Flathead's Mathison advances

Northern AA's top seed moves on to semifinals

So far, so good for Flathead's Wes Mathison.

The top seed in the Northern AA tennis divisional advanced to the semifinal round with two victories during Thursday's action at the FVCC courts.

Mathison stopped Tyler Russell of Glacier 6-0, 6-0 and then downed Jon Hammett of Glacier 6-4, 6-2.

"It feels good to get to the semis," Mathison said.

"Just win one of my next two matches and I go to state."

Mathison competed at state last year, posting a 1-2 record.

"It wasn't too bad," Mathison said of his opening day performance.

"I feel OK."

Mathison chatted with Hammett after the match for a couple minutes before heading off the court.

"I told him he played really well," Mathison said.

"He was returning my serves; pretty consistent play."

Hammett battled back to trail in the first set 5-4.

In the second set, Hammett trailed 3-2 when Mathison closed things out by refocusing on the task at hand.

"I was very happy with my serves, my first serve especially," Mathison said.

"It was getting in a lot. I liked that."

Mathison said he moved the ball around and kept it low to keep Hammett off balance.

He even managed to slip in a tweener twice, scoring with it once. A tweener is a shot returned between the legs.

"I usually use it once a match," he said.

"Dan Lard taught me that. He played for Flathead a couple of years ago. When I don't have time to run around a lob, I'll use a tweener."

Mathison will face Joe Marra of Great Falls today in the semifinals. Marra is the tournament's No. 4 seed.

"I played him in a USTA tournament in Great Falls (last summer)," Mathison said of Marra.

"I beat him in the finals, so we'll see (what happens today). It looks like he's playing a whole lot better. It should be a great match."

In the other singles semifinal it will be Kyle Rohrer of Great Falls playing Zach Alfred of Great Falls. Alfred is seeded second and Rohrer third.

Flathead advanced two boys' doubles teams to the semifinal round - Erik Skybak/Brett Harrison and Josh Brann/Cody Harrison. The bad news is they will play each other.

In the other boys' semifinal, it's Alex Martinez/Britt Kessner of CMR facing Karch Lockerby/Paul Gorsuch of Great Falls.

Martinez/Kessner are seeded No. 1 with Brann/Harrison No. 2.

Glacier's girls advanced two to the singles semifinals - Liana Bates and Cami Mathison.

Bates will face Ellie Crum of Great Falls, who finished third at state last year. Mathison tangles with Sam Selstad, a senior from Great Falls. Selstad tied for fifth at state.

"There will be some great matches in the girls' (singles)," Glacier coach Josh Munro said.

"The semifinals will be great."

Crum, a sophomore, came into the tournament seeded No. 1, followed by Selstad, Bates and Mathison. Bates and Mathison are freshmen.

In girls' doubles, Glacier's Rachel Sherrill/Genna Boyer were upset in the second round. Sherrill/Boyer were seeded No. 2.

"Some tough draws all the way around," Munro said for his boys and girls.

"It's kind of interesting the way that it came out."

Flathead has one girls' doubles team in the semifinals - Jordan Gentry/Shannon Ballard. They will face top-seeded Sophie Lockerby/Kelly Herremans of Great Falls. In the other semifinal, it will be Mary Anderson/Lindsay Hayes of CMR versus Jamiee Tierney/Shelby Robinson of Great Falls.

No team totals were kept on opening day.

The top four placers in singles and double advance to the state tournament May 16-17 in Bozeman.

Northern AA Divisional

Thursday at FVCC

Boys

Singles

Round 1 - Wes Mathison, F, def. Tyler Russell, G, 6-0, 6-0; Jon Hammett, G, def. Tyler Mortenson, CMR, 6-3, 6-2; Joe Marra, GF, def. Wiley Agamenoni, CMR, 6-2, 6-2; Thomas Santin, GF, def. Taylor Stedman, CMR, 6-0, 6-2; Ben Stone, F, def. John Patrick, G, 6-4, 6-2; Kyle Rohrer, GF, def. Chresten Knaff, F, 6-1, 6-3; Patrick Phattharaampornchai, G, def. John Cattron, F, 6-3, 6-3; Zach Alfred, GF, def. Jack Martinez, CMR, 6-3, 6-2.

Round 2 - Mathison def. Hammett, 6-4, 6-2; Marra def. Santin, 6-4, 6-2; Rohrer def. Stone, 6-1, 6-2; Alfred def. Phattharaampornchai, 6-0, 6-4.

Today's Semifinals - Mathison vs. Marra; Rohrer vs. Alfred

Consolation

Round 1 - Mortenson def. Russell, 6-4, 6-2; Agamenoni def. Stedman, 6-3, 6-0; Knaff def. Patrick, 6-0, 6-0; Martinez def. Cattron 7-6, 6-2.

