By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka had a strong tennis tradition long before the Kansas State High School Actiivities Assocation hosted its first state girls tennis team championships in 1985.
And the Capital City continued that tradition in the inaugural state meet, with Corey Wilson's Topeka West Chargers, who were tapped for the No. 1 spot on the TopSports.news Best of Best girls tennis list, capturing the Class 6A state championship behind a dominating doubles performance.
Corey Wilson's Topeka West girls tennis teams garnered Class 6A state team titles in 1985, '87 and '94. [Topeka West]
Washburn Rural's girls tennis team won its second Class 6A team title in 1993. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
The Chargers won by a 59-52 margin over Wichita Souheast as West's Stacy Cook and Diana Gaiher won the state title wih a 6-2, 6-0 win in the state championship match over teammates Amy Bybee and Andrea Hazlett.
Hall of Fame coach Kevin Hedberg's 1993 Washburn Rural team is No. 2 on the Best of the Best Top 10, winning the 6A team championship by a 38-29 margin over Shawnee Mission East as Danielle Knipp posted a runnerup state finish in singles and Megan McBride and Jenny Van
Vlack finished second in doubles and Colleen Pendley and Kelley Roberts added a fourth-place doubles finish.
Hayden's 2022 girls tennis team swept the Class 4A singles, doubles and team championships. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
Hayden's 2022 team, the most recent of Shawnee County's six girls state team championship teams, holds down the No. 3 spot on the Best of the Best list, with Christy Sheetz's Wildcats sweeping the 4A singles, doubles and team championships.
Hayden, which prevailed by a 40-31 margin over Independence in the team race, got a second straight singles championship from sophomore Ainzley Zulueta and the doubles title from junior Lauren Sandstrom and sophomore Emily Sheetz.
Topeka West's 1987 and '94 championship teams round out the top five on the Best of the Best list while Washburn Rural's '90 title team earned the No. 6 position, followed by Rural's '86 (5A) and '92 (6A) runnerup teams and Hayden's '18 and '91 runnerup teams in 4A.
Hayden's '22 team earned the No. 1 spot in Reader's Choice balloting, followed by Washburn Rural's '93 team, West's '87 squad, Rural's '90 team and a tie for the fifth position between Hayden's '06 and '18 teams and West's '94 team..
TSN TOP 10 BEST OF THE BEST GIRLS TENNIS TEAMS
1. Topeka West (1985) -- Corey Wilson's Chargers won the Class 6A state title, Shawnee Couny's first, by a 59-52 margin over Wichita Souheast as West turned in a dominating doubles performance. Stacy Cook and Diana Gaiher won the state title wih a 6-2, 6-0 win in the state championship match over teammates Amy Bybee and Andrea Hazlett.
2. Washburn Rural (1993) -- Kevin Hedberg's Junior Blues won the Class 6A team championship by a 38-29 margin over Shawnee Mission East as Danielle Knipp posted a runner up state finish in singles and Megan McBride and Jenny Van Vlack finished second in doubles and Colleen Pendley and Kelley Roberts added a fourth-place doubles finish..
3. Hayden (2022) -- Hayden rolled to a dominating performance in the Class 4A state meet, sweeping the singles, doubles and team titles by a 40-31 margin over Independence. Christy Sheetz's Wildcats got a second straight singles championship from sophomore Ainzley Zulueta and the doubles title from junior Lauren Sandstrom and sophomore Emily Sheetz.
4. Topeka West (1987) -- The Chargers captured their second Class 6A team title as Corey Wilson's team earned a 39-34 margin over Shawnee Mission East. Tonna Rieger and Morgan Dietz garnered the state doubles championship while Allison Gay and Anne Henson added a fourth-place doubles finish..
5. Topeka West (1994) -- Topeka West took the Class 6A state title by a 29-24 margin over Garden City as Meg Griffin captured the state singles title before going on to become a standout at Maryland.
6. Washburn Rural (1990) -- The Junior Blues won tthe Class 6A title on a tiebreaker over Manhattan after Rural and the Indians both finished with 24 points. Danielle Knipp finished third in singles while Heather Dobbs and Marie Gruffy placed third in doubles.
7. Washburn Rural (1986) -- Bob Gladfelter's Junior Blues posted a second-place team finish in Class 5A as Michelle Knipp placed second in singles and Lisa Schmoller and Paige Evans finished third in doubles..
8. Washburn Rural (1992) -- Kevin Hedberg's Junior Blues finished second in Class 6A to Shawnee Mission East by a slim 35-33 margin as Washburn Rural got a second-place singles finish from Danielle Knippp and a fourth-place finish from Megan McBride and Jenny Van Vlack..
9. Hayden (2018) -- Brooklyn Hunter completed her four-year Class 4A title run in singles as Christy Sheetz's Wildcats finished second as a team to Wichita Collegiate.
10. Hayden (1991) -- Zebbie Robertson captured the Class 4A singles title and Connie Robertson's Wildcats finished second as a team on a tiebreaker after Hayden and Marysville tied for the championship.
READER'S CHOICE GIRLS TENNIS AWARDS
1. Hayden (2022) -- No. 3 boys on Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).
2. Washburn Rural (1993) -- No. 2 on Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).
3. Topeka West (1987) -- No. 4 on Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).
4. Washburn Rural (1990) -- No. 6 on Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).
5. (tie) Hayden (2006) -- James Sandstrom's Wildcats post a runnerup team finish in Class 4A. 5. (tie) Hayden (2018) -- No. 9 on Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).5. (tie) Topeka West (1994) -- No. 5 on Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).9. Seaman (2021) -- Grace Unruh and Lauren Sweeney posted a perfect ??-?? record on the season to win the Class 5A doubles state title.
Next up: Boys tennis Best of the Best Top 10 teams and Reader's Choice awards.
