PRAIRIE VILLAGE – Central Plains Oiler Peyton Ryan (31-1) lost to Kansas City Christian's Caleb Bartels (32-0), 6-1, 6-3 to finish as a 3-1A state runner-up three consecutive years.  Ryan downed Wichita Collegiate rival Charlie Gentile 6-2, 6-7, 6-3 in the 3-1A state tennis semifinals for the second consecutive year.

“That was definitely my toughest match of the season,” Bartels said. “We had a lot of long rallies and physical points. We both made each other work. He’s a great competitor and he’s going to fight. He played a great match."

Ryan took an early game in the opening set before Bartels took control and rolled to a 6-1 victory. In six postseason matches,  he’d lost three games.

“I anticipated a 3-setter,” Ryan said. “It definitely wore me down a little, but I had to be ready. It was a state championship match, there’s no way you’re not ready.”

Things seemed headed that direction when Bartels got a service break in the second set to take a 4-1 lead. Ryan responded with a service break and a service hold to close the deficit to 4-3.

Bartels responded like a champion, winning the final two games.

“He’s a great competitor. It was going to be a tough match,” Bartels said. “I stayed focused and positive when he got those games. I kept fighting. Being patient, keeping it deep and moving him side-to-side. I played aggressive when I could.

Ryan (137-4) achieved a rare feat – losing four high school matches, all to state champions. Ryan lost 6-1, 6-2 to Bartels in 2023, 7-5, 6-0 to Wichita Collegiate's Nicholas Grabon in 2022 and Rossville's Alex Sherer 6-0, 6-4 in 2021.

Wichita Collegiate's Chase Koch joins Ryan as a 4-time runner-up to the 3-1A state champion. Wichita Collegiate's Matt Wright defeated Koch from 1993 to 1996 in the 3-1A state championship matches.  

 “I knew I was the underdog going in,” Ryan said. “Play loose and play free, go for your shots because you’re not going to get many of them.’ I played smart and when I had a shot I took it. I executed as well as I could. He’s really good.”
  
Bartels will play tennis at Calvin University, a Division III college in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Wichita Collegiate (44) clinched the team title. Central Plains (32) finished at state runner-up followed by Smoky Valley (22).

Oiler Camden Stiles (28-7) edged Hesston's Will White 8-6 for seventh place. Lawrence Seabury's downed Oilers Paxton Dody/Peyton Dody (26-9), 9-8 (7-4) for seventh place. Nethan Cauthon/Alden Metro (27-8) lost to Smoky Valley's Per Nelson/Nathan Nyquist for ninth place.

Ellinwood’s Cole Ringwald (21-13) finished 1-2 and doubles partners Ty Hammeke/Evan Ringwald (18-7) ended 2-2 at the 3-1A state tennis tournament.

Wichita Collegiate’s third-place Charlie Gentile beat Cole Ringwald, 6-0, 6-0. Marysville’s fourth-place Titus Wassom/Blake Spicer, Marysville defeated Hammeke/Evan Ringwald, 6-3, 6-4.

3-1A STATE, PRAIRIE VILLAGE

TEAM SCORES—1—Wichita Collegiate 44; 2—Central Plains 32; 3—Smoky Valley 22; 4—Wichita Classical 20; Hesston 20; 6—KC Christian 16; 7—Topeka Hayden 12; 8—Topeka Cair Paravel 11; Marysville 11; 10—Lawrence Seabury 8; 11—Sterling 6, Conway Springs 6; 13—Ellsworth 4, Wichita Trinity 4; 15—South Barber 3; 16—Ellinwood 2, Hutchinson Trinity 2;  18—Meade 1, Cimarron 1, Phillipsburg 1, WaKeeney Trego 1

