Golf and Tennis State Wrap

Wichita's private schools were well-represented at girls state tennis and golf in mid-October; its parochial schools led the way. Kapaun Mount Carmel placed in front of Bishop Carroll in both Class 5A tennis and golf, taking third and second, respectively. Individually, Megan and Maddie Schulte placed second in 5A doubles for the second consecutive season, as Megan finished up her prep career. Maddie, a sophomore, returns in 2009. Kapaun freshman Abby Steven placed fourth in 5A singles. Defeating Steven in the 5A consolation match for third place was Carroll's Hillary Hicks. Carroll placed fourth at state tennis as a team. Kapaun girls golf, led all season by three of the state's best, placed second in 5A state golf behind the trio. Brittany Meeds placed fifth, Laura Oxler seventh and Emily Adamson eleventh. Carroll placed third as a team at 5A state golf, led by Rachel Stanley in eighth place. Four golfers medalled for Kapaun, three for Carroll. The number five was a theme for the area in 6A girls tennis. Maize doubles team Meredith Marney and Jackie Frantz placed fifth individually, leading the Eagles to a fifth-place team finish. Suzan Lisenby of Wichita Southeast was the the area's high placer in 6A singles, also placing fifth. The move from Class 3A to 4A didn't faze Independent girls tennis, as they followed up their 2006 and 2007 3A team titles with a 4A team title this fall. The one difference - TIS did not need an individual champion to take the title. Caroline Lincoln was the team's high individual placer, taking second in singles, and Radha Nagireddy followed up her 3A doubles title with Emily Ramseyer in 2007 with a third-place finish in 4A doubles this fall with new parter, Samantha Eklund. Hesston placed second as a team behind Independent, led by Miranda Weaver, who won the 4A singles title over Lincoln, 7-5, 6-0. In Independent's absence from 3A, Collegiate did not reclaim the 3A team title, which they last won in 2005. However, Collegiate's Elyse Bigler in singles and doubles partners Kristen Dunn and Gracie LeMaster delivered championship individual performances, winning the 3A singles and doubles titles. In 4-3-2-1A golf, Andover High's campaign to set a new a state record by winning five consecutive girls state golf titles camp up short, placing 18 shots behind Topeka Hayden at Cherry Oaks Golf Course in Cheney. Audrey Meisch showed Andover High will stay at the top in the years to come, as the freshman shot 89 to place seventh individually. Kelsey Jensen of Nickerson tied for second, shooting an 82, and Independent's Francesca Hutton placed sixth. Jessica Bazzelle of Wichita Northwest and Mikala Payne of Derby High were the area's lone medalists at 6A girls state golf.