Five things to watch at Kansas girls tennis state tournaments

Source: The Star

2008 PHOTO | The Kansas City Star

Blue Valley North senior Haley Fournier enters the tournament with a 24-2 record.

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The tournaments begin today and continue through Saturday.

1 Round three?

Shawnee Mission East sophomore Mimi Fotopoulos and Blue Valley North senior Haley Fournier have established themselves as the top singles players on this side of the state while forming something of a rivalry along the way. Fotopoulos enters the Kansas 6A state tournament today in Maize undefeated at 21-0 this season. Fournier comes in at 24-2, and her only losses are to … yep, Fotopoulos. They met in the finals of the St. Thomas Aquinas Tennis Invitational and in the regional finals. Both were competitive — by far the closest matches Fotopoulos has played all season. The players also met in the state semifinals last year. Fotopoulos won that match on her way to a state runner-up finish. And it seems likely the two could clash again this weekend.

2 Familiar contenders

Either BV North or SM East has won the 6A girls state title every year dating back to 2002. The Mustangs’ streak of four straight state championships ended last season when the Lancers won. Both teams are again loaded with state qualifiers and state contenders and will try to keep their shared monopoly of the state title for another year. For that matter, the last time the 6A girls team champion didn’t come from Johnson County was in 1994, when Topeka West won.

3 New partner, same goal

SM East senior Nikki Reber won the 6A doubles championship last year with Sarah Luby, who has since graduated from the Lancers’ program. But Reber served notice a partial repeat might be in order when she teamed with Molly Cooper for the regional crown Monday, beating Blue Valley North’s Shae Fournier and Shea Flanagan in the final. The eventual state doubles champ has come from that regional the last six years.

4 Two contenders, one team

St. Thomas Aquinas senior Nicole Jara is the reigning 5A state singles champion, and the biggest obstacle in her bid for a repeat might just be her own teammate. Saints sophomore Natalie Looney was part of the 5A state champion doubles team last year, but she is competing in singles this season and defeated Jara in the regional finals. It was the first time this season that Looney had defeated Jara. Both take 19-4 records into the 5A state tournament in Wichita.

5 Saints eyeing a repeat

Last season, the Aquinas girls achieved a breakthrough — claiming not only the aforementioned singles and doubles state titles, but winning the program’s first team state championship. This year, they’re trying to start a streak. With Jara and Looney back to lead what has proved to be a deep and capable squad, Aquinas has to be considered the team to beat in 5A this weekend.

- 2009-10-15 22:46:03