State Boys Tennis Tournament roundup: Wellington places 7th, Cornejo becomes first boys three-time state medalist
Jax Cornejo becomes Wellington’s first three-time singles state medalist in boys’ tennis.
Sumner Newscow report — Two Wellington entries in the Class 4A State Tennis tournament at Pratt were state placers. Overall, Wellington placed seventh as a team.
Wellington senior Jax Cornejo finished seventh in the state tournament in singles, while Jack Wright and Hunter Worley placed ninth in doubles.
Nate Farmer went 0-2 in singles.
Overall, Wellington finished with 14 team points. Independence won the Class 4A State Championship with 44 total points. Parsons finished with 38, Buhler 32, McPherson 20, Winfield 18, Bishop Miege 16, Wellington 14, Topeka Hayden 12, and 10 other teams scoring in the single digits. The full results of the Class 4A state tournament can be found here.
Wellington had hoped for a state top-three placing after finishing fourth in 2022 by one point. This proved to be a tougher tournament than the one in 2022. Cornejo was a fourth-place finisher in 2022, losing last year to David Spies of Buhler in the semifinals, who went on to win the state championship last year.
In this tournament, Spies finished third as Kale Groff won the tournament over Wyatt Schultz, a freshman from Parsons 7-5, 6-3, who ended Cornejo’s state championship aspirations.
Cornejo, who won the regional championship in Winfield, received a first-round bye and battled Ethan Elder of McPherson in the second, winning 6-0, 6-1. That set him up against the freshman prodigy from Parsons. Schultz would win 6-2, 6-2, dropping Cornejo into the consolation bracket.
Cornejo would then beat his second McPherson opponent, Bryson Archer, 9-2. In the consolation semifinals, he would lose to Hayward of Bishop Miege 9-2. His final high school career match came against Ian Woolridge of Chapman which he defeated 9-5 for seventh place.
He would end his career as Wellington’s only three-time medalist in singles in Crusader history with 73 wins. He also finished third all-time during the three years. Unfortunately, the COVID year when he was a freshman kept him from moving any higher on the all-time win list.
Jack Wright, a senior, completes his career as a Crusader tennis player.
Wright/Worley had a busy weekend. After getting a first-round bye, they defeated Fanning/Spigle of Ottawa 6-3, 6-1 in the second. They then lost to Berger/McVicker of McPherson in an exhausting three-match set 6-1, (4-7), 6-2.
That sent the Wellington duo to the consolation side, where it lost to Gregory/Denney of Independence 9-8(4). Wright/Worley would then beat Norton/Palmer of Winfield 9-4, and Henson/Burnett of Chanute 9-2 to finish ninth.
Hunter Worley, a junior, is expected to return for a big senior year for WHS.
Wright finished his career as a two-time state medalist and a three-time state qualifier. Worley received his first state medal and will be returning next season.
Farmer fell to Nolting of Parsons 6-1, 6-1 in the first round. In the consolation bracket, he lost to Davies of Clay Center 9-6.
