WICHTA — Micah Ward spent most of the spring making Class 6A tennis look routine. Saturday finally forced him to sweat.
For the first time all season, the Free State senior found himself in serious trouble on the court. But when the pressure mounted in the state championship match, Ward responded exactly the way unbeaten champions do.
After surviving a tightly contested first set, Ward pulled away to defeat Blue Valley West senior Jonah Stolte, 7-6 (4), 6-1, to capture the Class 6A singles title Saturday at Riverside Tennis Complex in Wichita and cap one of the most dominant seasons in Kansas high school tennis history.
“I mean this is incredible,” Ward said. “My team and myself, we all work super hard and my coaches are always pulling for me and I am super pumped.”
Free State senior Micah Ward captured the school's first-ever state singles title Saturday in Wichita.
Ward finished his lone season of high school tennis with a perfect 27-0 record, becoming the first singles state champion in Free State boys tennis history. Even more impressive, the nationally ranked senior never dropped a set all season until Stolte pushed him to a tiebreaker in the championship match.
And for a moment, it looked as though Ward’s flawless run might finally crack.
The Nebraska signee, who has spent most of his career competing on the USTA junior circuit instead of at the high school level, battled through shoulder issues and an aggressive approach from Stolte, a three-time state runner-up and one of the top players in Kansas.
Seniors Jonah Stolte (left) and Micah Ward shared a couple laughs following their state title match Saturday.
“I wasn’t able to hit serves and forehands the way that I wanted to,” Ward said. “That just means that I needed to work extra hard to just stay in the points and keep grinding. Jonah capitalized well on it and he just kept attacking. It was a good match.”
The opening set quickly turned into the most competitive tennis Ward played all season.
“Both of us had chances to win it and it was just a fight,” Stolte said. “Micah and I have probably been playing since we were 11 or 12 years old. I know him very well and hit with him during the offseason. He is a really great player.”
But once Ward escaped the tiebreaker, the match shifted dramatically.
Micah Ward celebrated his state singles title with his teammates Saturday in Wichita.
“After that first set, I think I just loosened up a little bit,” Ward said. “I wasn’t missing quite as much and was able to get the ball deeper. I started coming up at the net more and I think I played really well there.”
Free State coach Randy Clark saw the same turning point.
“He got challenged in that first set, and I was happy to see he built himself and raised his level of play,” Clark said. “To me it was a mindset thing. Micah just locked in and he decided he was going to win that match. Once he made that decision, the outcome was determined at that point just because he is that good of a player.”
Ward reached the title match by defeating teammate Ishaan Rao, 6-2, 6-3, in the semifinals. Rao went on to finish fourth, helping Free State pile up points in what turned into the best team finish in school history.
Free State sophomore Ishaan Rao returns a volleyball Saturday at the state touranment. Rao took fourth in singles.
The Firebirds earned state runner-up honors with 32 points, trailing only powerhouse Blue Valley West, which captured the team championship with 54.
“It has been amazing to be a part of,” Ward said of playing high school tennis. “Tennis is a super lonely sport because you are all by yourself, and I didn’t even know if I was going to play high school because I never have. I thought I might just go to college without playing high school tennis. I think this experience was really good for me and will help me a lot down the road.”
Ward’s title also completed a rare family accomplishment.
Earlier this school year, his younger sister, Eli Ward, won the Class 6A girls singles championship as a freshman, giving Free State a state singles sweep in the same academic year.
“That is really sick when you think about it,” Ward said with a laugh. “My sister did it, so I tried my hardest to try and get it as well. Plus, I didn’t want her holding anything over my head either. I can’t have that.”
Now, Ward turns his attention to Nebraska, where he will continue his tennis career at the collegiate level.
“I am absolutely pumped for Nebraska,” Ward said. “I love being a part of a team and that is what it is going to be the next four years. I can’t wait to get there and see what I can do.”
CLASS 6A STATE TOURNAMENT
SINGLES
Championship — Micah Ward, Free State, def. Jonah Stolte, Blue Valley West, 7-6 (4), 6-1; Third place — Aarya Anjankar, Blue Valley West, def. Ishaan Rao, Free State, 6-0, 6-4; Fifth place — Luca Ospino, Blue Valley Northwest, def. Christopher Long, Shawnee Mission East, 8-5; Seventh place — Nolan Fosha, Olathe South, def. Dalton Parde, Mill Valley, 8-0; Ninth place — Christopher Clough, Shawnee Mission East, def. Jay Hoke, Manhattan, 8-5; 11th Place — Zane Storer, Garden City, def. Henry Fu, Blue Valley Northwest, 8-0