Good day for Western A in state tennis

Two down, two to go.

Whitefish's Matt Harris and Bigfork's Scott Taylor were first round and quarterfinal winners Thursday in boys singles play at the Class A state tennis tournament on the courts at Flathead Valley Community College.

Harris, a two-time state singles champ and last year's state doubles winner, advanced with ease. He dispensed with Hamilton's Ethan Selig 6-0, 6-1 in an 8 a.m. match, then topped Gabe Geering of Park (Livingston), 6-2, 6-1, in a 3:45 p.m. outing.

Taylor was just as impressive in topping Isaac Smith of Corvallis, 6-0, 6-1, but then he was pushed a little in stopping Shane Kemmer of Havre, 6-1, 7-6 (4).

Harris and Taylor are back on the courts today at 8 a.m. for semifinal play.

"It started out as a pretty easy day," Harris said.

"But give that kid (Selig) credit. He's only been playing tennis for one year and he made it to state, which is amazing."

Harris said he was pressed a little more in the quarterfinals.

"He was willing to attack," he said of Geering.

"That threw me off edge a little bit."

Harris said he was more than satisfied with the way his first day went.

"It's nice to have two very relaxing matches, not full of stress," he said.

"Tomorrow is when the intense competition starts. It's time to buckle down."

Harris will face Shane Parker, a senior, from Fergus (Lewistown) in the semifinals.

"Pretty good," Parker said of first two matches in his first trip to state.

"I didn't play as well as I would have liked. I was able to pull them out, so it wasn't so bad."

Parker came into the season with a 32-16 mark. He's lost four times this spring, while Harris is undefeated in Class A play.

"Play well, not make mistakes," Parker said of what he must do today to advance.

"Play smart.

"I had a bad case of the nerves (in my first match). The second match, I was a little more calmer."

Whitefish, the defending boys state champs, lost a doubles team on Thursday, but still has Tanner Hosek in action today in the consolation quarterfinals.

"It was a successful day," Whitefish coach Kathy Cummings said.

"We would have liked to have hung on to the doubles team. But it was a great day, the kids played well."

Western A players had a good showing overall. The doubles team of Grant Getts and Jake Ronish of Columbia Falls are in today's semifinals. On the girls side, Jackie Mee of Libby is a semifinalist.

The Polson girls are defending state champs.

No team totals were available.

Boys

Singles

First Round

Ben Nearpass, Billings Central, def. Ethan Bent, Fergus, 6-0, 6-0; Tanner Hosek, Whitefish, def. Spencer Fehr, Corvallis, 6-4, 6-7, 6-3; Scott Taylor, Bigfork, def. Isaac Smith, Corvallis, 6-0, 6-1; Shane Kemmer, Havre, def. Tyler Nelson, Billings Central, 6-0, 6-0; Bob Huppert, Hamilton, def. Alex Cislo, Libby, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4; Shane Parker, Fergus, def. Josh Hill, Dawson County, 6-4, 7-5; Gabe Geering, Park. def. Tommy O'Leary, Billings Central, 6-4, 6-2; Matt Harris, Whitefish, def. Ethan Selig, Hamilton, 6-0, 6-1

Second Round

Nearpass def. Hosek, 6-4, 0-6, 6-3; Taylor def. Kemmer, 6-1, 7-6 (7-4); Parker def. Huppert, 7-5, 6-3; Harris def. Geering, 6-2, 6-1

Consolation

Fehr def. Bent, 6-2, 6-2; Nelson def. Smith, 7-5, 6-0; Hill def. Cislo , 6-0, 6-1; Selig def. O'Leary, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-5; Fehr def. Geering, 6-4, 6-3; Nelson def. Huppert, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (2); Kemmer def. Hill, 7-5, 6-3; Hosek def. Selig, 6-2, 6-0

Doubles

First Round

Steven Sheehy/Jesse Robins, Billings Central, def. Cyrus Maloney/Nate Broden, Libby 6-2, 6-1; DJ Kamp/Derek Bartel, Fergus, def. Sam Lubers/Josh Meier, Stevensville, 6-7, 6-2, 6-1; Josh Chavez/John Sweeney, Park, def. Dillon Murray/Mitchell Decker, Corvallis, 6-2, 2-6, 6-2; Grant Getts/Jake Ronish, Columbia Falls, def. Kyle Massick/Ryan Burke, Billings Central, 6-0, 6-3; Kyle Miller/Mason Sheppard, Havre, def. Luke Allsop/Tyler Roberts, Corvallis, 6-0, 6-0; Matt Whitehead/Zachariah Deister, Whitefish, def. Deric Holden/Scott Athas, Dawson County, 6-0,6-4; Ryan Hodges/Ryan Toner, Billings Central, def. Kyle Cooper/Shad Giles, Polson, 7-6 (7-0), 5-7, 6-2; Jake Sangster/Levi Pauley, Corvallis, def. Morgan Redfield/Kyle Lewis, Fergus, 6-1, 6-2

