Harris, Mee win state

Whitefish's Matt Harris went out in style, while Libby's Jackie Mee wrapped up a perfect season with her first singles championship at the Class A state tennis tournament on Friday.

Harris, unbeaten in Class A play this spring, won his third state singles title with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Ben Nearpass of Billings Central at Flathead Valley Community College.

Harris won a state title last year in doubles play.

Mee, 20-0, dropped her first set of the season, but bounced back to crush Brittney Hatzell of Billings Central, 3-6, 6-1, 6-1.

Harris celebrated his triumph with a skyward look of relief. Mee, after the customary handshake with her opponent, quickly gathered her gear, walked off court, then rushed to hug her mom, assistant coach Barb Mee.

"I never had the tears of joy feeling before, but I had it then," Jackie Mee said.

Mee, for the first time this season, was forced to go three sets.

" My mom said 'two sets to go,'" Jackie said after losing the first one.

"'Relax. Take it one at a time.'"

It was good advice.

"Then I started getting balls back, as many as I could," she said.

"Then I started working."

The championship was the first for Mee in any sport. The all-state golfer, volleyball and basketball standout, also becomes Libby's first state singles champion.

"I don't know how to describe it, but it's good," she said of how it feels to be the best.

"I've never had this feeling before."

Mee advanced to state last year, but fell in the semifinals. She did not place.

"I hit good shots last year, but not as consistently," she said.

"I worked hard on it (my footwook and quickness' in the offseason. When you have better footwork, the court seems a lot smaller."

Harris used finesse and power to dash any hope Nearpass had of pulling the upset. Nearpass did win the first game in the first set.

"He came out swinging. I got caught off-guard," Harris said.

"With someone that athletic, you need to move him to the outside of the court."

Harris delighted watchers, and even Nearpass, with a successful between the legs return late in the second set. Nearpass, however, won the volley.

"By far, by far the best I've played all year," Harris said.

"The best match I've played in a long time.

"I've been working so hard for this the last four years," he added.

"It's been an amazing four years. I can't ask for anything more."

Grant Getts and Jake Ronish of Columbia Falls settled for second in boys doubles, falling to Kyle Miller and Mason Sheppard of Havre, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (4). Bigfork's Scott Taylor placed fourth.

On the team front, Billings Central won the boys title with 31 points. Havre was second, 26, and defending state champ Whitefish third, 21.

Havre, 29, nipped Billings Central, 27, for the girls team championship. Libby, 19, was third.

Class A State Tennis

Friday

At Flathead Valley Community College

BOYS

Team Totals

Billings Central 31, Havre 26, Whitefish 21, Fergus 15, Columbia Falls 13, Corvallis 13, Bigfork 9, Park 4, Dawson 3, Hamilton 3, Stevensville 1, Libby 0

Singles

Semifinals

Ben Nearpass, Billings Central, def. Scott Taylor, Bigfork, 6-3, 6-1; Matt Harris, Whitefish def. Shane Parker, Fergus, 6-1, 6-0

Championship

Harris def. Nearpass, 6-3, 6-1

Consolation Quarterfinals

Spencer Fehr, Corvalis, def. Tyler Nelson, Billings Central, 6-1, 6-3; Shane Kemmer, Havre, def. Tanner Hosek, Whitefish, 6-2, 6-3

Consolation Semifinals

Kemmer def. Parker, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2; Taylor def. Fehr, 6-2, 7-6 B(8)

3rd/4th

Kemmer def. Taylor 6-7 (4), 7-5, 6-3

5th/6th

Parker def. Fehr, 6-1, 6-1

Doubles

Semifinals

Grant Getts/Jake Ronish, Columbia Falls, def. DJ Kamp/Derek Bartel, Fergus, 6-3, 6-7 (8), 6-4;

Kyle Miller/Mason Sheppard, Havre, def. Jake Sangster/Levi Pauley, Corvalis, 6-4, 6-2

Championship

Miller/Sheppard def. Getts/Ronish, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (4)

Consolation Quarterfinals

Ryan Hodges/Ryan Toner, Billings Central, def. Kyle Massick/Ryan Burke, Billings Central, 6-0, 6-4; Steven Sheehy/Jesse Robins, Billings Central, def. Deric Holden/Scott Athas, Dawson County, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4

Consolation Semifinals

Hodges/Toner def. Kamp/Bartel, 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-0; Sangster/Pauley def. Sheehy/Robins, 6-1, 7-5

3rd/4th

Sangster/Pauly def. Hodges/Toner, 6-0, 6-1

5th/6th

Kamp/Bartel def. Sheehy/Robbins, 5-7, 6-0, 6-1

GIRLS

Team Totals

Havre 29, Billings Central 27, Libby 19, Dillon 15, Corvallis 10, Hamilton 9, Polson 7, Fergus 7, Park 5, Custer 5, Dawson 3, Whitefish 2, Stevensville 1, Anaconda 0, Bigfork 0

Singles

Semifinals

Brittney Hatzell, Billings Central, def. Mary Conwell, Hamilton, 7-5, 6-0; Jackie Mee, Libby, def. Megin Madruga, Corvalis, 6-1, 6-2

Championship

Mee def. Hatzell, 3-6, 6-1, 6-1

Consolation Quarterfinals

Shelby Toennis, Custer County, def. Mollie Morrow, Park, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3; Taylor Steubs, Billings Central, def. Emily Paffhausen, Dillon, 0-6, 6-1, 6-3

Consolation Semifinals

Conwell def. Toennis, 7-6 (5), 6-3; Madruga def. Steubs, 6-3, 6-2

3rd/4th

Madruga def. Conwell, 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-2

5th/6th

Steubs def. Toennis, 6-2, 6-1

Doubles

Semifinals

Morgan McCann/Jolee Landgraf, Havre, def. Jessica Robinson/Lindsay Sebastian, Billings Central, 6-2, 6-4; Haley Donovan/Courtney Kinholt, Havre def. Alyse Baker/Nadine Dietrich, Dillon, 6-4, 6-0

Championship

Donovon/Kinholt def. McCann/Landgraf, 6-4, 7-5

Consolation Quarterfinals

Kate Monger/Samantha Kindred, Fergus, def. Nichole Newman/Anna Valentine, Libby, 7-6 (0), 6-3; Kayla Rochin/Kendyall Rochin, Polson, def. Sarah Downey/Jo Wehrle, Dillon 6-2, 6-2

Consolation Semifinals

Robinson/Sebastian def. Monger/Kindred, 6-4, 7-6 (4); Baker/Dietrich def. Rochin/Rochin, 6-4, 2-6, 6-3

3rd/4th

Robinson/Sebastian def. Baker/Deitrich, 2-6, 7-5, 6-3

5th/6th

Monger/Kindred def. Rochin/Rochin, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4