Titles for Polson, Whitefish

Lady Pirates finish 1-2 in doubles, take first state team championship

It's called hogging the hardware.

Polson and Whitefish won the major team trophies and top individual medals Saturday on the final day of the Class A state tennis tournament in Kalispell.

Polson won its first state championship while finishing 1-2 in girls' doubles at Flathead Valley Community College and Glacier Tennis Club at The Summit. The Pirates totaled 29 points with Park second, 22. Billings Central and Havre tied for third, 19 apiece.

Whitefish swept the honors in boys' play, winning the team crown, singles title with Renzo Caimi and doubles championship with Brendan Viscomi and Matt Harris. The Bulldogs piled up 43 points with Corvallis a distant second, 23, and Havre third, 19.

"Pretty much (turned out as we had hoped)," Whitefish coach Kathy Cummings said.

"We rearranged some things a little bit, putting singles players with doubles, and it worked out well for us."

Make that very well. Whitefish's singles and doubles champs were never tested.

"They all handled it well," Cummings said.

"It's a pretty good feeling."

The Bulldogs' state title was their first since the late 1980s. They took second last year.

Havre's Katie Mariani defeated Anna Arrasmith of Livingston 6-4, 7-5 for the girls' singles title. It was a rematch of last year's final, which Arrasmith won in three sets.

Polson's Cali Hislop and Malika Erickson held off a valiant performance by teammates Mattea York and Maddie Grebetz for a 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 victory.

"We hoped it would be Polson and Polson (in the final)," Erickson said.

"It was exciting they made it to the end (York and Grebetz), but it was bittersweet," Hislop said.

"We were excited to win, but it was hard that they lost."

That title match started at FVCC, but was moved indoors during the third set because of rain. It was a fitting end to a tournament dogged by rain and moved from Polson and Ronan to Kalispell for the final two days.

Hislop and Erickson finished the season undefeated, dropping just two sets all year. Those lost sets were to York and Grebetz in divisional and state play.

York and Grebetz won the second set and were up 1-0 in the third before Hislop and Erickson took over.

"Then we started playing really well," Hislop said.

"We stayed in points longer instead of trying to do too much. We kept it in play.

"When we won that game to tie it at 1-all, that's when momentum swung back to our advantage."

Erickson said there was no added pressure in the match.

"It was fun tennis," she said.

"Cali is great to have as a partner. She's very reliable. She helps with the nerves, keeps it very positive."

Harris and Viscomi cruised by Havre's Todd Roe and Kyle Miller 6-3, 6-0 in the final.

"It was tough," Viscomi said.

"They were playing very well."

Harris and Viscomi downed Roe and Miller earlier in the season 6-4, 7-5.

"We knew what to expect," Viscomi said.

"We've been playing together longer. We're just playing better."

Viscomi said it was the perfect way to close out his prep career.

"It's cool," he said.

"I didn't think it would happen, at least at the beginning of the year. But when we started playing together, starting getting better, it seemed like it would happen."

The title was very special for Harris. A runner-up in state singles a year ago, he could finally celebrate a championship.

"Absolutely amazing," Harris said.

"Finally! First as a junior."

Harris said when Roe and Miller struggled during the early going of the second set, it was time to put them away.

"They fell apart a little bit and we jumped on top of them," he said.

"It finally all came together for us. We matured as a team. We complimented each other's game, and it all fell into place."

Caimi finished off his spectacular season in style. The undefeated exchange student from Chile rolled over Geoff Fehr of Corvallis 6-1, 6-2. Caimi won his opening and semifinal state matches 6-0, 6-0 and his quarterfinal match by injury default.

"It was exciting," Caimi said.

"(A state title) was part of my goal."

Caimi stressed that it wasn't as effortless at it looked.

"I had a couple of close matches, but I won the important points," he said.

"Sometimes that makes it seem easy."

After his victory, Caimi pulled off his Whitefish T-shirt. Underneath was a T-shirt with an image of the Chilean flag.

"I always wear it when I play," he said.

"My force, my motivation. I have good memories to bring back to Chile."

The Polson girls had the title wrapped up after Friday's play. They scored 17 of their points in the final.

"We just didn't tell the kids," Polson coach Bob Hislop said.

"To win a state tournament in any sport, a lot of things have to fall into place."

Getting a doubles championship was also a first for the veteran coach.

"I haven't had a champion in singles or doubles," he said.

"We've been really close, had kids in the semifinals a lot. It just never worked out for us."

Until Saturday. And having his daughter a part of it made it extra special.

"That added to it," he said.

"It also made it tough (having two teams in the final). As a parent, you will pull for your daughter a little bit. But at this point, the other two (York and Grebetz) are like my own children after four years."

He said the fact that it went three sets "might have made it a little tougher on Maddie and Mattea to lose."

Hislop said "it was real cool" having Whitefish and Polson win the team titles.

Whitefish's Brielle Menegazzi and Ryan Rottenbiller finished fourth in singles.

Boys

Team Totals

Whitefish 43, Corvallis 23, Havre 19, Fergus 12, Billings Central 9, Bigfork 6, Dawson County 4, Columbia Falls 4, Hamilton 2, Park 2, Ronan 2, Hardin 0

Singles

Final

Renzo Caimi, Whitefish def. Geoff Fehr, Corvallis 6-1, 6-2

Consolation

Semifinals

Justin Harford, Fergus def. Shane Kemmer, Havre 6-2, 6-4

Ryan Rottenbiller, Whitefish def. Phillip Myers, Bigfork 3-6, 6-2, 6-1

Third/Fourth

Harford, Fergus def. Rottenbiller, WF 6-1, 6-1

Doubles

Championship

Matt Harris/Brendan Viscomi, Whitefish def. Todd Roe/Kyle Miller 6-3, 6-0

Consolation

Semifinals

Levi Pauley/Jake Sangster, Corvallis def. DJ Kamp/Derek Bartel, Fergus 6-4, 7-6(8-6)

Isaac Boelman/Bryce Burke, Billings Central def. Grant Getts/Cody Maynard, Columbia Falls

Third/Fourth

Boelman/Burke, BC def. Pauley/Sangster, Cor 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(7-2)

Girls

Team Totals

Polson 29, Park 22, Billings Central 19, Havre 19, Whitefish 8, Beaverhead 7, Dawson County 4, Fergus 4, Libby 4, Corvallis 3, Custer County 3, Hamilton 2, Columbia Falls 1, Ronan 1, Bigfork 0

Singles

Final

Katie Mariani, Havre def. Annah Arrasmith, Park 6-4, 7-5

Consolation

Semifinals

Brittney Hatzell, Billings Central def. Stacia Velasco, Beaverhead County 6-2, 6-3

Brielle Menegazzi, Whitefish def. Jackie Mee, Libby 6-4, 6-2

Third/Fourth

Hatzell, BC def. Menegazzi, WF 6-3, 6-3

Doubles

Final

Cali Hislop/Malika Erickson, Polson def. Mattea York/Maddy Grebetz, Polson 6-4, 3-6, 6-2

Consolation

Semifinals

Mollie Morrow/Hanna Barney, Park def. Cathy Muskett/Katie Dahlin, Billings Central 7-6(7-2), 6-0

Jessie Robinson/Lindsay Sebastian, Billings Central def. Diamond Braine/Kylie Jimmerson, Fergus 6-3, 6-3

Third/Fourth

Morrow/Barney, Park def. Robinson/Sebastian, BC 6-0, 6-3