photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State freshman Eli Ward shuffles her feet during the first day of the state tournament at the College Boulevard Activity Center in Olathe on Friday, Oct. 18, 2025.

Free State freshman Eli Ward was as about as dominant as possible during the 2025 girls tennis season.

Ward won every set this season with a 24-0 record, winning the Sunflower League singles, regional singles and state singles brackets. She dominated every game, never allowing more than four points.

For her season, the Women’s Intersport Network for Kansas City recognized Ward at an event on Wednesday that honors female athletes in Kansas and Missouri.

“She had as dominant as you can have of a season,” Free State coach Aaron Clark told the Journal-World after the state tournament in October. “And again in the tournament she was dominant.”

When Ward hasn’t been playing for Free State, she has earned her stripes competing against some of the top tennis players in the region. Ward is rated as a four-star prospect, according to Tennis Recruiting Network, and is the 202nd-ranked player in the country and the No. 2 player in Kansas in her high school class.

photo by: Photo courtesy Aaron Clark

Free State freshman Eli Ward receives recognition for her undefeated state championship season at the WIN for KC event on Wednesday in Kansas City, Mo.

Tonganoxie takes second in Frontier League boys wrestling tournament

Baldwin, Eudora and the Tonganoxie boys wrestling teams all competed in the Frontier League tournament on Saturday at Tonganoxie High School, with the Chieftains taking second, the Cardinals fifth and Bulldogs sixth.

For the Chieftains, Casen McAlister at 126 pounds, Clayton Crookham at 157 pounds and Brady Martin at 165 pounds all won their respective weight classes in the league championship.

McAlister started with a pin in the semifinal before a 15-0 technical fall in the championship match. Crookham went 3-0 with two pins and a 19-3 technical fall victory in the semifinal. Martin went 4-0, starting with an 11-1 major decision before a 30-second pin in the second round. Martin finished with a 4-2 decision win in the third round before winning with a 36-second pin in the final round.

Five Chieftains were the runners-up in their brackets. Rowdy Starcher took second in the 106-pound weight class with a 19-3 technical fall win that put him in the first-place match. Hunter Pankey placed second in the 120-pound bracket, going 2-1 with a 25-second pin and a 12-0 technical fall win to get to the first-place match.

At 132 pounds, Tyler Chrisp went 2-1 with a 16-0 technical fall win in the quarterfinal and a pin in the semifinal. Beau Underwood was the runner-up at 138 pounds with two pins before a loss in the first-place match. Dax Duffett finished second at the 144-pound weight class with two pins to get to the title bout.

Ried Wilson was the lone Chieftain to finish third, which he did in the 150-pound bracket. He started with a 17-1 technical fall win but lost in the semifinal. Wilson got a pin in the consolation semifinal and the third-place match. Sebastian Perry placed fourth in the 175-pound weight class, going 2-2. He started with an 11-5 decision win before losing in the second round. He rebounded with a pin in the consolation semifinal but lost in the third-place match.

For the Cardinals, Hawken Andrews was the league champion at 138 pounds. Andrews started with a pin in the semifinal before winning in a 15-12 decision in the first-place match. Elijah Clobes at the 175-pound weight class placed second, starting with two wins before being pinned in the final bout.

Gus Strick in the 144-pound weight class and Newt Schreiner in the 157-pound weight class both placed third. Strick went 3-1 with a quarterfinal win but a loss in the semifinal. He bounced back with two pins in the consolation semifinal and the third-place match. Schreiner lost his first bout in the semifinal but got a pin in the consolation semifinal and a 6-1 win in the third-place match.

Five Cardinals finished fourth in the league tournament. Blake Longacre was fourth in the 113-pound bracket, going 1-3. Longacre started with a major decision loss before getting a pin late in the first period. At 120 pounds, Gabe Campbell went 2-2 with a 7-4 decision in the first consolation round and a medical forfeit win in the next round to get to the third-place match. Dane Baumgartner went 1-2 en route to taking fourth with a win in the consolation semifinal.