Second Round

Kamp/Vartel def. Sheehy/Robins, 6-4, 6-2; Getts/Ronish def. Chavez/ Sweeny, 6-2, 6-4; Miller/Sheppard def. Whitehead/Deister, 6-4, 6-2; Sangster/Pauley def. Hodges/Toner, 6-1, 6-1

Consolation

Lubbers/Myer def. Mahloney/Broden, 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (5); Massick/Burke def. Murray/Decker, 6-2, 6-4; Athas/Holden def. Allsop/Roberts, 6-no score listed, 5-7, 6-1; Redfield/Lewis def. Cooper/Giles, 6-4, 6-1; Hodges/Toner def. Lubbers/Myer 6-1, 6-0; Massick/Burke def. Whitehead/Deister 2-6, 6-4, 6-4; Athas/Holden def. Chavez/Sweeney, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4; Sheehy/Robbins def. Redfield/Lewis, 6-3, 6-4

Girls

Singles

Brittney Hatzell, Billings Central, def. Kelsey Jura, Hamilton, by forfeit; Jane Probst, Polson, def. Alex Ricketts, Park, 6-3, 6-3; Kate Klundt, Whitefish, def. Abby Knab, Fergus, 6-3, 6-4; Mary Conwell, Hamilton, def. Katie Turner, Dawson County, 6-3, 6-3; Jackie Mee, Libby, def. Emily Morani, Anaconda, 6-0, 6-0; Shelby Toennis, Custer County, def. Emily Paffhausen, Dillon, 6-2, 7-6 (10-8); Megin Madruga, Corvallis, def. Taylor Steubs, Billings Central, 6-2, 6-2; Mollie Morrow, Park, def. Jade Bosic, Bigfork, 6-1, 6-4

Second Round

Hatzell def. Probst, 6-1, 6-4; Conwell def. Klundt, 3-6, 7-5, 6-1; Mee def. Toennis, 6-0 6-2;

Madruga def. Morrow 7-5, 6-3

Consolation

Knab def. Turner, 6-2, 4-6, 7-5; Pffhausen def. Moriani, 6-0, 6-1; Steubs def. Bosic 7-5, 6-0; Morrow def. Ricketts, 6-0, 6-1; Toennis def. Knab, 6-1, 6-1; Pffhausen def. Klundt, 6-1, 6-4; Steubs def. Probst, 4-6, 6-0, 6-3

Doubles

First Round

Jessica Robinson/Lindsay Sebastian, Billings Central, def. Anne Miller/McCara Cullen, Whitefish, 6-2, 6-1; Jo Wehrle/Sarah Downey, Dillon, def. Kate Monger/Samantha Kindred, Fergus, 6-4, 6-4; Morgan McCann/Jolee Landgraf, Havre, def. Christina Boberg/Becky Weidow, Stevensville, 4-6, 7-6 (7-2),6-4; Kayla Rochin/Kendyall Rochin, Polson, def. Megan Lesh/Vanessa Malley, Custer County, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1; Haley Donavan/Courtney Kinholt, Havre, def. Laura Briggs/Katie Myllymaki, Dillon, 6-2, 6-1; Nichole Newman/Anna Valentine, Libby, def. Steph Huschka/Hannah Huschka, Dawson County, 7-6 (7-3), 6-4; Carly Selvig/Blair Milne, Dawson County, def. Heather Mathison/Kelsie Jones, Polson, 6-2, 6-1; Alyse Baker/Nadine Dietrich, Dillon, def. Emmy Hand/Victoria Foster, Park , 7-6 (7-2), 6-3

Second Round

Robinson/Sebastian def. Downey/Wehrle, 3-6, 6-1, 6-1; McCann/Landrath def. Rochin/Rochin, 6-4, 1-6, 7-5; Donavan/Kinholt def. Newman/Valentine, 6-2, 6-4; Baker/Deitrich def. Milne/Selvig, 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-3

Consolation

Monger/Kindred def. Miller/Cullen, 6-0, 6-4; Boberg/Weidow def. Lesh/Malley, 6-4, 5-7, 6-1; Huschka/Huschka def. Briggs/Myllymaki, 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-2; Handl/Foster def. Mathison/Jones, 6-3, 7-6 (4); Newman/Valentine def. Boberg/Weidow, 7-6 (5), 6-1; Rochin/Rochin def. Huschka/Huschka, 6-2, 6-2; Downey/Wehrle def. Handl/Foster, 6-3, 6-4; Monger/Kindred, def. Milne/Selvig, 6-0, 1-6, 6-4