WICHITA  — Talking about "the streak" is forbidden around the Wichita Collegiate tennis program.  

The Spartan girls entered this weekend's Class 3-2-1A state tennis tournament with 12 consecutive team championships to their credit, but you'd be hard pressed to find a Collegiate player that knew that exact number.  

"We NEVER talk about that," Collegiate junior Emma Mantovani said. "(Coach Dave Hawley) is kind of superstitious in that way. He never talks about the team title or any of that. He's just more focused on playing our best and kind of the team spirit. We never talk about team titles, it just kind of comes as a result of everything we've done throughout the season." 

For those scoring at home, the Spartans' streak of team championships is now up to 13 after Collegiate swept the state singles and doubles titles on Saturday at Maize South. 

"I had a dad ask me today, 'How many is that in a row?" Hawley said. "Frankly – I know this is going to sound weird – I had to go back and count. We never talk about winning state. It never comes up. We talk about playing our very best. If we do our very best, I'm confident about what's going to happen. 

"People can't believe that, but we just don't talk about it. It's an off-limit topic. When it's done, we'll take pride in it, but we're not talking about it until it happens." 

After winning a Class 4A singles title as a freshman in 2019, Mantovani became a two-time state champion after completing a dominant tournament with a 6-2, 6-0 win over Ellsworth's Nicole Haase in the final. 

Collegiate seniors Lily Conrad and Ella Graham also followed up last year's 4A title with another championship, beating Conway Springs'  Loren May and Haylee Osner 6-3, 6-1 in the doubles title match. 

Hawley has guided Collegiate tennis to a staggering 56 state team titles – 31 on the girls' side and 25 for the boys. 

By their own lofty standards, Hawley said the Spartans had a sub-par showing on Friday, but rose to the occasion on Saturday,

"I didn't feel like we played great (Friday)," Hawley said. "We have great depth, and we played well enough to get to the semis, which is huge. There were just edges on our game. But everybody came to play today.  

"We played seven matches today and won all seven. If you're doing that at the state tournament, your kids are clicking on all gears." 

This year's tournament marked the Spartans' return to 3-2-1A for the first time since 2014. Hawley said he had mixed feelings about Collegiate's drop to 3A.  

"(Class 4A) was already a great tournament. I think it was the most even tournament from 6A all the way on down. If we would have been in it, it would have been maybe the best 4A tournament in years, just because we won it a year ago," Hawley said. 

However, Hawley said he was also impressed by the talent at the 3-2-1A tourney. 

"I knew there was good talent in it," Hawley said. "I like these people. We were 3A for years and they were fun people to be with. Sometimes people say, 'Oh, 3A tennis, how good can it really be?' This was good tennis." 

Mantovani (27-4) had a long wait between her semifinal and final match. She took a quick 6-1, 6-2 win over Colby's Hayden Bellamy in the semis while Haase outlasted Wichita Independent's Lilly Meier in three sets, 6-2, 4-6, 6-1. 

"I definitely got a little restless," Mantovano said. "The same thing happened to me in regionals between my semifinals and finals. I knew what to do. I ate, sat down, stretched, did my whole routine. It didn't really bother me that much." 

"(Haase is) definitely a tough opponent. She really battled out there in the semifinals and also the finals. Kudos to her." 

Mantovani, who was runner-up in 4A last year, said this year's championship felt a little different compared to the title she won as a freshman. 

"It was great both times, but I think it was way more unexpected the first time; I was just happy I made the state team," Mantovani said. "Being able to win it a second time is amazing. I get to relive all those emotions, which is great." 

The powerful Mantovani was in control in all her four of her matches, never dropping more than two games in a set. 

"I knew what my process was and what I needed to do to play well," she said. "I did that and followed that diligently. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't wasting any opportunities because I know how many people would love to be in this position so I just wanted to fully experience it." 

"She's a kid that you never have to worry about," Hawley said of Mantovani. "She may lose a match here or there, but she's never going to beat herself." 

In the doubles final, Conrad and Graham put together a strong finish to the first set and controlled the second to wrap up the title. 

"I feel like we had to stay consistent and just play our game," Conrad said. 

 

"Not losing focus after we won a game and just staying on top of it," Graham added.  

Graham said her and Conrad had a bigger target on their backs this year after winning the 4A crown a year ago. 

"I'm happy we did it twice," Graham said. "Just leading up to it, it was different. Last year, there wasn't any pressure really to do well. This year, returning (as state champs), it was kind of expected we'd do well." 

Conrad and Graham finished the year with a 30-2 mark. 

"It's easy for us to take criticism from each other and I think that's a major factor in playing well together, because you can't get upset at your partner if they tell you you did something wrong. I think that helps," Conrad said.

"I really feel like we're good at setting each other up, knowing you don't always have to hit a winner from the baseline," Graham said. "If you hit a different shot, then your partner can get hit a winner from the net." 
 

Conway Springs' May and Osner finished 22-7. 

"We beat a team that's very smart, very well-coached and has a lot of experience," Hawley said.  

Wichita Independent's Meier clinched third place with a win over Colby's Bellamy, who entered the tournament undefeated and took fourth place. Norton's Dylan Hawks and Dahn Hanlon capped a strong tournament with a win over Sterling's Kate Rowland and Karissa Wilson in the third-place doubles match.

Smoky Valley took second place in the team standings with 18 points, while Conway Springs was third with 16 points, earning a tiebreaker over Wichitta Independent. 

Hawley said another highlight for the Oilers was the performance of freshman Laney Conrad, who went 3-0 Saturday to earn a fifth-place finish in singles. 

"She really set the tone," he said. "Three really good wins for Lanie." 

Even though the Spartans don't dwell on all the state titles they've racked up, Hawley said they do spend time discussing the tradition of the program.

"I tell the kids you have a connection with kids that you'll never meet who wore the same type of uniform in the same type of tournament who went through the same (challenges)," Hawley said.  

"We'll talk about the connections of the past. And I make sure they know the kids of significance in the past and what they've met to the team, and what (the current players) can do to be those names that we talk about down the road."