SINGLES FINALS

1—Caleb Bartels, KC Christian (33-0) def. Peyton Ryan, CP, 6-1, 6-3

3—Charlie Gentile, Wichita Collegiate def. Drew Fay, Wichita Classical, 6-2, 6-1 

5—Omar Al-Tabbal, Wichita Collegiate def. Keaton Leiker, SV, 8-4

7—Camden Stiles, CP def. Will White, Hesston, 8-6

9—Jace Darnauer, Sterling def. Noah Doom, Wichita Classical, 8-4

11—Anderson, Ellsworth def. Zander Myers, South Barber, 8-3

SEMIFINALS—Bartels def. Fay, 6-0, 6-1; Ryan def. Gentile, 6-2, 6-7, 6-3

QUARTERFINALS—Bartels def. Al-Tabbal, 6-0, 6-0 Fay def. Darnauer, 6-1, 6-0; Ryan def. Leiker, 6-1, 6-0; Gentile def. White, 6-0, 6-2

FIRST ROUND—Ryan def. George, Topeka Hayden, 6-0, 6-1; Gentile def. Cole Ringwald, Ellinwood, 6-0, 6-0; White def. Stiles, 7-6, 1-6 (10-8)

CONSOLATION—Stiles (27-8) def. Al-Tabbal, Stiles def. Darnauer, 8-1; Stiles def. Elliott, SV, 8-0; Stiles def. Levi Mies, Conway Springs, 8-1; Myers def. Ringwald, 8-5

PLAY-IN—Ringwald def. Nate Fischer, Phillipsburg, 7-6 (7-1), 7-6 (7-5) 

DOUBLES FINALS

1—Carter Drumright/Maddox Drumright, Wichita Collegiate def. Charlie Graham/Isaac Yourdon, Wichita Classical, 6-2, 6-2

3—Braiden Liechty/Asher Deutschendorf, Hesston def. Titus Wassom/Blake Spicer, Marysville, 6-7 (7-4), 6-1, 6-1

5—Joe Luke/Chase Blaser, Topeka Hayden def. Gabe Baker/Zeke Baker, SV, 9-7

7—Sebastian Borjas/Cole Shumaker, Lawrence Seabury def. Paxton Dody/Peyton Dody, CP, 9-8 (7-4)

9—Sky Fujinuma/Rahul Madhaven, Wichita Collegiate def. Isaac Winter/Layne Whitney, CS, 8-5

11—Per Nelson/Nathan Nyquist, SV def. Nethan Cauthon/Alden Metro, 8-4

SEMIFINALS—Drumright/Drumright def. Wassom/Spicer, 6-2, 6-0; Graham/Yourdon def. Liechty/Deutschendorf, 6-2, 7-5

QUARTERFINALS—Drumright/Drumright def. Winter/Whitney, 6-0, 6-0; Wassom/Spicer def. Cauthon/Metro, 6-2, 6-2; Liechty/Deutschendorf def. Baker/Baker, 6-0, 6-0; Graham/Yourdon def. Dody/Dody, CP, 6-3, 6-2

FIRST ROUND—Cauthon/Metro def. Nelson/Nyquist, 7-6 (7-5), 2-6 (10-7); Wassom/Spicer, Marysville def. Ty Hammeke/Evan Ringwald, Ellinwood, 6-3, 6-4; Dody/Dody def. Preston Sebits/Alex Hobson, Wichita Trinity, 6-3, 3-6 (10-5)

PLAY-IN—Cauthon/Metro def. Collin Branam/Blane Farney, Wichita Classical, 7-6 (7-5), 2-6 (10-3);  Hammeke/Ringwald def. Brady Peterson/Devin Boice, Haven, 6-4, 6-4; Orvin Dyck/Sam Lynn, Meade def. Mead/Thompson, 6-0, 6-0

CONSOLATION—Baker/Baker def. Dody/Dody, 8-4; Dody/Dody def. Fujinuma/Madhaven, 9-8 (7-3); Winter/Whitney def. Cauthon/Metro, 8-1; Borjas/Shumaker def. Cauthon/Metro, 8-5; Luke/Blaser def. Mead/Thompson, 8-0; Hammeke/Evan Ringwald def. Thomas Cheney/Luca Adami, Salina Sacred Heart, 8-3; Nelson/Nyquist def. Hammeke/Evan Ringwald, 8-1