Bullpups Girls Tennis Finishes State Runner-Up Again
McPherson girls varsity tennis earns fourth consecutive 4A state runner-up finish.
MCPHERSON, Kan. — The McPherson Bullpups varsity girls tennis team finished as the Class 4A state runner-up Saturday, scoring 35 points to trail only champion Wichita Collegiate (53) and extending a remarkable streak of four consecutive state runner-up finishes.
The Bullpups crowned two All-State selections: sophomore Mayson Wiens, who went 4-1 for a fifth-place singles finish, and the doubles team of Avery Unruh and Quinn Liebl, who reached the state championship match before falling to Wichita Collegiate's Ramesh and Shuart, 6-1, 6-3, for runner-up honors. Dragon Rodriguez recorded her 100th career varsity victory during the tournament, while she and partner Lleyton Kuhn — who also qualified for the Class 4A state golf tournament — finished sixth in doubles. McKenna Paul went 2-2 in her first state singles appearance.
The weekend unfolded under extraordinary circumstances after assistant Coach Sanchez underwent emergency appendectomy surgery Thursday morning; he was driven to the tournament Friday by family to support the team from the stands, while middle school head coach Henry Wiener stepped in to coach from the fence. "Four years of high school tennis, and every single year they helped lead McPherson to a second-place team finish at State," the head coach said. "That level of consistency doesn't happen by accident. It takes dedication, commitment, hard work, great teammates, and a willingness to put the team first."
Found a mistake? Have a news tip or feedback to share? Contact our newsroom using the button below:
Brought to you by
