Shawnee Mission East sweeps Sunflower League tennis meet

Even a last minute change to its top doubles team could not slow down Shawnee Mission East.

The Lancers swept the Sunflower League meet at Indian Creek Recreation Center, winning the No. 1 singles, No. 1 doubles, No. 2 singles and No. 2 doubles titles to score 52 points. Olathe Northwest came in second with 43.

“They got it done in fine fashion,” Lancers coach Sue Chipman said. “I am proud of them all because they did their job today.”

An injury forced Elliott Renft to replace Reese Goulding in Wednesday’s match against Rockhurst and play alongside Jamie McDonald

on the top doubles team for the first time in his career. The two entered Thursday’s tournament with a 0-1 record but rattled off three victories, including a 6-4, 6-3 match against Lee Fitchett and Andrew Buyle from Olathe Northwest in the championship game.

Jeff Larrabee and Matt Schuetz

closed out the day with a title in No. 1 singles.

The Olathe Northwest tennis team took second in three of the divisions and third in the No. 1 doubles on their way to a second-place finish.

Taylor Ficke took second in No. 1 singles, Thompson Tong was runner-up in No. 2 singles, Lee Fitchett and Andrew Buyle were runners-up in No. 2 doubles and Dominic Fabiano and Tripp Dearborn were third in No. 2 doubles.

Shawnee Mission Northwest senior Sam Gay had never been to the finals at league, and the journey there could not have been much sweeter than winning a tiebreaker in a rivalry match.

He and doubles partner Reagan Walsh

were the third seed in the No. 2 doubles bracket and defeated a team from Olathe North to advance to the semifinals where they met Dominic Fabiano and Tripp Dearborn of Olathe Northwest.

The match came down to a tiebreaker for the second time this season, but Shawnee Mission Northwest was able to pull out a 1-6, 6-1 (10-7) victory Thursday. The Cougars lost 9-8 (7-1) on April 8.

“It’s a confidence burst to beat them,” Walsh said. “It was awesome.”

Gay and Walsh fell to Jamie McDonald and Elliott Renft of Shawnee Mission East in the finals.

Lawrence senior Thomas Irick said his first two years at the Sunflower League meet were tough, so last season’s fourth-place finish was a big accomplishment.

Although he lost in the semifinals of the No. 1 singles tournament to eventual champion Brooks Kendall of Shawnee Mission East,

he took it one step further, finishing third after a default from Olathe North’s Austin Crist, who is undefeated through 15 matches.

“I would much rather play the match and do it the way it’s meant to be done. But if injuries pop up, you’ve got to roll with the punches and take what you can get,” Irick said. “I got something pretty good.”

After Shawnee Mission East and Olathe Northwest, Shawnee Mission Northwest took third and was followed by Olathe South, Shawnee Mission South, Olathe East, Lawrence and Lawrence Free State which were tied for seventh, Shawnee Mission West, Olathe North and Leavenworth and Shawnee Mission North which tied for 11th.

This story was originally published May 1, 2014 at 7:42 PM with the headline "Shawnee Mission East sweeps Sunflower League tennis meet."