SM Northwest’s Nam Pham closes out high school tennis career with state title
It was a big day in state tennis for Shawnee Mission Northwest’s Nam Pham on Saturday.
Pham won the boys singles state championship at the Kansas Class 6A tournament at Olathe-College Boulevard Activity Center.
Pham bested Brett Seaton of Olathe West 6-0, 6-0. Pham beat Blue Valley West’s Nick Moody in the semifinals 6-1, 6-3.
Pham is the top tennis recruit in Kansas, and No. 50 in the nation according to tennisrecruiting.net. Pham, who will play in college at Illinois State, finished his senior season undefeated.
In Class 6A doubles, the Blue Valley Northwest team of Brent Fallon and Alex Mojica beat BV West’s Dylan Yan and Delvin Ko 6-0, 6-2 to secure the state title.
Shawnee Mission East won the team title, and Blue Valley West was second.
St. James takes third in Class 5A
Just like his neon racket and tennis shoes, Adam Burke had an electric state tournament.
Burke, a St. James Academy senior, went 3-1 at the Class 5A state tournament at Topeka-Kossover Tennis Center. His only loss came to Topeka Seaman senior Pietro Perego 6-1, 6-4 in the final.
He finished his 2019 season as a regional champion with a 31-4 record and the headliner of the No. 3 team in Kansas’ Class 5A. But he was not alone in the Thunder’s charge.
St. James’ top doubles team of seniors Trey Niesen and Joe Donaldson finished their careers with a seventh-place finish. The Thunder finished the 2019 tournament with an 8-5 record over the two-day tournament.
KC Christian has champion in Vander Ark
Owen Vander Ark was the singles champion at the Class 3-2-1A tournament at Harmon Park Tennis Complex in Prairie Village.
Vander Ark beat Ellsworth’s Joey Oberle 6-0, 6-4.
KC Christian also had a fourth-place finish in doubles with the team of Joe Schmidt and Duncan Paul.
Kansas City Christian took second as a team. Wichita Collegiate was the team champion.
Bishop Miege fourth in 4A
Evan Acuff from Bishop Miege took third in singles in Class 4A in Pratt. Acuff beat Ronan Boyle 6-4, 0-6, 6-2 in the third-place match.
Bishop Miege got a fourth-place finish in doubles from Patrick Cashman and Andrew Ladwig.
Miege finished fourth in the team standings.
This story was originally published May 11, 2019 at 8:23 PM.