Round 2 - Santin def. Mortenson, 7-6, 6-3; Hammett def. Agamenoni, 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-2; Knaff def. Phattharaampornchai, 6-1, 6-2; Martinez vs. Stone (no results available)

Doubles

Round 1 - Alex Martinez/Britt Kessner, CMR, bye; Kale Huseby/Eamon Ormseth, CMR, def. Sean Doran/(No first name listed) Haflinger, GF, 6-4, 6-2; Karch Lockerby/Paul Gorsuch, GF, bye; Brandon Simpson/Kyle Schmauch, G, def. Oliver Jones/Bryan Graupmann, CMR, 7-5, 6-4; Eli Meyer/Shawn Polk, GF, def. Scott Marvin/Dan Howell, G, 6-0, 7-5; Erik Skybak/Brett Harrison, F, bye; Justin Mailman/Tim Praetzel, F, def. Michael Boettcher/Kyle Leduc, G, 6-4, 6-4; Josh Brann/Cody Harrison, F, bye.

Round 2 - Martinez/Kessner def. Huseby/Ormseth, 6-3, 6-2; Lockerby/Gorsuch def. Simpson/Schmauch, 6-4, 2-6, 6-1; Skybak/Harrison def. Meyer/Polk, 7-5, 6-0; Brann/Harrison def. Mailman/Praetzel, 6-0, 6-2.

Today's Semifinals - Martinez/Kessner vs. Lockerby/Gorsuch; Skybak/Harrison vs. Brann/Harrison

Consolation

Round 1 - Doran/Haflinger bye; Jones/Graupmann bye; Marvin/Howell bye; Boettcher/Leduc bye

Round 2 - Doran/Haflinger def. Simpson/Schmauch 6-4, 5-7, 6-1; Huseby/Ormseth def. Jones/Graupmann, 7-5, 6-0; Mailman/Praetzel def. Marvin/Howell, 6-1, 6-2; Meyer/Polk def. Boetcher/Leduc, 6-2, 6-2.

Girls

Singles

Round 1 - Ellie Crum, GF, def. Addison Murphy, CMR, 6-0, 6-0; Izzy Makman, F, def. April Cahill, GF, 6-0, 6-0; Liana Bates, G, def. Sarsten Noice, F, 6-0, 6-0; Kayla Nelson, G, def. Rachel Leathe, GF, 6-1, 7-6 (2); Stephanie Ovrom, CMR, def. Kelsey Tannehill, F, 6-0, 6-2; Cami Mathison, G, def. Aimee Palagi, CMR, 6-0, 6-0; Mary Snipstead, G, def. Shelby Frieling, CMR, 6-2, 7-6 (2); Sam Selstad, GF, def. Andrea Bottello, F, 6-0, 6-0.

Round 2 - Crum def. Makman, 6-0, 6-1; Bates def. Nelson, 6-0, 6-0; Mathison def. Ovrom, 6-0, 6-0; Selstad def. Snipstead, 6-0, 6-1.

Today's semifinals - Crum vs. Bates; Mathison vs. Selstad

Consolation

Round 1 - Murphy def. Cahill, 6-2, 6-0; Noice def. Leathe, 6-4, 6-2; Tannehill def. Palagi, 6-4, 7-5; Frieling def. Bottello, 6-1, 6-1.

Round 2 - Murphy def.Nelson, 6-2, 6-2; Makman def. Noice, 6-1, 6-1; Snipstead def. Tannehill, 6-1, 6-1; Frieling def. Ovrom, 7-5, 7-5.

Doubles

Round 1 - Sophie Lockerby/Kelly Herremans, GF, bye; Brooke Perry/Rachel Gorsuch, Gf, def. Melanie Nelson/Maggie Sherrill, F, 6-1, 6-2; Olivia Heinle/Maxine Sugarman, F, bye; Jordan Gentry/Shannon Ballard, F, def. Hillary Secrist/Ann Koenig, G, 6-3, 6-0; Healy Lyons/Karly Huseby, CMR, def. Arica Avila/Katlyn Hacke, G, 6-0, 6-2; Mary Anderson/Lindsay Hayes, CMR, bye; Jamiee Tierney/Shelby Robinson, GF, def. Megan Ormseth/Haley Mortenson, CMR, 6-0, 7-6 (3); Rachel Sherrill/Genna Boyer, G, bye.

Round 2 - Lockerby/Herremans def. Perry/Gorsuch, 6-0, 6-1; Gentry/Ballard def. Heinle/Sugarman, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5; Anderson/Hayes def. Lyons/Huseby, 6-0, 6-1; Tierney/Robinson def. Sherrill/Boyer, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5.

Today's semifinals - Lockerby/Herremans vs. Gentry/Ballard; Anderson/Hayes vs. Tierney/Robinson.

Consolation

Round 1 - Nelson/Sherrill bye; Secrist/Koenig bye; Avila/Hacke bye; Ormseth/Mortenson bye.

Round 2 - Nelson/Sherrill def. Heinle/Sugarman, 6-1, 6-2; Perry/Gorsuch def. Secrist/Koenig, 6-1, 6-4; Sherrill/Boyer def. Avila/Hacke, 7-5, 6-0; Ormseth/Mortenson def. Lyons/Huseby, 6-1, 1-6, 6-4