Lyle Stickney, Barton Tennis Head Coach

Bio

Former Cougar tennis player Lyle Stickney is in his 14th season leading the Barton tennis program.

While at Barton, Stickney’s women’s teams have qualified for the NJCAA tournament nine times (2012, ‘14, ‘15, ‘16, ‘17, ‘18, ’19, ’21, and ’22 with a best placing of 7th in the 2020-21 season. On the men’s side, the Cougars qualified in ’14, ’17, ’18, ’19, ’21, and most recently a best 4th placing in the 2022 season. *2020 was the Covid shortened season leaving the women ranked 10th and the men 8th.

The 2022 season was a special year for Stickney and the Cougars securing their best national result in recent memory with the 4th place finish. Barton concluded the NJCAA Championships compiling an 8-6 singles record with four of the players earning first round byes, while boasting a 4-3 mark in doubles led by national semifinalist James Kaoma and Barnabas Kalaba.

Stickney’s squad also got it done in the classroom achieving a 3.53 GPA for 8th best in the nation in joining the women’s national leading 3.79 academic performance for Team of the Year accolades.

Previously in 2021, the Cougars had secured their previous best national result in recent memory with an 8th place finish. Barton concluded the 2021 NJCAA Championships compiling a 14-9 singles record while boasting a 7-3 mark in doubles led by Samrakshyak Bajracharya and Eduardo Morais fifth place ranking.

In addition to the program’s accolades, Stickney also received national recognition receiving the Herschel Stephens Coaching Award for outstanding service and dedication to the NJCAA Tennis Coaches’ Association.

Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic shortening the 2020 season, Stickney’s Cougars showed tremendous potential just six matches into the schedule boasting a 5-1 dual mark and No. 8 national ranking as its lone defeat came at the hands of top ranked Tyler Junior College.

Sophomore duo Oswaldo Cano and Sebastian Pino wrapped their Cougar careers ranked 18th nationally in the ITA doubles rankings. The pair also concluded the season ranked individually in the ITA national polls 15th and 40th respectively.

Off the court the Cougars were also solid in the classroom amassing a 3.4 GPA to rank 12^th in the nation with four members earning NJCAA academic distinction including two attaining a perfect 4.0 GPA.

Ranked 9th heading into the 2019 NJCAA National Championships, the Cougars went 5-1 on the opening day of their third straight national tournament appearance, powering through a tough draw to end the tournament 12-11 in matches played compiling 17.5 points to finish just .5 points out of a top ten standing.  Barton's good start to the championships hit a wall on day two as unfavorable pre-tournament seeding put all six singles players against seeded opponents resulting in knock-out match losses for four of the six.

Barton had two entries surviving the back draw to reach the consolation championship, with No. 6 singles player Tom Letecheur winning the championship while the No. 1 doubles tandem of Guido Luna and Sebastian Pino came up short for the consolation title.

Making their second straight trip to the national tournament in 2018, the 20^th ranked Cougars exceeded their ranking to conclude the season 15^th at the Championships for its highest finish since the 2014 squad’s 12^th placing in 2014.  Off the hard court the Cougars also had a strong season in the classroom, placing 10^th nationally with a cumulative 3.27 GPA.

Returning to the national tournament after a year removed, the 2016-17 Cougars placed 21^st at the national tournament.  Barton reached the back draw championship in the No. 3 singles while coming up a match short of the consolation championship in the No. 4 and No. 5 singles’ draws, as well as, in the No. 2 doubles.

Stickney entered the coaching ranks at Ellinwood High School, leading the girls program since 1989 and formerly headed the boys program from 1995-2009.  During this run Stickney had 57 boys and 84 girls qualify for the state tournaments, with four regional titles and six top-5 state finishes on the boys side (three team runners-up) and six regional titles and seven top-5 placings for the girls.  In 2011 his Lady Eagles captured the Class 3-2-1A Team Championship. Additionally, Stickney was twice named 3A Coach of the Year.

An Ellinwood, Kansas, native, Stickney continued his playing career at Fort Hays State University, graduating with a Business Administration bachelor’s degree in 1984.