photo by: Adobe Stock

The Journal-World All-Area teams are carefully selected by the Journal-World sports staff.

Coach of the Year: Randy Clark, Free State

Free State’s girls tennis team sent four players to the state tournament, with all four placing and lifting the Firebirds to a runner-up spot. The Firebirds scored 30 points as a team, five more than the third-place team.

Player of the Year: Eli Ward, Free State

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State’s No. 1 singles player Eli Ward shuffles her feet in a tennis quad at Sports Pavilion Lawrence against Lawrence, Olathe South and Shawnee Mission South on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025, in Lawrence.

Ward dominated the state as a freshman, winning every match by a wide margin. She won the Sunflower League singles bracket, regional singles bracket and 6A state singles bracket, all while never losing a set.

Taryn Jones and Annie Pilakowski, Free State

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State senior doubles player Taryn Jones pops the ball over the net during the first day of the state tournament at the College Boulevard Activity Center in Olathe on Friday, Oct. 18, 2025.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State senior Annie Pilakowski starts her serve during the 6A Gardner Edgerton regional tournament at Gardner Edgerton High School on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in Gardner.

Free State’s top doubles team of Jones and Pilakowski finished their senior years with a 26-9 record while placing 10th in the league tournament, fifth in regionals and ninth in the state tournament.

Cami Lee, Free State

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State senior Cami Lee hits the ball during the 6A Gardner Edgerton regional tournament at Gardner Edgerton High School on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in Gardner.

Lee, a senior, worked as the team’s No. 2 singles player and finished seventh in the state tournament. She took sixth in the Sunflower League and regionals, while having some of her best wins in the postseason.

Lucy Miller-Coleman, Lawrence

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence singles player Lucy Miller-Coleman swings at a ball in a tennis quad at Sports Pavilion Lawrence on Monday, Sept. 15, 2025, in Lawrence.

Miller-Coleman held her own in the singles bracket, competing against and among other teams’ No. 1 singles players.

Kate Neilson and Ellorie Severin, Lawrence

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence doubles player Kate Neilson follows through on a swing in a tennis quad at Sports Pavilion Lawrence on Monday, Sept. 15, 2025, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence doubles player Ellorie Severin runs up to hit the ball in a tennis quad at Sports Pavilion Lawrence on Monday, Sept. 15, 2025, in Lawrence.

Lawrence’s top doubles team of Neilson and Severin led the Lions as veteran varsity members and competed with the top of the state in the Sunflower League.

Emma Over, Lawrence

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence No. 2 singles player Emma Over starts her swing in a tennis quad against Free State, Olathe South and Shawnee Mission South at Sports Pavilion Lawrence on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025, in Lawrence.

Over competed in the singles bracket and grew a lot over the course of the season while primarily playing as Lawrence’s No. 2 singles player.