McPherson Girls Tennis Finishes Fifth at Competitive Wichita Tournament
Bullpups claim top 4A finish behind only Wichita Collegiate in challenging 16-team field
The McPherson girls tennis team placed fifth overall at a premier Wichita tournament Saturday, scoring 99 points to finish as the second-highest 4A school in a field featuring top teams from all classifications across Kansas.
Andover claimed the team title with 121 points, followed by Blue Valley North (120), Wichita Collegiate (112) and Kapaun (104). McPherson's fifth-place showing came despite the logistical challenges of competing at three different sites across the Wichita area with only two coaches available.
The Bullpups received strong individual performances led by Maryn Sandbo, who posted a 4-1 record to finish ninth, and Dragon Rodriguez, who went 2-3 for 12th place. In doubles action, Quinn Liebl and Avery Unruh delivered a 3-2 performance to claim fourth place, while Mayson Wiens and Lleyton Kuhn also finished 3-2 to take 11th.
"Finishing fifth as a team — with only Wichita Collegiate ahead of us among 4A schools — is something to feel good about," said coach Tyler Brown. "We had several second-round and quarterfinal matches that were extremely close, and if we had pulled off just one more of those, we might have even finished ahead of powerhouse Wichita Collegiate."
The tournament's complexity required parents to assist with transportation throughout the day, ensuring players arrived at their designated sites on time. Despite some competitors playing without a coach courtside due to scheduling conflicts, the team handled the adversity well.
McPherson wraps up regular season tournament play Tuesday at the Goddard Quad before heading into League and Regional competition next week.
Greg Loving
Sponsors (click me!)
Found a mistake? Have a news tip or feedback to share? Contact our newsroom using the button below: