CLASS 4A BOYS TENNIS PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2026
 
 

COOPER BOHME, MCPHERSON
 
Bohme highlighted his 2025 freshman season with a Scott City regional singles title before finishing 12^th in his Class 4A state tournament debut. His victory in the seventh-place singles match at the Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail III-IV tournament started a five-match winning streak that helped push his final season record to 19-16. Bohme defeated teammate Owen Neighbors in three sets for the regional title, then went 3-4 at state with a round of 16 loss to Winfield’s Joshua Moore sending him to the consolation bracket. Bohme helped the Bullpups finish sixth in the 4A team competition. He opened this season with a singles title at the McPherson Invitational.
 

AYDEN CUMMINGS, CHANUTE

Cummings is back for 2026 as he looks to build on his tennis resume with the Blue Comets. A two-time state medalist, Cummings has piled up 71 career varsity wins and earned All-Southeast Kansas League honors twice along the way. Much of his recent success has come in doubles alongside Ethan Burnett. The duo captured a regional championship in 2024 before finishing eighth at the Class 4A state tournament, then followed it up with a sixth-place state medal in 2025. Their postseason run last spring included a narrow 9-7 loss in the fifth-place match to McPherson’s Bryson Archer and Alex Berger, capping another strong showing against top competition. Now a senior, Cummings’ role remains flexible as Chanute evaluates whether he will return to doubles with a new partner or shift into a singles role. After the season, Cummings will continue his tennis career at Southwestern College. 
 

 
REUBEN HARDER, BUHLER
 
Harder will open his senior season playing doubles, but not with Von Woleslagel, his partner each of the last two seasons. Woleslagel graduated after the duo posted their second consecutive third-place finish in Class 4A last spring. That helped the Crusaders finish third in defense of their first state team title, which they won in 2024 as Harder and Woleslagel posted a 32-8 record. Harder and Woleslagel wrapped up their partnership last May with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Hayden’s Chase Blaser and Evan George in the 4A third-place match after falling to eventual runners-up Jackson Davis and Adam Everett of Winfield in the semifinals.
 

COLE KENNETT, PARSONS

Kennett is coming off a strong junior campaign in which he teamed with Conner Barcus to capture both the SEK League and regional doubles titles before finishing seventh at the Class 4A state tournament. He also helped the Vikings to their first team state title in 23 years. He posted a 26-4 record last season and carries an 83-21 career mark into his senior year. Now, Kennett will look to build on that success with a new partner in sophomore Kai Gregory. Though the duo has limited experience together — playing just once last season — Gregory brings plenty of ability after going 15-7 a year ago while competing primarily in varsity singles tournaments. 
 

REECE KNIGHT, EL DORADO
 
Like his doubles teammates Theron Mays and Lane Eck, Knight posted an 11^th place finish at state last season, working his way through the consolation bracket after an opening-round loss to Clay Center’s Eli Pfizenmaier. Knight, who finished sixth at the Buhler regional, went 3-3 at state to complete a 20-15 season. He opened this season with six straight victories, going 3-0 in tournaments at El Dorado and Wellington.
 

BRAIDEN LIECHTY, HESSTON
 
Liechty begins his final season with the Swathers as a reigning state doubles champion without a partner. Last spring, Liechty helped now-graduated Asher Deutschendorf win his second state title in three years and first in 4A to complete a two-year partnership. The duo capped a 29-3 season with a 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (2) victory over Winfield’s Jackson Davis and Adam Everett. Liechty began his high school career in singles, qualifying for 3-1A state and helping Hesston to a third-place team finish. After Deutschendorf’s original doubles partner, Micah Dahlsten, graduated that year after the two won the state championship, Liechty moved to doubles and joined Deutschendorf. The duo went 24-3 in their first season, finishing third in 3-1A. Liechty, who has 73 career victories, will open his senior season playing singles.
  

THERON MAYS AND LANE ECK, EL DORADO
 
With a brace on Eck’s left knee from an ACL tear, he and Mays managed to place 11^th in Class 4A doubles last season after finishing sixth in 2024. The Wildcat juniors continue their partnership this season on the heels of a 21-7 campaign. They finished fourth in the Buhler regional, losing to eventual state champions Asher Deutschendorf and Braiden Liechty in the semifinals. At state, they fell in the round of 16 to Parsons’ Conner Barcus and Cole Kennett before bouncing back with a trio of consolation bracket victories, including an 8-2 win over Scott City’s Brody Strine and Brody Stoecklein in their finale. Eck and Mays entered this season with a 49-17 career record and are off to a 6-0 start.
 