Brycon Speer went 1-3 at the 165-pound weight class, which put him fourth. His win came in the first round with a 10-6 decision win. Reilly Neis went 2-2 at 215 pounds, starting with a pin in the quarterfinal. After a semifinal loss, Neis got a 38-second pin to put him in the third-place match, which he lost.

Two Cardinals finished fifth: JJ Hardwick at 106 pounds and Bryce VanDonge at 150 pounds. Hardwick went 2-2, starting with a pin and a win by forfeit in the fifth-place match. VanDonge lost his quarterfinal and consolation semifinal match but won with a pin in the fifth-place bout.

Max Harvey was Baldwin’s lone league champion at 175 pounds. He went 2-0 with two pins in the tournament. Ethan Williams at 150 pounds and Brenden O’Connor at 215 pounds both finished second. Williams started with two pins but lost by technical fall in the first-place match, and O’Connor pinned his first two opponents before being pinned in the first-place match.

Gable Steadham placed third in the 126-pound weight class, finishing with a 20-8 major decision and a pin in the third-place match. Zevian Prather took fourth in the 157-pound weight class with a pin in the consolation semifinal. Keldyn Cox finished fourth at 190 pounds with pins in the quarterfinal and the consolation semifinal bouts, and Ridge Kellerman placed fourth with a pin in his second round bout.

Thayneus Chappell placed fifth at 165 pounds, while Tyce Engemann at 132 pounds and Lucas Johnson at 138 pounds finished sixth.

Tonganoxie finishes as runner-up in Frontier League girls wrestling tournament

The Tonganoxie girls wrestling team placed second in the Frontier League tournament on Saturday at Tonganoxie High School.

The Chieftains had four wrestlers win their weight class. Riley Crookham won the 100-pound bracket, going 4-0 with four pins, including a 40-second pin in the league championship. Kaylee Parker went 3-0 at 115 pounds with two pins and a 12-2 major decision in the semifinal. Autumn Wilson went 2-0 to win the 120-pound weight class with two pins, and Katy Duncan won at 190 pounds with a pin and a 4-1 sudden-victory win.

In the 105-pound bracket, Eliza Troyer-Partridge was the runner-up with a first-round pin before being pinned in the league championship match. Olivia Butler placed second in the 145-pound weight class, going 2-1. She started with a 4-0 decision before getting a pin in the semifinal. Butler lost by a late pin in the final match.

Three Chieftains competed in the third-place match, with Emerson Maslak winning her 125-pound match with a major decision after a 2-1 record in the tournament brought to the consolation final. Abigail Meyers at 130 pounds and Calyn Peters at 140 pounds each placed fourth, with both going 1-2 in the tournament.

Kenzie Underwood at 115 and Josie Owens at 155 both took fifth, while Lexie Logan at 135 pounds placed sixth.

Baldwin placed sixth as a team, with Finnley Kellerman winning the 235-pound bracket with two pins, the latter of which came in under a minute in the championship. Three Bulldogs finished as the runner-up. Haylee King went 3-1, only losing the championship from a pin in the 110-pound weight class. Ivy Holloman took second in the 130-pound bracket going 1-1 with a semifinal pin. Gwendalyn Troth was the runner-up at 135, with a semifinal pin of her own.

Lillian Crites placed third at 120 pounds, and ElliAnna Lisher took fourth with a 1-2 record, her win being a 38-second pin in the 170-pound weight class.

Brynn Drummond at 125 pounds, Maygan Davis at 140 pounds and Charlee Crites at 155 pounds all placed sixth.

Eudora took seventh in the team rankings, with Abby Fager in the 140-pound weight class finishing as a league champion. Fager started with a 16-1 technical fall before winning her next two matches by pins. Clara Peterson at 170 pounds was the runner-up, as she started with two pins before being pinned in the championship bout.

In the 115-pound bracket, Addie Tharp placed third, going 1-2 with a pin in the second round. Khloe Brake took fourth at 155 pounds with a 1-2 record including a consolation semifinal win by 9-1 major decision. Ellie Moore finished fifth in the 115-pound weight class, scoring five points.