Surprises few at Western A tennis

By GREG SCHINDLER

The Daily Inter Lake

Whitefish's Brielle Menegazzi made quick work of her opponent Friday. Then she watched … and waited … again.

Top seeds rolled Friday at the Western A divisional tennis tournament in Kalispell, just as they had the day before. There were sporadic surprises, but no Nos. 1-2 seeds fell, and the favored boys' and girls' teams remained in control.

"There's been mild upsets, but not major ones," Polson coach Bob Hislop said. "I think in both boys' and girls' singles and doubles, I think all the top seeds are still in winners' brackets."

Friday's biggest upset involved Hislop's top singles player as Whitefish's Mariah Driscoll beat Polson's Emily Pyles - a No. 2 seed - 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 in quarterfinal action.

Polson's girls remain in the team title hunt, though, thanks largely to their strong doubles play. No. 1 seed Cali Hislop and Malika Erickson advanced to today's semifinals while two other Polson teams picked up consolation victories.

"I'd say we're probably about where we thought we'd be and Whitefish is probably a little ahead of where they thought they'd be," Hislop said.

Whitefish looks for its fourth straight divisional championship behind No. 1 seed Menegazzi, Driscoll, and No. 3 seed duo Kate Whitaker and Kimberly McIntyre, all of whom remain in championship contention after winning quarterfinal matches.

Whitefish's success isn't shocking given its pedigree, but girls' coach Patrick Dryden expected a potential rebuilding year.

"I've been surprised," Dryden said. "We lost eight seniors off last year's team, and we've had quite a few surprises. We had some seniors that came out of nowhere, that hadn't played tennis before, that made for some competitive practice matches, and that just makes you better as the season progresses."

Menegazzi earned a first-round bye as a seeded player. She has played just four sets over two matches, the closest of which was 6-2.

But Menegazzi, a junior with two years of state tournament experience, has found a way to beat boredom while seemingly cruising to victory.

"I think every match is difficult if you make it difficult, and you have to take it one point at a time," she said. "If you make it a challenge for yourself, any point can be a challenge. I would like to play a couple more matches a day, but it's not bad."

No. 2 girls' seed Jackie Mee of Libby made a similarly painless semifinal run. Mee handed Menegazzi her only loss last week at Whitefish, but neither player is a lock for the championship match. Mee must deal with Driscoll in today's semifinals while Menegazzi faces Bigfork's Breanna Hughes - a No. 4 seed.

"I would like to play Jackie - part of me would," Menegazzi said. "But the other part of me says that she has to play her best to get there, too. The second time we played, I don't think either of us played our best. It just so happened that she won the bigger points when it mattered and it sometimes just works out like that."

Eureka's Martina Quade and Heather Landi pulled off the biggest eye-opener in doubles play, beating No. 4 seed Chelsey Wilson and Jessica Ferretti of Columbia Falls in straight sets. Whitefish's Kate Whitaker and Kimberly McIntyre and Bigfork's Quindee Averill and Roxy Thurman round out the girls' doubles semifinal field.

There were no shockers in boys' play as Whitefish continues its championship march. Bulldogs Matt Harris, Ryan Rottenbiller and Ian Hosek - all undefeated in conference play - won quarterfinal matches in straight sets, as did Libby's Steven Hauck.

The four seeded boys' doubles teams all earned semifinal berths as well. Polson's Jake Grebetz and Karston Erickson, Bigfork's Owen Roberts and Kainoa Lake, Whitefish's Kyle Jacobson and Brendan Viscomi, and Columbia Falls' Cody Maynard and Grant Getts all did so with straight-set quarterfinal victories.

Semifinal play begins at 8:15 this morning at Flathead Valley Community College.

The top four boys' and girls' singles players and doubles teams advance to next week's Class A state tournament in Miles City.

Western A

Divisional Tournament

Friday

Boys

Singles

Quarterfinals

Matt Harris, Whitefish, def. Hunter Sheffield, Libby, 6-0, 6-0; Ian Hosek, Whitefish, def. Tyler Butts, Bigfork, 6-0, 6-1; Steven Hauck, Libby, def. David Myers, Bigfork, 6-2, 6-1; Ryan Rottenbiller, Whitefish, def. Sean Barrett, Bigfork, 6-0, 6-0.