MATTHEW MCLENON, INDEPENDENCE

McLenon has been a staple in doubles play throughout his career, where he’s enjoyed consistent postseason success. He is a two-time state medalist, finishing fifth and ninth in Class 4A competition over the past two seasons, and has compiled a 64-29 career record heading into his senior campaign. While doubles has been his primary focus, McLenon’s all-around game could make him just as competitive in singles. Now a senior, McLenon has his sights set on adding a third state medal and reaching a significant career milestone. With a strong season, he has a chance to eclipse the 100-win mark. 
 

JOSHUA MOORE, WINFIELD

While the Vikings’ doubles team of Jackson Davis and Adam Everett got much of the attention last season, Moore helped Winfield earn a share of its first Class 4A team title with Parsons with his sixth-place singles finish at state. After falling in the quarterfinals to Bishop Miege’s Luca Marrello, Moore won a pair of consolation matches on his way to completing a 25-13 season. Moore, also a state qualifier two years ago as a sophomore, took third at regionals a year ago as the Vikings tied with Buhler for that tournament title as well.
 

JANMEJAY PATWARDHAN, HESSTON
 
Patwardhan, a junior, won three tournaments for the Swathers last year and posted a 24-9 singles record that culminated in a fifth-place finish in 4A. After falling to Independence’s Keith Sanders in the state quarterfinals, Patwardhan came back to win three straight matches on the consolation side, including an 8-5 victory over Winfield’s Joshua Moore in the battle for fifth. Patwardhan helped Hesston finish fourth at state after transitioning from 3-1A. A singles staple for the Swathers, he enters the season with a 42-30 career record. 
 

MAVERICK PETERSON, WELLINGTON
 
Peterson was a bright spot in a rebuilding season for the Crusaders last year, finishing eighth in Class 4A singles. After placing fifth in the Buhler regional, Peterson played his way into the state quarterfinals as a No. 10 seed, winning his first two matches before falling to eventual runner-up Wyatt Shultz of Parsons. Peterson’s 3-3 state record completed a 24-14 season. Now a senior, Peterson heads a Wellington lineup that entered the season with its entire varsity intact from last year.
 

 
ELI PFIZENMAIER, CLAY CENTER
 
After coming up one win short of placing in singles at the Class 4A state meet as a freshman in 2024, Pfizenmaier was able to come through and secure a state medal a year ago. For the second straight year, he fell in the second round of the state singles draw, but this time he rebounded with two straight wins on the backside with an 8-0 win over McPherson’s Owen Neighbors clinching a medal. He lost in the consolation semifinals, but won his next match before settling for a 10th-place finish. Pfizenmaier finished with a 28-8 record and will move to the No. 1 singles spot for the Tigers this season after the graduation of Cale Tromp. Pfizenmaier was the North Central Kansas League champ at No. 2 singles last year helping the Tigers to their second straight league title.
 

COPELAND QUIETT, WINFIELD
 
Quiett joins fellow senior Joshua Moore as Winfield’s returnees from its first state championship team, a title it shared with Parsons in part to Quiett’s ninth-place singles finish. Quiett posted a 19-21 record last spring. After finishing fourth at the Buhler regional, he entered state as the No. 9 seed and won his first two matches before falling to eventual champion Davian Spies of Buhler in the quarterfinals. He later won his final two matches of the season, including an 8-4 victory over Clay Center’s Eli Pfizenmaier in the duel for ninth. Quiett helped Winfield win its season-opening McPherson Invitational with a second-place finish in singles.
 

WYATT SHULTZ, PARSONS

Shultz has been one of the most consistent forces in Class 4A tennis over the past three seasons—and now, he enters his final campaign with one goal left to accomplish. A year ago, Shultz helped lead Parsons to one of the program’s biggest milestones, as the Vikings captured their first state championship in 23 years, sharing the title with Winfield. Individually, Shultz continued his remarkable run at the top of the singles bracket, finishing as the state runner-up for the third straight season. He dropped the championship match to Buhler’s Davian Spies, 6-2, 6-0, but the finish only added fuel heading into his senior year. Shultz has dominated the Southeast Kansas League throughout his career, winning three straight SEK singles titles while also claiming three consecutive regional championships. With an 84-20 career record—including a 29-4 mark last season—he has established himself as one of the more accomplished players in program history. Now, after three straight second-place finishes, Shultz enters his senior season as one of the favorites to win the Class 4A state singles title.
 

BRODY STOECKLEIN, SCOTT CITY

Stoecklein is eager to build on a strong sophomore season that saw him claim a Great West Activities Conference doubles title and place 12th at state with now-graduated Brody Strine. However, Stoecklein’s junior season is in jeopardy after he tore two ligaments in his ankle during basketball. The Beavers are hopeful Stoecklein will return to the court before the GWAC meet. Stoecklein and Strine fashioned a 26-10 record last year. Scott City coach Lisa Powelson said Stoecklein is determined to come back strong despite the setback and is eyeing a return to state. Powelson isn’t sure if Stoecklein will play singles or doubles upon his return.