25 BOYS TENNIS PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2023
 

ZACH AMSTERDAM, BLUE VALLEY NORTH

Amsterdam returns after winning the Class 6A state title in doubles last year. The Mustangs senior will either switch to singles or look for a new partner after the graduation of his doubles partner Matt Crossland. The duo finished with a 22-5 record last season. 
 

CALEB BARTELS AND JAMES VANDER ARK, KANSAS CITY CHRISTIAN

Bartels and Vander Ark didn't become doubles partners until late April, but it was a match made in heaven once they were paired together. The Panther duo went undefeated in their brief time together, capping the season with the Class 3-2-1A state doubles championship. Bartels and Vander Ark went 12-0, beating Wichita Collegiate's Charlie Dunne and Charlie Nolan in the state finals. Bartels made the transition to doubles from singles, taking third at the state tournament in 2021 as a freshman, while Vander Ark teamed with older brother Owen and took second at state in doubles in 2021.
 

JAX CORNEJO, WELLINGTON
 
Cornejo improved two spots on his Class 4A state singles finish last spring, taking fourth after a sixth-place showing as a sophomore. After winning a regional title for the second straight year, Cornejo won a pair of straight-set matches to reach the 4A semifinals, where he lost to eventual champion Davian Spies of Buhler 6-1, 7-5. He helped the Crusaders finish fourth in the team competition. The senior is 49-15 in singles over two seasons.
 

IAN AND MILES CUSICK, TOPEKA WEST

The Cusicks, twin brothers, captured the Class 5A state doubles championship last year, finishing the season 37-4. In winnning their first state title, the Cusicks beat doubles teams in the semifinals and finals they had gone just 1-3 against during the regular season, including a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Maize South's Grayson Wright and Mitchell Krumm in the finals. It was redemption for the Charger duo, who took ninth at state in 2022. The Cusicks swept city, league and regional titles each of the past two seasons and finished last season on a 33-match winning streak, becoming West's first doubles champions since 2017.
 

CARTER DRUMRIGHT, WICHITA COLLEGIATE
 
While Collegiate’s singles spotlight was on unbeaten Class 3-2-1A champion Nick Grabon last season, Drumright had a solid run to a third-place state finish as a freshman. He posted an 11-3 record, finishing second to Grabon at the Spartans’ home regional. He then took down Conway Springs regional winner Connor Harcrow of Hutchinson Trinity in the state quarters before falling to eventual runner-up Peyton Ryan of Central Plains in the semis. With Grabon graduated, Drumright figures to inherit some of that spotlight.
 

GRAHAM FARIS, SHAWNEE MISSION EAST

Faris had an undefeated record going into the Class 6A state semifinals last year, before getting beat 7-6, 7-5 by Blue Valley West’s Francisco Landeras. Faris will return for his senior year hoping to finally win an individual state title after also earning a state runner-up as a sophomore.
 

GUS GLOTZBACH, HAYDEN

Glotzbach has teamed with Michael Sandstrom the past two seasons and posted a record of 57-20. They finished as Class 4A state runners-up last season with a 30-10 mark, falling to Independence's Camdon Julian and Brecken Bertie. Glotzbach and Sandstrom also took second at state in 2021 to McPherson's Brennan Gipson and Conner Glazner.
 

KALE GROFF, INDEPENDENCE

Groff will look to improve upon his Class 4A state runner-up finish in singles from a year ago. Groff was one win away from wrapping up his second straight individual state title when he lost to Buhler freshman Davian Spies 2-6, 6-2, 6-4. In addition to taking another swing at state title No. 2, Groff will look to lead Independence to its third straight state title as a team.
 

CAMDON JULIAN, INDEPENDENCE

Julian returns after winning the Class 4A state title in doubles last year. The Bulldogs junior will have to find a new doubles partner after the graduation of Brecken Bertie, or possibly join his teammate Kale Groff in a crowded singles field. He might re-team up with senior Easton Morris, who took ninth last year with junior Aiden Denney. Julian and Morris took third place as a doubles team in the 2021 state tournament.
 

MITCH KRUMM, MAIZE SOUTH
 
Krumm enters his senior season without his doubles partner from last season, Grayson Wright, who is now playing at Kansas Wesleyan. The duo compiled a 33-4 record and finished second in Class 5A doubles, falling to Topeka West’s Miles and Ian Cusick 6-3, 6-2 in the title match. Krumm and Wright, the top seed in the state bracket, won Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail Division I and regional titles. Krumm’s performance helped the Mavericks capture their first 5A team championship.
 