Consolation

Matt Roberts, Polson, def. Devon Iverson, Columbia Falls, 6-1, 6-1; Scott Hopkins, Columbia Falls, def. Nate Broden, Libby, 6-1, 6-4; Billy Garcia, Columbia Falls, def. Seth Hovenkotter, Polson, 6-4, 6-1; Tyler Engebretson, Polson, def. Cody Ercanbrack, Libby, 6-2, 6-1; Bridger Mahlum, Bigfork, def. Matt Roberts, Polson, 6-1, 6-1; Scott Hopkins, Columbia Falls, def. Ky Simshaw, Polson, 6-4, 6-0; Chase Pierce, Whitefish, def. Billy Garcia, Columbia Falls, 6-3, 7-6 (7-2); Tyler Engebretson, Polson, def. Weston Bartkowski, Columbia Falls, 6-2, 6-2; Tyler Butts, Bigfork, def. Bridger Mahlum, Bigfork, 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (7-4); Hunter Sheffield, Libby, def. Scott Hopkins, Columbia Falls, 6-4, 6-0; Chase Pierce, Whitefish, def. Sean Barrett, Bigfork, 6-2, 7-6 (7-5); David Myers, Bigfork, def. Tyler Engebretson, Polson, 7-5, 6-1.

Doubles

Quarterfinals

Jake Grebetz/Karston Erickson, Poson, def. Scott Johnson/Lucas Peace, Whitefish, 6-4, 6-4; Cody Maynard/Grant Getts, Columbia Falls, def. Travis Boughton/Scott Taylor, Bigfork, 6-4, 7-5; Kyle Jacobson/Brendan Viscomi, Whitefish, def. Nick Broden/Neil Young, Libby, 6-0, 6-2; Owen Roberts/Kainoa Lake, Bigfork, def. Stefan McCrumb/Steven Roberts, Polson, 6-1, 6-1.

Consolation

Matt Whitehead/Zachariah Diester, Whitefish, def. Cyrus Maloney/Chris Schnackenberg, Libby, 6-3, 1-6, 6-2; Kyle Cooper/Joe Allik, Polson, def. Ian Gordon/Eric Schaeffer, Columbia Falls, 6-4, 6-2; Jake Ronish/Wesley Jackson, Columbia Falls, def. Derek McKinzey/Jesse Ramos, Libby, 6-0, 6-3; Travis Boughton/Scott Taylor, Bigfork, def. Jordan Sabo/Dylan Richmond, Bigfork, 6-1, 6-2; Scott Johnson/Lucas Peace, Whitefish, def. Matt Whitehead/Zachariah Diester, Whitefish, 6-4, 6-7 (2-7), 6-4; Stefan McCrumb/Steven Roberts, Polson, def. Kyle Cooper/Joe Allik, Polson, 6-4, 6-2; Jake Ronish/Wesley Jackson, Columbia Falls, def. Nick Broden/Neil Young, Libby, 7-5, 6-3.

Girls

Singles

Quarterfinals

Brielle Menegazzi, Whitefish, def. Varonica Cislo, Libby, 6-2, 6-1; Breanna Hughes, Bigfork, def. Sarah Marcille, Columbia Falls, 4-6, 6-4, 7-5; Mariah Driscoll, Whitefish, def. Emily Pyles, Polson, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2; Jackie Mee, Libby, def. Linda Xiu, Bigfork, 6-3, 6-0.

