photo by: Mike Yoder

The Free State High School doubles team of Ian Pultz-Earle, left, and Erik Czapinski, right, compete at the Class 6A state tournament Saturday, May 14, 2016, at the Harmon Park Tennis Complex in Prairie Village.

Prairie Village — When Free State High sophomore Erik Czapinski thought back on his consolation semifinals match in doubles at the Class 6A boys tennis state tournament on Saturday, the only word that popped in his mind was “stressful.”

Czapinski and his doubles partner, junior Ian Pultz-Earle, trailed by a game against Blue Valley Northwest’s Alex Downing and Alex Batrouny when they broke a serve and forced a tiebreaker.

The tiebreaker was closer than the strings on their rackets. After trading point after point, the Firebirds’ duo had a match point, but Czapinski double faulted on his serve, chuckling at the bad timing. Then they watched the Huskies win the next two points and take the tiebreaker, 9-8 (8-6).

It was a painful loss for Pultz-Earle and Czapinski, who later lost their final match and took eighth place in doubles.

“After the match, I lost it a little bit,” Czapinski said. “I realized it was all on my racket there. We were tied, and I shot that forehand way too long. I framed a forehand on match (point), and it was over. Simple as that. It was almost gimmicky how close it was.”

Before their last two losses, Pultz-Earle and Czapinski advanced on the consolation side of the bracket with a win over Manhattan twins Ben and Matt Turnley. They lost in the state quarterfinals, 6-1, 6-0.

The doubles pairing, which finished 12th at state last season, ended the year with a 15-10 record.

“Our secondary goal was to do better than last year,” Czapinski said. “Our primary goal was top six. But can’t always get what you want, right? Two points away.”

Free State juniors Seamus Ryan and Jonah Pester took 12th in doubles, helping the Firebirds finish eighth in the team standings.

“To have two different teams medal and have five people go to state is awesome, especially for my first year,” FSHS coach Keith Pipkin said. “I’m like (Golden Warriors coach) Steve Kerr right now. I just got lucky, and the team was already good.”

Continuing their match that was suspended because of rain, Ryan and Pester led, 7-3, in the first round of the consolation bracket before watching it slip into a tiebreaker.

Ryan and Pester won the tiebreaker, 9-8 (3), then had plenty of momentum for a 9-3 victory over Washburn Rural’s Devin Wright and Jordan Lind to guarantee themselves a medal. They lost their final three matches, but were happy with the progress they made, especially after failing to reach the top 12 last season.

“Winning that match didn’t guarantee us a medal, but I think we realized that we played real well that entire match besides those couple of games,” Ryan said of the tiebreaker win. “Going into the next one, we had a whole bunch of confidence, and we just ran through it really easily.”

Lawrence High senior Elliott Abromeit took 11th place in singles, and the Lions were 11th as a team.

Abromeit lost his first three matches Saturday, including a 6-1, 6-0 loss to eventual champion Max Kurzban of Blue Valley West.

In his final match against Olathe North sophomore Noah Crist, a rematch of the third-place match at regionals last week, Abromeit won six of the first seven games. Crist nearly evened the score when Abromeit struggled with his shot, but Abromeit won the final two games for a 9-6 win.

“The old Elliott would not have been able to get back in once the wheels fell off the bus,” LHS coach Chris Marshall said. “It was good to see him get off to a good, big lead, but after we lost it to stay focused and come back.”

Abromeit, who will play at Doane College in Nebraska next year, finished the season with a 22-11 record.

“At the start of the season, I was hoping for a little more than 11th, but really looking at this singles bracket, it’s so much tougher than last year,” Abromeit said. “I’m just thankful that I got to be in top 12 and made it to the second day.”

Team scores: Blue Valley Northwest 53, Blue Valley West 46, Washburn Rural 26, Manhattan 26, Shawnee Mission East 22, Blue Valley 18, Blue Valley North 14, Free State 12, Shawnee Mission Northwest 9, Olathe Northwest 8, Lawrence 5, Olathe North 4, Derby 3, Dodge City 3, Topeka 1, Garden City 1.

Singles

Elliott Abromeit, LHS (11th place): lost to Max Kurzban, BVW, 6-1, 6-0; lost to Nathan Osborn, WR, 9-3; lost to Billy Louiselle, SME, 9-1; def. Noah Crist, ON, 9-7.

Sawyer Nickel, FS: lost to Matt Gonzales, THS, 9-7.

Doubles

Ian Pultz-Earle/Erik Czapinski, FS (8th place): lost to Brady Flanagan/Connor Garrett, BVN, 6-1, 6-0; def. Ben Turnley/Matt Turnley, MAN, 9-5; lost to Alex Downing/Alex Batrouny, BVNW, 9-8 (6); lost to Reagan Walsh/Tyler Garland, SMNW, 9-0.

Jonah Pester/Seamus Ryan, FS (12th place): def. Gabe Smith/Ryan Palmer, DER, 9-8 (3); def. Devin Wright/Jordan Lind, WR, 9-3; lost to Reagan Walsh/Tyler Garland, SMNW, 9-1; lost to Ian Clifton/Tanner Driggers, WR, 9-5; lost to Ben Turnley/Matt Turnley, MAN, 9-5.