Kellen, Liana Bates rule court play at tourney

MISSOULA — It was Bates and more Bates on Saturday at the Missoula Invitational tennis tournament.

The two tennis stars from Glacier High School — freshman Kellen Bates and junior Liana Bates — dominated play in this one-day event until rain washed out the remainder of play.

Kellen Bates posted three wins on the day to stay undefeated on the season.

“Kellen’s play improves every time,” Glacier coach Josh Munro said.

“He played well, he played smart with the rain drops falling. He didn’t go for too much. He played a smart, consistent game rather than going too big and risky on a lot of things.”

 Kellen Bates beat Missoula Hellgate’s Tony Mayer in the No. 1 singles title match, 6-1, 6-2.

Liana Bates lost just one game in two matches.

Rain eventually halted play in her bracket. As a result, her final’s match and five others were not completed.

Liana Bates would have played teammate Hailey Blalack in the finals of the No. 1 singles bracket.

“Both girls are playing very well,” Munro said of Bates and Blalack.

“They are working on a few different parts of their game as they prepare for divisionals.”

Flathead’s Barrie Sugarman reached the finals at No. 2 singles, while Flathead’s Isabelle Brooks reached the finals at No. 3 singles.

Kyle LeDuc of Glacier was a finalist at No. 4 singles.

In girls doubles, Glacier’s Cami Mathison and Veronica Walton were finalists at No. 1 doubles.

Flathead’s Lisa Kelcey and Andrea Battello were finalists at No. 3 doubles.

“So, it was a good day for a lot of our kids,” Munro said.

“Good matches.”

BOYS

No. 1 singles

First round – Alec Shull, Sentinel, def. Jon Cattron, Flathead, 8-2; Kellen Bates, Glacier, def. Filipe Freire, Hellgate, 8-1; Tony Mayer, Hellgate, def. Tyler Krushensky, Helena, 8-6; Mitch Speltz, Big Sky, def. Patrick Phattharaampornchai, 8-5.

Semifinals – Bates def. Shull, 8-0; Mayer def. Speltz, 8-6.

Championship – Bates def. Mayer, 6-1, 6-2.

No. 2 singles

First round – Aaron Schwartz, Sentinel, def. Arden Avery, Flathead, 9-8 (2); Derek Snodgrass, Hellgate, def. Nicholas Swenson, Capital, 8-4; Aaron Koerner, Big Sky, def. Hayden Messerman, 8-2; Colin Harris, Helena, def. Tony Moval, Hellgate, 8-3.

Semifinals – Schwartz def. Snodgrass, 8-3; Harris def. Koerner, 8-6.

Championship – rained out.

No. 3 singles

First round – Zach Mauer, Hellgate, def. Tucker Moe, Flathead, 8-4; Luke Gunter, Sentinel, def. Evan Froystad, Glacier, 8-6; Matt Thomas, Helena, def. Lyne VonLankin, Sentinel, 8-3; Broderyck Malee, Capital, def. Garrett Koepke, Big Sky, 8-6.

Semifinals – Mauer def. Gunter, 9-7; Thomas def. Malee, 8-2.

Championship – rained out.

No. 4 singles

First round – Kyle LeDuc, Glacier, def. Nick McKinney, Big Sky, 8-0; Mitch Perry, Capital, def. Andrew Filicetti, Hellgate, 8-2; Josh Reiner, Big Sky, won by forfeit; Sean Collins, Helena, def. Michael Thomas, Sentinel, 9-8 (5).

Semifinals – Collins def. Reiner, 8-2; LeDuc def. Perry, no score recorded.

Championship – rained out.

No. 1 doubles

First round – Levi Dutton/Colter Curey, Helena, def. Kyle Cole/David Marne, Sentinel, 8-3; Tyler Christianson/Nate Christianson, Capital, def. Daniel Harvala/Rusty Hutto, Hellgate, 8-1; Lane Brown/Sam Waldorf, Hellgate, def. Brandon Simpson/Kyle Schmauch, Glacier, 9-7; Jon Pfeifer/Cole Francisco, Flathead, def. Jeff Dark/Michael DeGrandpre, Big Sky, 8-4.

Semifinals – Christianson/Christianson, Capital, def. Dutton/Curey, Helena, 8-5; Brown/Waldorf, Hellgate, def. Pfeifer/Francisco, Flathead, 8-4.

Championship – rained out.

No. 2 doubles

First round – Joe Hederson/Ryan Messmer, Capital, def. Andy Bixler/Bently Alsup, Sentinel, 8-1; Michael Boettcher/Karl Hellwig, Glacier, def. Greg Pinnaro/Dallas Rosslow, Big Sky, 8-3; Nick Smith/Aaron Folsom, Helena, def. Derrick Colberg/Bill Boberg, Sentinel, 8-4; Guy Williams/Chris Rotar, Hellgate, def. Miles Sorlic/Cameron Worth, Flathead, 8-1.

Semifinals – Hederson/Messmer, Capital, def. BoettcherHellwig, Glacier, 8-1; Williams/Rotar, Hellgate, def. Smith/Folsom, Helena, 8-3.

Championship – rained out.

