Thiessen won her first two matches on Friday.
The Hillsboro doubles teams were Abi Suderman-Ruthie Paulus and Emma Bartel-Hailey Gilkey. Suderman-Paulus advanced to Day 2 on Saturday. Neither doubles team qualified for state.
The No. 8-seeded Nickerson High School girls doubles team of Fianne Hurlburt and Kenna Huggard won their first round match at the Kansas Class 3-1A Lyons regional 8-0, 8-0 and their second-round match 6-0.
However, Hurlburt and Huggard lost in their third-round match 6-4, 2-6, 3-6 to fall one match short of advancing to the Class 3-1A state tournament.
The Nickerson doubles team of Amelia Kinast and Kierstyn Pontius won their first-round match Friday but lost in the second round to Sterling’s Zimmerman and Lewis.
Nickerson’s Paige Loitz received a first-round bye in singles and lost to Sterling’s Rowland in the second round.
Hutchinson Trinity’s doubles team of Kiera Ehmke and Marah Bargdill lost in the first round. The doubles team of Gracie Goering and Piper deal received a first-round bye and lost in the second round.
In singles, Hutchinson Trinity’s Evelyn Salazar received a first-round bye and lost to Sterling’s Williams in the second round.
