By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Area tennis teams were in action Tuesday afternoon and evening at the Shannon Schartz Courts in Great Bend. Naturally, there had to be some wind. Larned prevailed with 29 points to win the round-robin invitational, and Great Bend scored 26 points for second. Hays finished third with 17 points, and Dodge City and Junction City each scored 14 points.
Larned's Abby Holt took the win at No. 1 singles. She never allowed more than three games, including an 8-3 win against Great Bend's Kaylin Wahlmeier, who finished second with a 3-1 record. Wahlmeier was dominant in 8-1, 8-3 wins against Hays and Dodge City, respectively, and she hung on to beat Junction City 8-7 (3).
Great Bend's No. 1 doubles team of Sam Mayers and Taylor Lashley tied Hays atop the bracket. The girls opened with an 8-5 loss to the Indians, then won their next three matches 8-6, 8-4, 8-4. Larned's team of Arianna Hemken and Breanna Hemken knocked off the other Indians 8-6 in the final match in the bracket, but Hays still edged the Lady Panthers on the tie-break for first place. The Hemkens finished at 1-3 in the bracket.
Cassie Manry finished at 4-0 for Larned in the No. 2 singles bracket. She won a pair of 8-3 matches, downed Dodge City 8-1, and defeated Junction City 8-6. Great Bend's Clarise Snapp finished third with a 2-2 record. After an 8-1 win over Hays, she fell 8-3 to Manry. After an 8-5 loss to Junction City, Snapp closed her day with an 8-4 win against Dodge City.
At No. 2 doubles, Larned's team of Reese Watkins and Isabella Bailey went 3-1 for second place. The Hays team was dominant with three 8-2 wins and an 8-1 win over Watkins and Bailey. Great Bend's team of Danica Strickland and Mackenzie LaViolette finished at 2-2 with losses to Hays and Larned to open the day. The girls bounced back to beat Junction City 8-4 and Dodge City 8-6.
The Lady Panthers stay at home Saturday for their invitational tournament.
