Bio

A former Cougar tennis player himself, Lyle Stickney begins his ninth season leading the Barton tennis program.

Stickney’s women’s teams have qualified for the NJCAA tournament five times (2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017) with a best placing of 9th this past season.  On the men’s side, the Cougars finished 12th in 2014 with a 21st place finish most recently to conclude the 2017 season.

Leading the Top-10 finish this past season, the Region VI Champion No. 1 women's tennis doubles team of Neus Torregrosa and Idah Longwe reached the final four of the national tournament earning a spot on the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) JUCO All-America Team.

The duo's run through the tournament along with Longwe reaching the quarterfinal round in her No. 4 singles match and nine opening day victories by the Lady Cougars powered Barton to the 9th place finish at the Championships.  The accomplishment was the highest for Coach Stickney and the Barton women's squad since matching the feat of the 2008 team led by Barton Hall of Fame inductee Sydney Bwalya.

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 has 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.