Lawrence High’s Thomas Irick makes a return against against Maize High’s Miles Medaris at the Class 6A state tennis championships, Saturday, May 17, 2014, in Wichita. Irick won the match and placed sixth in the tournament.

Wichita ? Lawrence High senior Thomas Irick saved his best tennis for last.

Irick finished in sixth place at the Class 6A boys tennis state tournament on Saturday, his best state finish of his high school career. He took seventh place as a sophomore and eighth as a junior.

After losing in the state quarterfinals on Friday, Irick opened Saturday with a win, 9-3, over Miles Medaris of Maize. He then beat Blue Valley North’s Rohit Bhagat, 9-1, before losing in the fifth-place match to Max Kurzban of Blue Valley West, 9-6.

“Overall on both days I thought Thomas played very, very well,” LHS coach Chris Marshall said. “Both his losses were to two quality opponents. … It was an excellent way to cap off his high school tennis career.”

Irick took third place in the Sunflower League and won his regional last week.

“It’s been a pleasure to coach him all four years and see him mature and turn into a wonderful young man,” Marshall said.

Irick will play tennis at Baker University next year.

Area finisher

De Soto sophomore Luke Zoller finished in sixth place in singles at the 4A state tournament in Winfield.