By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka West, which captured its first-ever Class 5A state team championship Saturday at Arkansas City, headlines the 2023 All-City boys tennis team, with all six Chargers earning spots on the 14-member team.
The 2023 All-City boys tennis team -- Front, from left: Dylan Dodge, Washburn Rural; Gus Glotzbach, Hayden; Joseph Luke, Hayden; Jake Emmons, Shawnee Heights; Carter Cool, Topeka West; James Maag, Topeka West; Cayden Weybrew, Topeka West. Back, from left: Kiefer Von Lintel, Washburn Rural; Keegan Knudtson, Washburn Rural; Dylan Willingham, Washburn Rural; Mason Casebeer, Washburn Rural; Ian Cusick, Topeka West; Miles Cusick, Topeka West; Caden McGee, Topeka West. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
All six Topeka West players earned 5A state medals, led by senior twin brothers Ian and Miles Cusick, who won their second straight state doubles championship and earned 5A medals for the third straight season.
West senior Carter Cool finished seventh at state in singles while juniors Caden McGee and Caleb Weybrew finished ninth in doubles and junior James Maag placed 11th in singles.
The All-City team includes a total of 11 state medalists, including three-time 4A state medalist Gus Glotzbach of Hayden.
Glotzbach, a senior, teamed with junior Joseph Luke to finish fifth in 4A doubles after finishing second at state as a sophomore and a junior, while Luke medaled for the second straight season.
Washburn Rural senior Mason Casebeer placed ninth in 6A singles on Saturday, his second state medal, while Junior Blue senior Kiefer Von Lintel and freshman Dylan Willingham finished 12th in doubles.
Rural, which won a regional team title, is also represented on the All-City team by junior Dylan Dodge and freshman Keegan Knudtson.
Also earning a spot on the All-City team was Shawnee Heights singles player Jake Emmons, who placed third in the city tournament in No. 1 singles to earn his All-City berth.
All-City tennis capsules:
MASON CASEBEER, Washburn Rural -- A senior, Casebeer capped his high school career with a ninth-place singles finish in Class 6A. Casebeer finished second in the city meet in No. 1 singles and went on to win Centennial League and 6A regional singles championships. Casebeer earned his third straight state tournament berth. As a sophomore, Casebeer posted a 12th-place state finish in doubles.
CARTER COOL, Topeka West -- Cool, a senior, posted a seventh-place singles finish in Class 5A, helping Topeka West win its first-ever boys state team championship. Cool won the second city No.1 singles title of his career and also won the United Kansas Conference singles championship and finished third in regional competition. As a junior Cool finished sixth in doubles in the 5A state tournament, helping the Chargers finish second as a team.
IAN CUSICK, Topeka West -- A senior, Cusick teamed with his twin brother Miles to win a second straight Class 5A state doubles championship, leading Topeka West to its first-ever state team title. The Cusicks went 38-4 this past season and swept city, league and regional titles for all three years of their high school career. Cusick helped West sweep city, United Kansas Conference, regional and state team titles this past seaon after the Chargers finished second in 5A in 2022.
MILES CUSICK, Topeka West -- Cusick teamed with his senior twin brother Ian to win a second straight Class 5A state doubles championship, while helping lead Topeka West to its first-ever state team title. The Cusicks went 38-4 this past season and swept city, league and regional titles for the third straight season. Cusick helped West sweep city, United Kansas Conference, regional and state team titles this past seaon after the Chargers finished second in 5A in 2022.
DYLAN DODGE, Washburn Rural -- A junior, Dodge earned his berth on the All-City team by teaming with Keegan Knudtson to win the city championship in No. 2 doubles. Dodge and Knudtson also posted a second-place finish in Class 6A regional competition to help Washburn Rural win the team championship. Dodge and Knudtson competed in last weekend's 6A state tournament.
JAKE EMMONS, Shawnee Heights -- A first-time All-City honoree, Emmons earned his berth on the team with a third-place finish in the city tournament in No. 1 singles. Emmons also posted a fourth-place singles finish in the United Kansas Conference tournament.
GUS GLOTZBACH, Hayden -- A senior, Glotzbach teamed with Joseph Luke to finish fifth in the Class 4A state tournament in doubles. Glotzbach earned a 4A state medal for the third straight season after finishing as the 4A runnerup in back-to-back seasons. Glotzbach and Luke were regional champs and placed third in the city meet in No. 1 doubles and second in Centennial League doubles.
KEEGAN KNUDTSON, Washburn Rural -- Knudtson, a freshman, teamed with Dodge to win the city championship in No. 2 doubles. Knudtson and Dodge posted a second-place finish in Class 6A regional competition to earn a berth in the Class 6A state tournament while helping Washburn Rural win the regional team championship.
JOSEPH LUKE, Hayden -- A junior, Luke earned All-City honors for the first time, teaming with Glotzbach to finish 5th in the Class 4A state tournament. Luke and Glotzbach finished third in the city meet in No. 1 doubles and went on to finish second in the Centennial League in doubles and win a 4A regional title for the team-champion Wildcats. Luke also earned a state doubles medal for Hayden as a sophomore.
JAMES MAAG, Topeka West -- A junior, Maag placed 11th in singles in Class 5A for the state-champion Chargers, earning All-City recognition for the second straight season. Maag won the city title in No. 2 singles, finished second in singles in the United Kansas Conference tournament and posted a fifth-place finish in 5A regional competition as Topeka West swept city, UKC, regional and state team championships.
CADEN McGEE, Topeka West -- McGee, a junior, helped Topeka West win its first Class 5A boys tennis state championship, teaming with Caleb Weybrew to post a ninth-place state finish in doubles. McGee and Weybrew finished second in the city meet in No. 2 doubles, second in the United Kansas Conference in doubles and third in 5A regional competition as the Chargers swept the team titles in all four tournaments.
KIEFER VON LINTEL, Washburn Rural -- A senior, Von Lintel finished off his high school career by teaming with freshman Dylan Willingham to post a 12th-place finish in the Class 6A state tournament. Von Lintel and Willingham inished second in the city meet in No. 1 doubles, won the Centennial League doubles championship and qualified for state with a fifth-place regional finish.
CALEB WEYBREW, Topeka West -- Weybrew, a junior, helped Topeka West win its first Class 5A boys tennis state championship, teaming with McGee to post a ninth-place state finish in doubles. Weybrew and McGee finished second in the city meet in No. 2 doubles, second in the United Kansas Conference in doubles and third in 5A regional competition as the Chargers swept the city, UKC, regional and state team titles..
DYLAN WILLINGHAM, Washburn Rural -- A freshman, Willingham teamed with Von Lintel to post a 12th-place finish in the Class 6A state tournament. Willingham and Von Lintel finished second in the city meet in No. 1 doubles, won the Centennial League doubles championship and placed fifth at regionals to qualify for state.