Consolation

Erika Mole, Polson, def. Ariana Shults, Bigfork, 6-2, 6-0; Sasha Trudeau, Eureka, def. Stephanie Raymond, Columbia Falls, 6-0, 6-4; Casey Armstrong, Eureka, def. Stephanie Bertsch, Polson, 6-1, 6-4; Sierra McCartney, Whitefish, def. Audra Poppen, Libby, 6-1, 6-0; Briann Linnell, Eureka, def. Lisa Kelsey, Bigfork, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3; Julia Michalczak, Libby, def. Shelby Hobbs, Columbia Falls, 4-6, 6-0, 6-3; Lexi Cline, Polson, def. Laura Burgi, Columbia Falls, 6-0, 6-0; Ellie Opel, Whitefish, def. Ashley Gullo, Eureka, 6-3, 6-2; Erika Mole, Polson, def. Sasha Trudeau, Eureka, 6-4, 6-2; Casey Armstrong, Eureka, def. Sierra McCartney, Whitefish, 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-5); Julia Michalczak, Libby, def. Briann Linnell, Eureka, 6-4, 7-5; Ellie Opel, Whitefish, def. Lexi Cline, Polson, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4; Sarah Marcille, Columbia Falls, def. Erika Mole, Polson, 6-2, 6-3; Varonica Cislo, Libby, def. Casey Armstrong, Eureka, 6-1, 6-1; Linda Xiu, Bigfork, def. Julia Michalczak, Libby, 6-2, 6-2; Emily Pyles, Polson, def. Ellie Opel, Whitefish, 6-1, 6-0.

Doubles

Second Round

Cali Hislop/Malika Erickson, Polson, def. Marni Zauner/Tayler Holder, Eureka, 6-0, 6-0; Michelle Maddock/McCara Cullen, Whitefish, def. Jade Bosic/Kelly Deaton, Bigfork, 6-4, 6-2; Martina Quade/Heather Landi, Eureka, def. Margeaux Zwang/Anna Valentine, Libby, 6-2, 6-2; Chelsey Wilson/Jessica Ferretti, Columbia Falls, def. Kate Klundt/Kelsey McCluskey, Whitefish, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2; Kate Whitaker/Kimberly McIntyre, Whitefish, def. Cassie Keller/Nicolette Petterson, Bigfork, 6-0, 6-2; Nichole Newman/Riley Dining, Libby, def. KaeDee Shay/Brianna Lundberg, Eureka, 6-0, 2-6, 6-4; Mattea York/Kelsie Delaney, Polson, def. Michelle Cronquist/Carrie Hopkins, Columbia Falls, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4; Quindee Averill/Roxy Thurman, Bigfork, def. Cassie Ward/AnJuli Campbell, Polson, 6-4, 6-3.

Quarterfinals

Cali Hislop/Malika Erickson, Polson, def. Michelle Maddock/McCara Cullen, Whitefish, 6-1, 6-0; Martina Quade/Heather Landi, Eureka, def. Chelsey Wilson/Jessica Ferretti, Columbia Falls, 6-2, 6-0; Kate Whitaker/Kimberly McIntyre, Whitefish, def. Nichole Newman/Riley Dining, Libby, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1; Quindee Averill/Roxy Thurman, Bigfork, def. Mattea York/Kelsie Delaney, Polson, 6-1, 2-6, 6-4.

Consolation

Jade Bosic/Kelly Deaton, Bigfork, def. Lydia Freeman/Charli Dobson, Columbia Falls, 6-0, 6-2; Michelle Cronquist/Carrie Hopkins, Columbia Falls, def. Jourdan Wood/Katie Horelick, Libby, 6-1, 6-2; Marni Zauner/Tayler Holder, Eureka, def. Jade Bosic/Kelly Deaton, Bigfork, 6-3, 6-3; Kate Klundt/Kelsey McCluskey, Whitefish, def. Margeaux Zwang/Anna Valentine, Libby, 6-4, 6-3; KaeDee Shay/Brianna Lundberg, Eureka, def. Cassie Keller/Nicolette Petterson, Bigfork, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3; Cassie Ward/AnJuli Campbell, Polson, def. Michelle Cronquist/Carrie Hopkins, Columbia Falls, 6-0, 3-6, 6-4; Marni Zauner/Tayler Holder, Eureka, def. Chelsey Wilson/Jessica Ferretti, Columbia Falls, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2; Michelle Maddock/McCara Cullen, Whitefish, def. Kate Klundt/Kelsey McCluskey, Whitefish, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1; Mattea York/Kelsie Delaney, Polson, def. KaeDee Shay/Brianna Lundberg, Eureka, 6-0, 6-3; Cassie Ward/AnJuli Campbell, Polson, def. Nichole Newman/Riley Dining, Libby, 6-4, 6-2.