Bates 2nd, again, at AA state tennis
The Daily Inter Lake
BOZEMAN - It's starting to get repetitious.
Liana Bates of Glacier and Ellie Crum of Great Falls High squared off for the third time this month in championship singles play. This time, however, the stakes were much higher.
The Bison junior downed Bates, a sophomore, 6-2, 6-4, to capture the Class AA state singles title.
Bates, a state runner-up last year, rolled by Dani Sheridan of Big Sky in the semifinals, 6-1, 6-0, while Crum, third at state in 2008, cruised past Molly Bentley of Butte, 6-0, 6-0.
Bates defeated Sheridan by those same scores at the Missoula Invitational on May 2.
Crum defeated Bates on May 10, 6-2, 6-2 to win the Flathead Invitational. Then on May 15 at the Northern AA divisional, the two met yet again in the finals with Crum emerging with a 6-1, 6-1 victory.
On the team front, Glacier picked up its first state trophy in tennis. The Wolfpack finished third with 16 points. Great Falls High was first, 31, and Bozeman second, 22.
Eric Braun of Missoula Hellgate won his second-straight state singles title. The junior beat Tyler Frost of Bozeman, 7-6, 7-5.
Bozeman, 20 points, edged Hellgate, 19 for the title. Billings West was third, 15.
State AA Tournament
Boys' Team Totals' 1. Bozeman 20; 2. Missoula Hellgate 19; 3. Billings West 15; 4. Billings Senior 14; 5. Billings Skyview 11; 6. Great Falls-CMR 8; 6. Helena Capital 8; 8. Missoula Big Sky 6; 9. Great Falls 4; 9. Missoula Sentinel 4; 11. Butte 0; 11. Glacier 0; 11. Helena High 0.
Singles' Semifinals' Tyler Frost, Boz. def. Jordan Hatzell, West, 7-6, 7-5.
Eric Braun, Hellgate def. Mark Appleby, Boz., 6-2, 6-3.
Championship
Braun, Hellgate def. Frost, Boz., 3-6, 7-6, 7-5.
Consolation semifinal
Appleby, Boz. def. Mitch Speltz, Big Sky, 6-0, 6-3.
Hatzell, West def. Zach Lubek, Capital, 7-5, 6-1.
Consolation final - third place
Appleby, Boz. vs. Hatzell, West, draw (injury).
Doubles' Semifinals' Brad Knutson/Lucas Hert, Skyview def. Jacob Ness/Patrick Lawler, West, 6-2, 6-3.
Joe Weaver/Thomas Staffileno, Senior def. Tyler Christianson/Nate Christianson, Capital, 6-3, 6-2.
Championship
Weaver/Staffileno, Senior def. Knutson/Hert, Skyview, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5.
Consolation semifinal
Brit Kessner/Alex Martinez, CMR def. Christianson/Christianson, Capital, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.
Ness/Lawler, West def. Nick Shull/Nate Bell, Sentinel, 6-3, 6-4.
Consolation final - third place
Kessner/Martinez, CMR def. Ness/Lawler, West, 6-3, 7-6.
Girls' Team Totals' 1. Great Falls 31; 2. Bozeman 22; 3. Glacier 16; 4. Billings West 15; 5. Missoula Big Sky 8; 6. Butte 4; 6. Missoula Hellgate 4; 8. Billings Skyview 3; 8. Helena Capital 3; 8. Missoula Sentinel 3; 11. Flathead 2; 12. Billings Senior 1; 13. Great Falls-CMR 0; 13. Helena High 0.
Singles' Semifinals' Ellie Crum, GF def. Molly Bentley, Butte, 6-0, 6-0.
Liana Bates, Glacier def. Dani Sheridan, Big Sky, 6-1, 6-0.
Championship
Crum, GF def. Bates, Glacier, 6-2, 6-4.
Consolation semifinals' Sheridan, Big Sky def. Erin Ratcliff, Capital, 6-1, 7-5.
Kaylee Litle, Boz. def. Bentley, Butte, 6-0, 6-4.
Consolation final - third place
Litle, Boz. def. Sheridan, Big Sky, 6-1, 6-1.
Doubles' Semifinals' Kristin Cole/Jenna Fiscus, West def. Shannon Bosche/Lisa Lee, Boz.,
Sophia Lockerby/Rachel Gorsuch, GF def. Erin King/Mehgan Spielman, West, 6-0, 6-3.
Championship
Lockerby/Gorsuch, GF def. Cole/Fiscus, West, 6-1, 6-0.
Consolation semifinals' Jaimee Tierney/Shelby Robinson, GF def. King/Spielman, West, 6-3, 6-3.
Bosche/Lee, Boz. def. Dayhuff/Henning, Boz., 6-1, 1-6, 6-0.
Consolation final - third place
Bosche/Lee, Boz. def. Tierney/Robinson, GF, 6-1, 6-2.