SALINA – There was no mistaking when Sterling’s Chelsie Brown had started a match during the Class 3-2-1A tournament at Salina Tennis Center. 

“You walk around all 12 courts, and you know when Chelsie’s on the court because you just hear the explosion of the ball,” Ellsworth coach Eric Anderson said. “I mean, it doesn't get any better in 3-2-1A than Chelsie Brown.”

Brown again proved she was in a class of her own.

She blazed her way to back-to-back singles titles and undefeated seasons, winning all four of her state matches in straight sets to finish her senior season 33-0. Brown defeated Ellsworth’s Karli Haase 6-1, 6-2 in Saturday’s final. 

“It's amazing,” Brown said. “I really wanted my goal to be undefeated again this year. I'm just really proud, especially with my senior year, ending it with a bang.

“I just had confidence in myself, and I was like, ‘I'm gonna get undefeated again this year no matter what.’ ”

It was the third meeting of the season between Brown and Haase.

“I would say her strength is her forehand and her serve,” Brown said. “If she got her first serve in, it could definitely be a weapon. And I knew she would work hard, so I was ready because I just expect that out of her because I know she's going to try her best.”
 

Haase battled early in the second set before Brown pulled away.

“It probably took a while for me to get going a little bit,” Brown said. “Karli's a very consistent player. Usually when I hit the ball, they miss. But Karli can deal with my pace. She's hard to play.”

Haase, who figures to be a title favorite in singles next year as a senior, finished her junior season with a 32-3 mark, the only losses coming to Brown. She helped lead the Bearcats to the team title along with the champion doubles team of Inarie Rippert and Reygan Coonrod. 

Brown beat Wichita Classical’s Ani Doom 6-4, 6-0 in the semifinals while Haase took a 6-3, 6-0 victory over Cair Paravel’s Madilyn Poole in the other semi. 

“Karli played fantastic,” Anderson said. 

Poole claimed third place with a 6-4, 6-1 over Doom. 

Brown finished her career with a 120-14 record. She won her last 70 matches, a streak that started with the seventh-place match in her sophomore season. She went 36-0 as a junior. 

She’s done it all despite being born hard of hearing and wearing hearing aids since she was 2 years old. 

“They say tennis uses a lot of hearing but I just use more of my eyesight, so it's not much of a challenge,” Brown said. 

“I just wanna say thank you to everyone that has supported me because they've done a lot for me, and I don't think I would be where I am today without them.”
 

 

CLASS 3-2-1A 

TEAM SCORES 

Ellsworth 44, Conway Springs 36, Wichita Classical 23, Sterling 22, Central Plains 19, Larned 18, Cair Paravel 12, Osborne 10, Phillipsburg 10, Haven 7, Trego 7, Russell 7, Wabaunsee 4, Silver Lake 2, Meade 2. 

Singles 

Championship – Chelsie Brown, Sterling def. Karli Haase, Ellsworth, 6-1, 6-2. Third place – Madilyn Poole, Cair Paravel def. Ani Doom, Wichita Classical, 6-4, 6-1. Fifth place –  Lauren Sleder, Larned def. Hannah Vague, Ellsworth, 8-4. Seventh place – Addison Rusco, Conway Springs def.  Anna-Marie Marsell, Russell, 9-8 (3). Ninth place – Valorie Solida, Phillipsburg def. Kenzie Popp, Haven, 8-1. 11th place – Eliza Jeffrey, Central Plains def. Gabriella Poels, Philipsburg, 8-2. 

Doubles 

Championship – Inarie Rippert/Reygan Coonrod, Ellsworth def. Morgan Koester/Sadie Koester, Conway Springs, 6-4, 6-3. Third place – Madelyn Stevens/Hayley Pauly, Conway Springs def. Mia Brown/Leonora Neumann, Wichita Classical, 6-3, 6-1. Fifth place – Leavie Riner/Gentrie Riner, Osborne def. Emery Siemsen/Ashtyn Robl, Central Plains. 8-1. Seventh place – Cassie Manry/Maggie Haas, Larned def. Annika Dietz and  Trista Smith, 8-6. Ninth place – Jaiden Jaeger/Danika Zimmerman, Sterling def. Makenna Anderson/Felis De La Cruz, Ellsworth, 8-5. 11th place – Boston Robison/Aevyn Siemsen, Central Plains, def. Sarah Pruitt/Quinn Sramek, Marantha Academy 8-4.