Western A heating up
Divisional tennis set for finals
When Whitefish's Ryan Rottenbiller raised his arms and shouted "yes" after Friday's marathon semifinal match against Bigfork's Phillip Myers, he wasn't celebrating his advancement into today's championship round or his automatic state tournament berth.
"I was happier to be done," he said. "It was just a relief to get off that court with a win.
"I was just hurting so bad - both my legs."
A No. 2 seed in the Western A divisional tennis tournament, Rottenbiller battled cramps while outlasting No. 3 Myers 6-2, 5-7, 6-3. Their final set lasted more than an hour, partly because Rottenbiller stretched his calves and gulped spoonfuls of liquid calcium magnesium citrate during breaks.
"It was a right calf, and as the third set wore on, I was putting all my weight on the left calf, so the left calf started to cramp.
"This is definitely the hottest weather we've played in. Probably just not enough fluids, combined with the heat."
The boys' singles were played at Flathead Valley Community College, along with all doubles. The girls' singles got a break from the heat, playing indoors at The Summit.
Polson's Maddie Grebetz and Mattea York enjoyed their time in the sun, slipping past Bigfork's Roxy Thurman and Quindee Averill 6-3, 6-4 for a spot in today's finals against fellow Lady Pirates Cali Hislop and Malika Erickson, who worked past Libby's Nicole Newman and Riley Dinning 6-2, 6-3 in the semifinals.
"We had to be very patient and just get the ball over once more than they did," Grebetz said.
"We definitely had to stay in the shade and keep off our feet, but it's a lot funner in hot weather. I definitely love it a lot more than windy and rainy and cold."
Polson's girls won't be the only teammates squaring off for a championship. Rottenbiller, who lost last year's singles championship to Whitefish's Matt Harris, will face Bulldog Renzo Caimi for the first time outside of practice. Caimi advanced with a 6-1, 6-0 semifinal victory against teammate Ian Hosek.
York and Grebetz have some experience against their undefeated counterparts.
"We played them in the finals at the Bitterroot Invitational, and it was actually a lot less pressure," York said.
"We could just go out there and play, and it ended up being a pretty good match, so we're looking forward to it."
Defending champion Jackie Mee of Libby will duel with Whitefish's Brielle Menegazzi for the girls' singles crown. The two have played each other six times in their careers, including last year's divisional title match.
Mee downed Whitefish's Kate Klundt in the semifinals, while Menegazzi rallied past Columbia Falls' Sarah Marcille 4-6, 6-1, 6-1.
Columbia Falls' Cody Maynard and Grant Getts edged Bigfork's Tyler Butts and Scott Taylor 6-4, 6-4, setting up a Flathead Valley championship showdown with Whitefish's Harris and Brendan Viscomi. Harris and Viscomi beat Polson's Matt Roberts and Steven Roberts in straight sets.
The defending team champions are on pace to repeat, including the Whitefish boys, who took second at state last spring. The Bulldogs unofficially have 38 points, followed by Bigfork (22), Polson (20), Columbia Falls (11) and Libby (eight).
"With Ryan winning that, I think they have it pretty much in hand," Libby coach Kyle Hannah said before the end of play Friday, "and they still have kids out here in green playing."
The Lady Pirates clipped Whitefish by a point last year. They're in front with 31 points, followed by Bigfork and Whitefish (23 apiece), Libby (19) and Columbia Falls (eight).
"Coach (Bob Hislop) drills doubles," Hannah said. "He's got a great doubles program, and it shows.
"(But) their singles really showed up. I know coach wasn't expecting as many points as they got, so congratulations to their singles players."
Today's matches are all at FVCC, beginning at 8 a.m.
All divisional champions and runners-up earn automatic berths to next week's Class A state tournament in Polson. The remaining slots will be settled via today's consolation bracket.
Rottenbiller pulled out Friday's semifinal by relying on savvy rather than power, but he knows he'll need two strong legs to hang with Caimi, who hasn't lost a set all year.
