PARSONS — Both singles players and the top doubles team for the Chanute Blue Comets punched tickets to the KSHSAA 4A Girls Tennis Championships with their outings at the regional tournament in Parsons on Saturday.
Singles players Ella Guernsey and Leah Burnett, as well as the doubles pair of Rylee Smith and Jacqueline Smoot, earned state bids for Chanute.
Independence won the team crown at regionals with 19 points. Chanute was runner-up with 16, followed by Fort Scott (12), Parsons (10) and Labette County (1). Coffeyville and Iola went winless.
“It was a great day,” Chanute head coach Mike DeLaTorre said. “The best thing is that all six players contributed to the final team point total.”
Guernsey took third place in singles, defeating Fort Scott’s Bryleigh Hymer, 6-2, 6-0, before losing to eventual runner-up Abbie Gorman of Fort Scott, 6-3, 6-1, in the semifinals.
Burnett won her first two matches over Julia Solorzano of Coffeyville, 6-0, 6-1, and Sarah Veile of Independence, 6-1, 4-6 (4) before falling to eventual regional champion Ava Morris of Independence, 6-0, 6-1.
Burnett and Guernsey faced each other in the third place match, with Guernsey winning, 6-2, 6-1.
“Ella and Leah played great tennis throughout the day, playing with consistency and patience and making good shot placement decisions,” DeLaTorre said. “They had to play against each other in the third place game, however by then they had both qualified for next week’s State Tournament.”
Smith and Smoot defeated Caroline Barnes and Annabelle Gorman of Fort Scott, 6-3, 6-2 before ousting Kadence Ball and Manaye Ryan of Parsons, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the semifinals.
“I’m so proud of how they bounced back, winning the final two sets and securing a spot in the finals,” DeLaTorre said.
In the championship match, Smoot and Smith lost to Independence’s Brooklyn Mattix and Callie Schlorholtz, 6-0, 6-1.
The win the two notched over Fort Scott also gave Smith her 100th career victory.
“Just a tremendous accomplishment for any high school tennis player,” DeLaTorre said.
Ashtyn Cummings and Kanika Marcoux came one win short of earning a state bid. After defeating Labette County in the first round, the pair lost to both Independence teams.
“I’m very proud of their play, however, and also their first round win gave the team one point, which could have been crucial for team standings,” DeLaTorre said.
Up next Chanute will bring its four state qualifiers to the KSHSAA 4A Girls Tennis Championships in Topeka, which start on Friday.
“Now it’s another week of work as we prepare,” DeLaTorre said.
