Strong start at divisional for Glacier

Thirty minutes, then 45.

Just another day at the office, or in this case the tennis courts, for Glacier's Cami Mathison and Veronica Walton

Mathison, a junior, and Walton, a freshmen, cruised through first-day action of the Northern AA divisional tournament on Thursday at the Flathead Valley Community College courts with impressive victories.

Mathison and Walton crushed Grace Hagger and Kelsie Leu of Flathead 6-0, 6-0 in the first round at noon, and then made quick work of Cayley and Katie Fish of Great Falls C.M. Russell, 6-2, 6-1. That puts the talented duo into the semifinals today where they will face teammates Katlyn Hacke and Amy Snipstead. Those two advanced with 6-0, 6-0 and 6-1, 6-1 victories.

Mathison is playing doubles for the first season. She did well enough in singles her first two years with the Wolfpack to advance to state.

"I like it a lot better," she said of doubles.

"It's a lot more fun."

She said playing with a partner "takes a little bit of the pressure off. It's a more relaxed atmosphere on the court."

Mathison went 1-2 in state singles play last year and placed fifth as a freshman.

"It helps," Mathison said of having one partner who is experienced.

"Especially for divisionals and state."

Mathison and Walton suffered their first setback of the season last weekend at the Kalispell Invitational. Both girls were sick at the same time, which didn't help matters.

"It was good to get that off our backs before divisionals," Walton said of the loss.

"If we had to have a loss, I would rather it be in one of our duals or an invitational rather than at divisional."

Mathison agreed.

"It's kind of tough to lose, but state is what matters."

Walton played singles and doubles in youth tennis and still enjoys both.

"I think doubles is more fun, especially with Cami," she said.

"She's an awesome partner."

And quite the server.

"Cami has a harder serve than I do," she said.

"One of our opponents called it a rocket."

Walton expects a tough match today with Hacke and Snipstead.

"It will be a fun match," she said.

"They are good players."

And after that ...

"I think we play better when we play better opponents," Walton said.

"Each round just gets better."

That is bad news for the opposition.

"We're both really strong at the net," Mathison said.

"Ground strokes and volley," Walton said.

"We're not just baseline players. We can do both."

Also in the semifinals today for Glacier are Liana Bates, Hailey Blalack, Kellen Bates and Phillip Phattharaampornchai in singles, and Kyle Schmauch and Brandon Simpson in doubles.

Kellen Bates and Phattharaampornchai are paired in the semis.

Flathead did not advance anyone to the semifinals.

Play resumes today at 8 a.m. at FVCC.

The top four finishers in singles and doubles advance to state May 21-22 in Bozeman.

Northern AA divisional tennis

Thursday at Kalispell

Competing School - Flathead, Glacier, Great Falls High, Great Falls C.M. Russell

Boys

Singles

Round 1

Kellen Bates, G, def. Shawn Polk, GF, 6-0, 6-0; Jon Cattron, F, def. Will Runkle, CMR, 6-0, 6-1; Phillip Phattharaampornchai, G, def. Miles Sorlie, F, 6-0, 6-0; Paul Meder, CMR, def. Tucker Moe, F, 6-3, 4-6, 6-0; Nate Frank, CMR, def. Tyler Burnett, F, 6-0, 6-1; Kyle Rohrer, GF, def. Ben Gold, CMR, 6-0, 6-2; Patrick Phattharaampornchai, G, def. Kent Liston, GF, 6-1, 6-0; Joe Marra, GF, def. Michael Boettcher, G, 6-0, 6-1.

Round 2

Bates def. Cattron, 6-1, 6-0; Ph. Phattharaampornchai def. Meder, 6-1, 6-1; Rohrer def. Frank, 6-0, 6-0; Marra def. Pa. Phattharaampornchai, 7-6 (7-2), 6-0.

Consolation

Round 1

Polk def. Runkle, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4); Moe def. Sorlie, 6-1, 7-6 (7-0); Gold def. Burnett, 6-0, 6-1; Liston def. Boettcher, 6-2, 6-4.

Round 2

Polk def. Meder, 6-1, 6-1; Cattron def. Moe, 6-2, 6-3; Pa. Phattharaampornchai leads Gold 6-2, 4-5 (suspended by darkness); Liston def. Frank, 6-4, 6-1.

Doubles

Round 1

Alex Martinez/Brit Kessner, CMR, bye; Kyle LeDuc/Grahm Schmaltz, G, def. Justin Gomez/Cody Haagenson, GF, 6-2, 6-0; Kyle Schmauch/Brandon Simpson, G, def. Jonathan Pfeifer/Cole Francisco, F, 6-2, 6-3; Evan Froystad/Karl Hellwig, G, def. Blake Bedecs/Hayden Ferguson, GF, 6-4, 6-2; Tanner Lunn/Matt Gillespie, GF, def. Ryan Schmauch/Ryan Edwards, G, 6-1, 7-6; Jack Martinez/Eamon Ormseth, CMR, def. Logan Hunter/Cameron Worth, F, 6-0, 6-1; Brian Spencer/Payton Skawinki, CMR def. Jeremy Zug/Andrew Klinginsmith, F, 6-2, 6-2; Eli Meyer/Karch Lockerby, GF, def. Oliver Jones/Spencer Dahl, CMR, no scores listed.