"I don't think I'm going to be moving much tonight," Rottenbiller said.
And he hopes he won't need any more hydration supplements.
"Horrible," he said. "That was gross."
Western A Divisional Tennis
Friday in Kalispell
Unofficial Team Totals
Girls
Polson 31, Bigfork/Whitefish 23, Libby 19, C. Falls 8
Boys
Whitefish 38, Bigfork 22, Polson 20, C. Falls 11, Libby 8
Girls' Singles
Championship Bracket
Quarterfinals
Mee, L, def. Reilly, P, 6-2, 6-1; Klundt, W, def. Deaton, B, 6-3, 6-1; Marcille, CF, def. Cislo, L, 6-3, 6-1; Menegazzi, W, def. Probst, P, 6-0, 6-2
Semifinals
Mee, L, def. Klundt, W, 6-0, 6-0; Menegazzi, W, def. Marcille, CF, 4-6, 6-1, 6-1
Consolation Bracket
First Round
Opel, W, bye; Poppen, L, bye; Kelsey, B, bye; Shaw, L, bye
Second Round
Opel, W, def. Freeman, CF, 6-0, 6-2; Bosic, B, bye; Rochin, P, bye; Poppen, L, def. Bartkoski, CF, 6-0, 6-0; Sekecri, W, def. Kelsey, B, 6-3, 6-2; Jones, P, bye; Shults, B, bye; Getts, CF, def. Shaw, L, 6-3, 6-2
Third Round
Bosic, B, def. Opel, W, 6-2, 6-1; Rochin, P, def. Poppen, L, 6-4, 6-4; Sekecri, W, def, Jones, P, 6-0, 6-2; Shults, B, def. Getts, CF, 6-3, 6-4
Fourth Round
Bosic, B, def. Probst, P, 6-1, 6-7 (1-7), 6-3; Rochin, P, def. Cislo, L, 6-3, 7-5; Sekecri, W, def. Deaton, B, 6-3, 6-1; Reilly, P, def. Shults, B, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 6-4
Girls' Doubles
Championship Bracket
First Round
Hislop/Erickson, P, bye; Wirth/Peterson, B, def. Rozar/Osland, W, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2; Cullen/Birgensmith, W, def. Horelick/Kehn, L, 7-5, 6-4; Newman/Dinning def. Anderson/Raymond, CF, 7-5, 6-1; York/Grebetz, P, def. Miller/Reed, W, 6-2, 6-2; Lepper/Barrett, B, def. Hobbs/Burgi, CF, 6-2, 6-4; Ward/Rochin, P, def. Zwang/Valentine, L, 6-2, 6-2; Averill/Thurman, B, def. Potter/Lueken, CF, 6-0, 6-0
Quarterfinals
Hislop/Erickson, P, def. Wirth/Peterson, B, 6-2, 6-0; Newman/Dinning, L, def. Cullen/Birgensmith, W, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1; York/Grebetz, P, def. Lepper/Barrett, B, 6-1, 6-1; Averill/Thurman, B, def. Ward/Rochin, P, 6-2, 6-4
Semifinals
Hislop/Erickson, P, def. Newman/Dinning, 6-2, 6-3; York/Grebetz, P, def. Averill/Thurman, B, 6-3, 6-4
Consolation Bracket
First Round
Rozar/Osland, W, bye; Anderson/Raymond, CF, def. Horelick/Kehn, L, 1-6, 7-5, 7-5; Miller/Reed, W, def. Hobbs/Burgi, CF, 6-7 (3-7), 6-1, 6-2; Zwang/Valentine, L, def. Potter/Lueken, CF, 7-5, 6-4
Second Round