FRANCISCO LANDERAS, BLUE VALLEY WEST

Landeras returns from a sophomore campaign where he finished as the Class 6A state runner-up. Landeras knocked off a previously undefeated Graham Faris of Shawnee Mission East in the state semifinals last year, but ultimately lost to Faris’ teammate Gregor Wiedeman in the championship match. 
 

RUSSELL LOKKO, ST. THOMAS AQUINAS

Lokko returns from his second straight Class 5A state championship in singles. Lokko defeated Mill Valley’s Gage Folz 6-1, 7-5 in last year’s championship match to complete his junior year with a 23-0 record. 
 

LOGAN MORREN, GARDEN CITY

Morren posted a 33-8 record last year as a junior, placing 11th at state to become the first Garden City boys tennis player to make the second day of state in singles since Tyler Richard in 2006. He was the Western Athletic Conference player of the year for the second straight year and took first place at regionals. He also helped the Buffaloes win the WAC team title. Morren finished in the top two of the seven of eight regular season tournaments last year. He also qualified for state as a sophomore, finishing that season with a 25-15 record.
 

DAWSON AND OAKLEY O’DONNELL, ARKANSAS CITY
 
The youngest doubles combination in last year’s Class 5A state tournament field finished fourth in their first season together, posting a 29-6 record that included 10 victories over 5A medal winners. The O’Donnells also defeated eventual champions Miles and Ian Cusick of Topeka West during the regular season. Oakley, now a junior, and sophomore Dawson took third in the Andover regional.
 

LUKE PENNINGTON, BLUE VALLEY NORTHWEST

Pennington returns after finishing as the Class 6A state runner-up in doubles last year. The Huskies sophomore will either switch to singles or look for a new partner after the graduation of his doubles partner Aiyan Sanjanwala. The duo finished 17-7 last season.
 

SANJAY AND VISHAL RAJKUMAR, BLUE VALLEY SOUTHWEST
 
The Rajkumars return from a season where the brothers both recovered from losses in the Class 5A state quarterfinals to reach the fifth-place match in the singles bracket. Freshman Sanjay earned the 9-0 victory in that one. Their performance helped the Huskies earn a third-place finish in the team race.

SAM RITCHIE, MAIZE
 
Ritchie, a senior, will aim for a higher finish after finishing fourth in Class 5A singles each of the past two seasons. His state path hit a familiar road block last May, as he again fell to eventual state champion Russell Lokko of St. Thomas Aquinas in the semifinals. Ritchie dropped the third-place match to Maize South’s Harris Kossover – who also topped him in the regional final – to finish the season at 29-11. Ritchie has registered 60 singles victories over the last two seasons.
 

PEYTON RYAN, CENTRAL PLAINS

Ryan, a junior, has only two losses in his two years of high school tennis, both coming to the eventual state champions. He finished runner-up in 3-2-1A in singles last year, losing in the final to Wichita Collegiate’s Nick Grabon. Ryan was fifth at state as a freshman with a 37-1 record and went 33-1 last year. Ryan's older siblings were all standout athletes for the Oilers, including Emily Ryan, a current star for the Iowa State women's basketball team.
 

C.J. SMITH, BLUE VALLEY NORTH
 
Smith returns from his second straight fourth-place singles finish at Class 6A state. Last year, Smith actually had a victory over the eventual state champion, Shawnee Mission East’s Gregor Wiedeman, during regionals. He was not able to replicate that outcome in a state semifinals matchup with Wiedeman. Smith’s state semifinal loss as a sophomore two years ago was also against the eventual state champ, Manhattan’s Dan Harkin.
 

DAVIAN SPIES, BUHLER
 
Spies, a sophomore, capped a 35-3 season last May by rallying from a set down and a 2-4 deficit in the third to defeat Independence’s Kale Groff for the Class 4A singles title. Spies’ match against the 2021 state champion was his only three-setter of the season. His lone losses came to Class 3-2-1A finalists Nick Grabon of Wichita Collegiate and Central Plains’ Peyton Ryan, and Salina Central’s Connor Phelps, who placed in 5A doubles. Spies’ other tournament victories included the McPherson regional and Doug Gayer Classic.
 

GREGOR WIEDEMAN, SHAWNEE MISSION EAST

Wiedeman won the Class 6A state singles title last year, helping lead the Lancers to their third straight team championship. He defeated Blue Valley West’s Francisco Landeras 6-4, 6-1 in the final. Wiedeman finished his sophomore campaign with quite a list of first-time milestones, but he has one big one left that is close to home. Wiedeman’s only losses last season were against Blue Valley North’s C.J. Smith, who Wiedeman beat in the state semifinals, and twice against fellow Lancer Graham Faris, who lost to Landeras in the semis.