Round 2

Martinez/Kessner def. LeDuc/Schmaltz, 6-0, 6-0; Schmauch/Simpson def. Froystad/Hellwig, 6-2, 6-3; Martinez/Ormseth def. Lunn/Gillespie, 6-1, 6-3; Meyer/Lockerby def. Spencer/Skawinki, 6-1, 6-1.

Consolation

Round 1

Gomez/Haagenson, bye; Pfeifer/Francisco def. Bedecs/Ferguson, 6-1, 6-1; Schmauch/Edwards def. Hunter/Worth, 5-7, 6-1, 6-3; Jones/Dahl def. Zug/Klinginsmith, 6-1, 6-1.

Round 2

Froystad/Hellwig def. Gomez/Haagenson, 6-2, 7-5; Pfeifer/Francisco def. LeDuc/Schmaltz, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4; Spencer/Skawinki def. Schmauch/Edwards, 6-1, 6-2; Jones/Dahl def. Lunn/Gillespie, 1-6, 6-2, 6-3.

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Girls

Singles

Round 1

Ellie Crum, GF, def. Shelbi Frieling, CMR, 6-0, 6-0; Lisa Spencer, CMR, def. Shelby Ballard, G, 6-4, 1-6, 6-2; Hailey Blalack, G, def. Isabelle Brooks, F, 6-0, 6-0; Paige Volk, CMR, def. Shannon Lineberry, GF, 6-1, 6-0; McCall Smith, F, def. Montana Ziglar, G, 6-3, 6-4; Molly Crum, GF, def. Barrie Sugarman, F, 6-0, 6-1; Cecily Meade, CMR, def. Katelynn Gandolfi, GF, 6-3, 6-0; Liana Bates, G, def. Kenisha Himsl, F, 6-1, 6-0.

Round 2

E. Crum def. Spencer, 6-0, 6-0; Blalack def. Volk, 6-0, 6-2; M. Crum def. Smith, 6-0, 6-0; Bates def. Meade, 6-0, 6-0.

Consolation

Round 1

Ballard def. Freiling, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3; Brooks def. Lineberry, 7-6, 6-0; Sugarman def. Ziglar, 6-0, 6-0; Gandolfi def. Himsl, 6-2, 6-1.

Round 2

No matches played

Doubles

Round 1

Cami Mathison/Veronica Walton, G, def. Grace Hagger/Kelsie Leu, F, 6-0, 6-0; Cayley Fish/Katie Fish, CMR, def. Andrea Battello/Susan Sievers, F, 6-3, 7-5; Katlyn Hacke/Amy Snipstead, G, def. Catherine Gilligan/Elizabeth Gilligan, 6-0, 6-0; Lauren Jones/Ingrid Ericksen, G, def. Jessica Scherr/Courtney Francetich, GF, 6-3, 5-7, 7-5; April Cahill/Jackie Santin, GF, def. Kylie Mortenson/Megan Bernhardt, CMR, 6-2, 6-1; Haley Mortenson/Steph Ovrom, CMR, def. Meghan Garner/Anna Stone, F, 6-3, 6-0; Annie Marshall/Lisa Kelecy, F, def. Lauren Stephenson/Kyla Haynie, CMR, 6-4, 6-4; Rachel Gorsuch/Katie Cerotzke, GF, def. Brianna Walling/Hilary Syvertson, G, 6-1, 6-1.

Round 2

Mathison/Walton def. Fish/Fish, 6-2, 6-1; Hacke/Snipstead def. Jones/Erickson, 6-1, 6-1; Mortenson/Ovrum def. Cahill/Santin, 6-2, 6-1; Gorsuch/Cerotzke def. Marshall/Kelecy, 6-0, 6-0.

Consolation

Round 1

Battello/Sievers def. Hagger/Leu, 6-0, 6-2; Scherr/Francetich def. Gilligan/Gilligan, 6-0, 6-1; Mortenson/Bernhardt def. Garner/Stone, 6-1, 7-6; Stephenson/Haynie def. Walling/Syvertson, 6-3, 6-2.

Round 2

Battello/Sievers def. Jones/Erickson, 7-6 (7-1), 6-2; Fish/Fish def. Scherr/Francetich, 6-2, 6-4; Marshall/Kelecy def. Mortenson/Bernhardt, 6-3, 6-0; Cahill/Santin def. Stephenson/Haynie, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.