Ward/Rochin, P, def. Rozar/Osland, W, 6-4, 6-2; Lepper/Barrett, B, def. Anderson/Raymond, CF, 7-5, 6-2; Cullen/Birgensmith, W, def. Miller/Reed, W, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2; Wirth/Peterson, B, def. Zwang/Valentine, L, 6-7 (3-7), 6-0, 6-3
Boys' Singles
Championship Bracket
Quarterfinals
Caimi, W, def. Mahlum, B, 6-0, 6-0; I. Hosek, W, def. Erickson, P, 7-6 (7-4), 5-7, 7-6 (7-5); Myers, B, def. Hauck, L, 6-1, 6-1; Rottenbiller, W, def. Engebretson, P, 6-1, 6-1
Semifinals
Caimi, W, def. I. Hosek, W, 6-1, 6-0; Rottenbiller, W, def. Myers, B, 6-2, 5-7, 6-3
Consolation Bracket
First Round
May, L, bye; Bartkoski, CF, bye; Giles, P, bye; Schneckenberg, L, bye
Second Round
Ronish, CF, def. May, L, 6-1, 6-3; Medland, P, bye; Barrett, B, bye; Sheffield, L, def. Bartkoski, CF, 6-1, 6-0; Giles, P, def. Gao, CF, 6-0, 6-2; T. Hosek, bye; Sabo, B, bye; Ballard, CF, def. Schnackenberg, L, 6-1, 6-3
Third Round
Ronish, CF, def. Medland, P, 6-2, 6-4; Sheffield, L, def. Barrett, B, 6-4, 7-5; T. Hosek, W, def. Giles, P, 6-4, 6-2; Sabo, B, def. Ballard, CF, 6-3, 6-1
Fourth Round
Engebretson, P, def. Ronish, CF, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3; Hauck, L, def. Sheffield, L, 6-0, 6-3; T. Hosek, W, def. Erickson, P, 6-4, 6-4; Mahlum, B, def. Sabo, B, 6-3, 6-1
Boys' Doubles
Championship Bracket
First Round
Harris/Viscomi, W, bye; Gordon/Francisco, B, def. Spencer/Zvyagelskliy, CF, 7-5, 6-7 (4-7), 6-4; Garcia/Hopkins, CF, def. Maloney/Maloney, L, 6-3, 6-4; Roberts/Roberts, P, def. Gembala/Jordt, B, 6-2, 6-0; Butts/Taylor, B, def. Cooper/Lipko, P, 6-2, 6-4; Jacobson/Lagrandeur, W, def. Edwards-Myslicki/Frament, L, 6-0, 6-0; Whitehead/Deister, W, def. McCrumb/Hovenkotter, P, 6-2, 7-6 (7-4); Getts/Maynard, CF, def. Broden/Ercanbrack, L, 6-0, 6-1
Quarterfinals
Harris/Viscomi, W, def. Gordon/Francisco, B, 6-0, 6-0; Roberts/Roberts, P, def. Garcia/Hopkins, CF, 6-4, 6-3; Butts/Taylor, B, def. Jacobson/Lagrandeur, W, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5; Getts/Maynard, CF, def. Whitehead/Deister, W, 6-4, 6-0
Semifinals
Harris/Viscomi, W, def. Roberts/Roberts, P, 6-0, 6-1; Getts/Maynard, CF, def. Butts/Taylor, B, 6-4, 6-4
Consolation Bracket
First Round
Spencer/Zvyagelskiy, CF, bye; Maloney/Maloney, L, def. Gembala/Jordt, B, 6-3, 6-2; Cooper/Lipko, P, def. Edwards-Myslicki/Frament, L, 6-1, 4-6, 6-2; McCrumb/Hovenkotter, P, def. Broden/Ercanbrack, L, 6-3, 6-4
Second Round
Whitehead/Deister, W, def. Spencer/Zvyagelskiy, CF, 6-4, 6-0; Jacobson/Lagrandeur, W, def. Maloney/Maloney, L, 6-0, 6-0; Cooper/Lipko, P, def. Garcia/Hopkins, CF, 6-4, 2-6, 6-1; McCrumb/Hovenkotter, P, def. Gordon/Francisco, B, 6-0, 6-0