Garden City girls odds-on favorites to repeat WAC tennis title
Over the past half decade, the Western Athletic Conference team championship in girls tennis has found itself a home in Garden City.
The Lady Buffaloes have won five consecutive outright team titles and six of the last seven. Only Dodge City in 2015 has interrupted the current run by the Lady Buffs.
With the 2021 season already under way, Garden City appears to be the heavy favorites to claim another championship come October when the teams gather for the one-day conference tournament.
No doubt, the return of 2021 Player of the Year Sage Riggs has something to do with it. After all, she has won 87 career matches in three seasons, won the No. 1 singles title in 2020, the No. 2 singles title in 2019 and teamed up to claim the No. 1 doubles crown in 2018. She has reached the state 6A tournament in each of her three varsity campaigns.
“She’s improved each season for us and expect another excellent season for us,” said second-year head coach Logan Bevis. “We’re exploring possibilities of playing her in doubles some of the season in order to make the best decisions on how well we can do through regionals and state.”
Dodge City’s eighth-year head coach David Snodgrass has just one returner in junior Becca Unruh while Great Bend will replace its entire varsity lineup after graduating nine seniors a year ago. Liberal also has four players returning with varsity experience.
In a poll of coaches, the preseason picks in order of WAC championship finish were Garden City, Great Bend and Hays tied for second, then Dodge City and Liberal. The WAC Championship will be contested Oct. 4 at Hays.
DODGE CITY RED DEMONS
Coach: David Snodgrass, 8th season
2020 Season in Review: Finished 2nd at WAC Championship
Returning Letter winners: Becca Unruh, Junior.
Coach’s Comments: “There are a lot of unknowns for the varsity level, girls from JV will have a great opportunity to play at the varsity level and showcase their growth.”
GARDEN CITY BUFFALOES
Coach: Logan Bevis, 2nd season
2020 Season in Review: Won WAC team championship for fifth straight year and sixth time in last seven seasons. Team placed second at 6A regional tournament.
Returning Letter winners: Sage Riggs, Sr., WAC Player of Year in 2020; 6A State Qualifier; Won WAC No. 2 singles in 2019 and WAC No. 1 doubles in 2018; State qualifier all 3 seasons; has 87 career tournament wins. Brooke Ptacek, Jr., WAC No. 2 singles champion; 6A state qualifier; WAC No. 2 doubles champion, 2019.
Other returners: Sydney Nanninga, 11th: played #1 doubles all last year, placed 2nd in #1 doubles at WAC. Chloe Powell, 11th: played #2 doubles last year until injury cut her season short, had a win over regional runner-up with her partner before the injury. Alivia Palmer (11th) and Payton Tull (10th) also participated in several varsity tournaments last year. Alivia won a doubles match at regionals and Payton was part of a team that took 2nd in #2 doubles at WAC last year.
Coach’s Comments: “We graduated two seniors from the varsity squad last year, with 4 returning varsity players. Two other returners played in some important varsity matches last year, so all in all we are bringing back a team with a solid amount of varsity experience. I’m also excited about some of the freshmen we have coming in and am looking forward to watching them grow and develop in the program. This is a team that has a lot of potential and we are excited to get the season started. We open up the year nice and early (August 21st) at one of the toughest early season tournaments in Kansas at Wichita Collegiate. It should be a challenging test for us entering into a new season and I’m looking forward to seeing the girls compete again.”
GREAT BEND PANTHERS
Coach: Zachary Bartel, 3rd season, 10th season overall.
Season in Review: Placed 3rd in WAC Championship.
Top returners: None, graduated 9 seniors including 2019 POY Remi Ingram.
Top newcomers: Laura Daniel, Sr.; Kaylin Wahlmeier, So.; Lakyn Smith, Jr.
Coach’s Comments: “An area of concern is replacing our entire varsity roster from last year. The team has minimal varsity experience. Our team is very young overall. Our players are working hard in practice. We have a number of players who will eagerly step up to the challenge of being new varsity players. Our team has a strong desire to improve and build off of any setbacks this season.”
HAYS HIGH INDIANS
Coach: Kayla Brown, 3rd season
2020 Season in Review: The Indians placed fifth in the WAC Championship, with a mostly underclassmen roster.
Top Returners: Morgan Shorb, Sr., Record 7-8; Jamie Haddaway, Sr.; Caroline Robben and Sage Zweifel, Sr., Doubles – Record 8-4; Brittnee Leiker, Danica Scheve and Kayler Wellbrock, Jrs., Doubles;Mallory Henderson and Jersey Johnson, Srs., Doubles.
Coach’s Comments: “I feel I have a good group of veteran seniors and juniors that have been with me the last two years. They will provide solid leadership and guidance for our group of newcomers and freshmen. After graduating a large group of seniors who primarily saw varsity playing time, I don’t have too many players that are super familiar with varsity level play. I have quite a few JV players from last year that will need to step up their game in order to compete well and be successful at the varsity level this season. For the 2020 season, I had 38 girls on my team. Though challenging, I did my best to get them all as much competition time as possible. I hope to keep a large team for this season as well. My goal is to give my players a fun way to meet friends, be active, and learn a sport that they can play forever.
LIBERAL REDSKINS
Coach: Bret Irby, 14th season
2020 Season in Review: Placed fourth in 2020 WAC Championship.
Top Returners: Jaciana Rivera and Aracely Jurado, both seniors; Katie Classen and Lanee Harp, Juniors.
Coach’s Comments: “We have some experience returning, but won’t know how much they will develop and improve from a year ago until the season begins. The WAC as always has some good individual players in both singles and doubles.”