No. 3 doubles

First round – Tevin Charlton/Mike Meck, Capital, def. Jackson Langland/Nate Solberg, Big Sky, 8-0; Ben Hartman/Evan Schultz, Hellgate, def. Andrew Klinginsmith/Tyler Burnett, Flathead, 8-3; Ryan Edwards/Ryan Schmauch, Glacier, def. Ryan Halligan/Scott Cagan, Sentinel, 8-5; Colton Smith/Branden Haller, Helena, def. Andrew Harris/Will Watson, Big Sky, 8-1.

Semifinals – Charlton/Meck, Capital, def. Hartman/Schultz, Hellgate, 8-5; Smith/Haller, Helena, def. Edwards/Schmauch, Glacier, 8-5.

Championship – rained out.

GIRLS

No. 1 singles

First round – Liana Bates, Glacier, def. Shelby Harris, Sentinel, 8-1; Jaymi Wevers, Hellgate, def. Kayla Randall, Helena, 8-0; Hailey Blalack, Glacier, def. Halen McKenzie, Hellgate, 8-0; Brooke Satre, Capital, def. Emily Morani, Anaconda, no score reporded.

Semifinals – Bates def. Wevers, 8-0; Blalack def. Satre, 8-1.

Championship – rained out.

No. 2 singles

First round – Michele Bayuk, Capital, def. Taneesha Graham, Anaconda, 8-2; Marissa O’Bryant, Glacier, def. Sarah Hopkins, Sentinel, 8-0; Barrie Sugarman, Flathead, def. Emily Finnegan, Hellgate, 8-3; Karley Kelley, Big Sky, def. Mara Silvers, Helena, 8-1.

Semifinals – Bayuk def. O’Bryant, 8-3; Sugarman def. Kelley, 9-8 (5).

Championship – rained out.

No. 3 singles

First round – Brianna Speltz, Big Sky, def. Kenisha Himsl, Flathead, 9-8 (3); Kelly Kuhn, Capital, def. Maddie Murdock, Sentinel, 8-2; Nikki Olson, Helena, def. Hailey VanMeel, 8-5; Isabelle Brooks, Flathead, def. Hannah Wilstein, Hellgate, no score recorded.

Semifinals – Kuhn def. Speltz, 8-3; Brooks def. Olson, 8-2.

Championship – rained out.

No. 4 singles

First round – Kinzie Kuhn, Capital, def. Athena Farr, Big Sky, 8-1; Khaley Bauer, Sentinel, def. Anna Stone, Flathead, 8-7; Kalea Eaton, Helena, def. Kirstyn Haugenoe, Glacier, no score reported; Katie Priest, Hellgate, def. Jordan Sweeney, Anaconda, 8-2.

Semifinals – Kuhn def. Bauer, 8-1; Eaton def. Priest, 8-1.

Championship – rained out.

No. 1 doubles

First round – Kaitlin Nichols/Anita Ratcliff, Capital, def. Kieran McKernan/Caitlin Campbell, Anaconda, 8-3; Cami Mathison/Veronica Walton, Glacier, bye; Stephanie Ehrlich/Jenna Nickless, Sentinel, def. Amy Snipstead/Katlyn Hacke, Glacier, 9-7; Lithani Post-Bentham/Britni Heckerman, Hellgate, def. Liz Hartley/Alex Bostrom, Helena, 8-2.

Semifinals – Mathison/Walton, Glacier, def. Nichols/Ratcliff, Capital, 8-1; Ehrlich/Nickless, Sentinel, def. Post-Bentham/Heckerman, Hellgate, 8-1.

Championship – rained out.

No. 2 doubles

First round – Mariah Garza/Jeana Ratcliff, Capital, def. Jessica Parks/Jillian Walsh, Big Sky, 8-2; Megan Woody/Claire Rappold, Hellgate, def. Maxine Sugarman/Kelcie Leu, Flathead, 8-3; Christina Boberg/Holly Keane, Sentinel, def. Eleanor Krueger/Kaitlin Vetter, Anaconda, 8-1; Madeline Schertling/Lefthand, Helena, def. Brianna Walling/Ingrid Ericksen, Glacier, 8-3.

Semifinals – Woody/Rappold, Hellgate, def. Garza/Ratcliff, Capital, 8-1; Boberg/Keane, Sentinel, def. Schertling/Lefthand, Helena, 9-7.

Championship – rained out.

No. 3 doubles

First round – Catherine Wright/Alyssa Harrington, Big Sky, def. Madison Dauenhauer/Danika Fabich, Anaconda, 8-2; Lisa Kelcey/Andrea Battello, Flathead, def. Shelby Parish/Jessica George, Helena, 8-5; Cyrra Robinson/Katie Martens, Hellgate, def. Kelsey Garza/Jenna Cunningham, Capital, 8-3; Megan Garner/McCall Smith, Flathead, def. Darbi Anderson/Kate Hopkins, Sentinel, 8-2.

Semifinals – Kelcey/Battello, Flathead, def. Wright/Harrington, Big Sky, 8-0; Robinson/Martens, Hellgate, def. Garner/Smith, Flathead, 8-1.

Championship – rained out.