Colby Orange Takes Third at Garden City Invite Against Larger Schools
April 25, 2026
The Colby High School boys tennis team tested itself against some of the top competition in western Kansas on April 25, traveling to Garden City for the 2026 Garden City Varsity Invitational—and came away with a strong showing highlighted by a third-place team finish from Colby Orange.
Competing in a deep field loaded with larger programs, Colby Orange finished third overall with 100 team points, trailing only Garden City White (117) and Dodge City Red (109). Colby Black also gained valuable experience on the day, finishing eighth with 45 points.
The Orange squad was led by consistent performances across all four varsity spots. In singles play, Tony Jager (Col) and Jack Denny (Col) each posted 2-2 records against a challenging bracket. Jager ultimately placed sixth overall, while Denny finished seventh, navigating a bracket that included multiple top-tier competitors from larger schools.
Denny showed flashes of strong play throughout the day, including an early-round win over Dodge City’s Mavrick Ilonummi (8-1), while Jager battled through tight matches and earned key wins to stay in the upper half of the standings.
In doubles, the pairing of McCager Wright (Col) and Ames Schielke (Col) turned in one of the top performances of the day for Colby. The duo finished fourth overall with a 2-2 record, advancing deep into the championship-side bracket before falling in a competitive match. Their ability to compete with top doubles teams from larger schools helped anchor Colby’s team score.
The second Orange doubles team of Stryker Shaw (Col) and Levi Haines (Col) went 3-2 on the day, finishing 13th. Despite the placement, the pair showed resilience, picking up multiple wins in the backside of the bracket and contributing valuable team points.
On the Colby Black side, several athletes turned in strong individual performances. Harry Morris (Col) led the group in singles, finishing 3-1 overall. Morris picked up key wins throughout the day, including an 8-0 victory in later-round play, demonstrating his ability to close out matches decisively.
Jude Horinek (Col) added a 3-2 record in singles, highlighted by an opening-round win over Garden City’s Yahir Medina (8-4). Horinek battled through a tough bracket and responded well after early setbacks to finish with a winning record.
In doubles, Zac Kistler (Col) and Hendrix Mead (Col) went 2-2, competing in several tight matches, including an opening-round tiebreak loss (8-7). The duo showed competitiveness against strong opponents throughout the day.
Kayden Davis (Col) and Xander Rhymer (Col) also contributed with a 3-2 record, picking up multiple wins in bracket play and gaining valuable experience against larger-school competition.
Overall, the Garden City Invitational provided a strong measuring stick for Colby. With Colby Orange finishing third in a field dominated by bigger programs, the Eagles demonstrated both depth and competitiveness across singles and doubles play.
As the season progresses, performances like this—particularly the balanced scoring from the Orange squad and the growth shown by the Black team—signal that Colby is continuing to trend in the right direction against some of the best competition in the region.