Schultz closes Rockhurst career with fifth-place finish in Missouri Class 2 state tennis doubles

SPRINGFIELD | The match wasn’t for the place he wanted, but it seemed only fitting that Sam Schultz ended his high school career with a victory.

Schultz and Rockhurst teammate Andrew Edmonds defeated brothers Andrew and Tony Zhang of Parkway Central 6-2, 6-4 in the fifth-place match for Class 2 doubles at the Missouri state boys tennis tournament Saturday at the Cooper Tennis Complex. That officially brought to an end a multi-sport career by an individual who most likely ranks with the best Rockhurst has produced.

Over the last three years, Schultz has played vital roles in two Hawklets basketball teams reaching state final fours, one placing fourth, another finishing second. In tennis, Schultz played on three state-tournament teams, once finishing fourth, another placing second and last year’s state champions.

Two years ago, Schultz paired with Jack O’Flaherty and finished fourth in the state in doubles. Now, he’d added a fifth with Edmonds.

And, he was thinking — even during the match — that it was all over.

“When we had one set left I thought, this was my last set of high school tennis,” Schultz said. “It was my last few minutes of high school sports.”

What’s made Schultz’s tennis accomplishments more impressive is that, clearly, tennis is his secondary sport. Basketball is his true passion. When he’s not playing hoops for Rockhurst, he’s playing summer AAU ball. He said he first picks up a tennis racket after basketball season, in mid-March.

“When basketball is over, I hit for two or three weeks, maybe take a lesson or two, and pick it back up,” he said.

•OTHER PLACERS: O’Flaherty lost his fifth-place match in Class 2 singles 6-3, 6-1 to Matt Waite of Kirkwood and finished sixth.

Pembroke Hill sophomore Jay Gillespie placed fifth in Class 1 singles with a 6-1, 6-0 win over Daniel Agung of Sikeston.

And in Class 1 doubles, Eric Dailey and Thilo Mehlin of Excelsior Springs placed sixth.

submitted by BOB LUDER - 2008-05-24 21:05:03

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