Singles player Chris Reimer and the doubles team of Brandon Heavener and Jonathan Roman kept their tennis seasons alive with their performances on Friday at the Class 5A State tennis tournament in Wichita.
Reimer and Heavener and Roman advanced to today’s medal rounds thanks to victories in the opening portion of the tournament, played at the Riverside Tennis Center.
In singles play, Reimer came away with two victories and one loss, with his setback coming at the hands of St. Thomas Aquinas’ Phil Shinn, 6-1, 6-3, in the opening round.
After that, Reimer defeated Valley Center’s Tyler Dort, 6-0, 6-0, before winning by default over Bishop Miege’s Raphael Maasberg. Maasberg had to forfeit the match after suffering from severe cramps after two straight three-set matches.
“Chris came out a little timid in his first match, and he knew he didn’t play his best,” EHS tennis coach Matt Irby said. “After that, though, he settled down and played like he has been the last three weeks.
“His last match against the kid from Bishop Miege would have been a tough matchup, and that’s not the way you want to win, but he’ll take it.”
As for Heavener and Roman, they too opened their day with a first-round loss, falling to McPherson’s Cody Fawl and Nathan Wehrman, 6-2, 6-4.
But Heavener and Roman bounced back by collecting victories over Kyle Toland and Zach Holder of Bonner Springs, 6-2, 6-2, and Arkansas City’s Ron Posey and Jeremiah Johnson, 9-4.
“The team from McPherson was a good, solid team, and Brandon and Jonathan gave them all they wanted,” Irby said. “They actually thought they could have won that match, and I think that mindset carried over into their other matches.”
Emporia’s other doubles team closed out its season with a pair of losses, as Mark DeDonder and Sergio Segura fell to Hutchinson’s Luke Fangman and Ben Braun in the first round before losing the Lansing’s Eric Hansen and Daniel Miskowic to end the day.
Reimer and Heavener and Roman now will play for a possible shot at fifth place today, with the tournament set to begin at 9 a.m.
Class 5A State Tennis
Friday at Wichita
Riverside Tennis Center
Singles
Phil Shinn, St. Thomas Aquinas, def. Chris Reimer, Emporia, 6-1, 6-3; Reimer def. Tyler Dort, Valley Center, 6-0, 6-0; Reimer def. Raphael Maasberg, Bishop Miege, default.
Doubles
Cody Fawl/Nathan Wehrman, McPherson, def. Brandon Heavener/Jonathan Roman, Emporia, 6-2, 6-4; Heavener/Roman def. Kyle Toland/Zach Holder, Bonner Springs, 6-2, 6-2; Heavener/Roman def. Ron Posey/Jeremiah Johnson, Arkansas City, 9-4.
Doubles
Luke Fangman/Ben Braun, Hutchinson, def. Mark DeDonder/Sergio Segura, Emporia, 6-4, 6-2; Eric Hansen/Daniel Miskowic, Lansing, def. DeDonder/Segura, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4).