Hometown athletes win at McPherson Junior Open

Hometown tennis players excelled in the boys’ and girls’ 18 divisions this week at the McPherson Junior Open.

Casyn Buchman, part of the McPherson tennis pair that won the Class 5A doubles title in the fall, prevailed in the girls’ 18 bracket Tuesday. The incoming senior defeated Nina Bwalya, who will be a sophomore at Hoisington, 6-3, 6-1 in the final.

On the boys’ side, Mark Gayer – part of the McPherson doubles team that won its second 5A title in May – conquered the competition this week. Gayer, a 2010 graduate, beat Ryan Hickman 6-2, 6-2 in the final. Hickman will be a junior at Hutchinson.

Buchman’s state-champion doubles partner, Kirsten Holle, advanced to the girls’ 16 final Monday but lost to Bwalya’s younger sister, Besa. Besa Bwalya, who will be an eighth-grader, won her bracket 7-5, 6-4.

In the boys’ 16 category, Matthew Barlow, a sophomore-to-be at Abilene, topped Jenson Kingsley for the crown. Barlow defeated Kingsley, an incoming junior at Newton, 8-5.