Five things to watch at Kansas high school boys tennis state tournaments
Kansas high school boys tennis state tournaments will take place on Friday and Saturday at the following sites: Class 6A in Prairie Village, Class 5A and 3-1A in Wichita, and Class 4A in Topeka. Here are five storylines to watch during the competition.
1. Third time the charm?
Instead of battling for a 2015 state title, SM East’s Jack Santilli battled his own body. He lost last year’s state singles final by injury default, thanks to a bout with cramps and a trip to the hospital. It was his second straight runner-up finish at the state level, after losing in the 2014 finals as a sophomore. This year, Santilli is back with a 24-2 record and itching to finally take the No. 1 spot for the first time in three tries. Santilli is part of a SM East team ranked second in 6A by the Kansas Coaches Association.
2. New division, no problem
If a move up to a larger division was going to faze Blue Valley West junior Max Kurzban, he hasn’t shown it yet. He won last year’s Class 5A singles championship as a sophomore, and will take his chances this year in 6A. He’s 19-0 and has already beaten potentially his hottest competition, Santilli, in regionals. Earlier this season, Kurzban also took home the crowns in the Eastern Kansas League tournament and the Blue Valley Northwest Plaza Tournament.
3. A chance at a repeat for Blue Valley Northwest
Blue Valley Northwest’s Jonathan Lowe won last year’s Class 6A doubles championship with partner Brett White. Now with a new partner — Arvind Raghuraman — Lowe will attempt a repeat. The senior duo is 15-6 this season, and part of a Blue Valley Northwest team ranked first in the state by the Kansas Coaches Association. If Lowe hopes to add a second straight title, he and Raghuraman will have to get past Blue Valley North’s Brady Flanagan and Connor Garrett, 21-4, and Shawnee Mission Northwest’s Reagan Walsh and Tyler Garland, who each won their regionals last week.
4. De Soto twins will try to end Hunter’s reign
The road to the Class 4A singles title likely goes through Topeka Hayden senior Tommy Hunter, again. He’s the three-time defending champion in 4A, and is 30-0 this season. A set of De Soto twins — Luke and Alex Zoller, both seniors — could provide the main competition from the Kansas City area. Luke, at 14-5 this season, placed second in last week’s regional tournament behind Hunter. Alex, meanwhile, was third and has a 23-5 record.
5. Former doubles champ now riding solo
In Class 3-2-1A, Kansas City Christian’s Jackson VanderArk will attempt the crossover to a singles title this year. He and partner Alex Kartsonis won the doubles championship in 2015, but VanderArk is competing solo to conclude his junior season. He comes into the state tournament 23-2 and a regional winner; teammate Mitchell Paul, 15-7, finished second. On the doubles side, Brayden Kern and Jake Minet will attempt to defend VanderArk’s title for KC Christian.
This story was originally published May 12, 2016 at 8:29 PM with the headline "Five things to watch at Kansas high school boys tennis state tournaments."