Glacier girls net champs
Veronica Walton gets a high five from Mathison, her doubles partner, after a scoring shot during their Northern AA divisional final on Friday. The Glacier duo took first place.
Glacier’s Cami Mathison makes a return during the Northern AA divisional doubles final on Friday at the Flathead Valley Community College courts.
A singles champ, a doubles champ and a team title.
What a memorable day for Glacier High School tennis on Friday in the Northern AA divisional tournament at the Flathead Valley Community College courts.
Glacier was also runners-up in the boys team competition and had a runner-up in girls singles.
All total, Glacier will send 10 players - six girls and four boys - to next week's Class AA state tournament in Bozeman.
"We got our first trophy," Glacier coach Josh Munro said of the girls taking top honors.
"It was a goal coming into the season."
Munro said the Wolfpack had the title locked up well before the finals. Glacier finished with 43 points, led by doubles champs Cami Mathison and Veronica Walton. They defeated Rachel Gorsuch and Katie Cerotzke of Great Falls 6-3, 6-1 in the title match.
Liana Bates finished second, despite a long day versus the volleying Crums of Great Falls High. Bates outlasted Molly Crum 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the semifinals, a match that last 3 hours and 45 minutes. An hour later, Bates tangled with Ellie Crum but lost another long three setter, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1.
"It was an exciting start, winning the first set," Munro said for Bates in the final. "After playing ahead in the second 3-2, Ellie was able to be Ellie.
"It was a long day," he said for Bates. "A long match earlier took its toll. Liana kept fighting."
Bates said after her marathon semifinal outing ... "I'm all right. I recover fast."
Bates defeated Molly Crum earlier in the season 6-0, 6-0.
"She played better that she did the last time," Bates said. "I played a little worse. It was a combination of the two."
Bates has finished second to Ellie Crum the last two years at state.
Katlyn Hacke and Amy Snipstead placed third in doubles for Glacier, while Hailey Blalack finished fourth in singles.
Glacier, led by divisional singles champ Kellen Bates, came close to sweeping the team trophies. Great Falls High, led by doubles winners Eli Meyer and Karch Lockerby, topped the four-team field with 39 points. Glacier tallied 36.
Bates won his final, against Kyle Rohrer of Great Falls, 6-0, 6-0 in a quick 37 minutes.
Teammate Patrick Phattharaampornchia finished fourth in singles, to qualify for state, as did Brandon Simpson and Kyle Schmauch, fourth in doubles.
"I was very happy with the way the whole team performed," Munro said.
"Everyone was scoring points."
Kellen Bates double faulted just twice in his two-set final. Rohrer, on the other hand, double faulted three times alone in the first game of the first set. He struggled with his serve throughout play and couldn't match Bates' courts skills.
"I played better in the finals," Bates said.
"I thought I played solid the whole day."
Bates beat teammate Phillip Phattharaampornchia in the semifinals 6-1, 6-4.
"It is (difficult)," he said of facing a teammate in tournament play. "You both want to get to state. If you want to win, you just have to put it behind you."
Bates is undefeated on the season.
"Kellen, he's getting better and better every tournament," Munro said.
"State is wide open for him. A new group of kids (in state singles). A lot have moved to doubles."
Munro said Mathison and Walton, who have lost just once this season, "played solid all weekend.
"They are looking forward to the state draw, just excited about the possibilities," he said.
Flathead, which did not qualify a player for state, finished fourth in the boys and girls team race.
Northern AA Divisional Tennis
Friday at FVCC Courts
Kalispell
Boys
Team Totals
Great Falls High 39, Glacier 36, C.M. Russell 20, Flathead 6
Singles
Championship
Kellen Bates, G, def. Kyle Rohrer, GF, 6-0, 6-0
Semifinals
Bates def. Phillip Phattharaampornchai, G, 6-1, 6-4; Rohrer def. Joe Marra, GF, 6-4, 6-4.
Consolation
Third/Fourth
Marra def. Patrick Phattharaampornchai, G, 7-6 (4), 6-4.
Consolation Semifinalss
Marra def. Shawn Polk, GF, 6-4, 6-4; Pat. Phattharaampornchai def. Phi. Phattharaampornchai, 6-4, 6-3.
Consolation Quarterfinals
Polk def. Jon Cattron, F, 7-5, 6-3; Pat. Phattharaampornchai def. Kent Liston, GF, 6-0, 6-0.
Thursday
Consolation
Pat. Phattharaampornchai def. Ben Gold, CMR, 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 (match was suspended by darkness)
Doubles
Championship
Eli Meyer/Karch Lockerby, GF, def. Alex Martinez/Brit Kessner, CMR, 6-2, 6-7 (1), 6-3
Semifinals
Meyer/Lockerby def. Jack Martinez/Eamon Ormseth, CMR, 6-0, 6-3; Martinez/Kessner def. Kyle Schmauch/Brandon Simpson, 6-0, 6-1.
Consolation
Third/Fourth
Martinez/Ormseth def. Schmauch/Simpson, 6-1, 6-3.
Consolation Semifinals
Martinez/Ormseth def. Evan Froystad/Karl Hellwig, G, 6-2, 6-2; Schmauch/Simpson def. Brian Spencer/Payton Skawinki, CMR, 6-2, 6-0.
Consolation Quarterfinals
Froystad/Hellwig def. Jonathan Pfeifer/Cole Francisco, F, 6-4, 7-5; Spencer/Skawinki def. Oliver Jones/Spencer Dahl, CMR, 6-3, 6-4.
Girls
Team Totals
Glacier 43, Great Falls High 38, C.M. Russell 19, Flathead 12
Singles
Championship
Ellie Crum, GF, def. Liana Bates, G, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1
Semifinals
Crum def. Hailey Blalack, G, 6-3, 6-2; Bates def. Molly Crum, GF, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5
Consolation
Third/Fourth
M. Crum def. Blalack, 6-0, 6-4
Consolation Semifinals
Crum def. Shelby Ballard, G, 6-1, 6-0; Blalack def. Barrie Sugarman, F, 6-1, 6-0.
Consolation Quarterfinals
Ballard def. Lisa Spencer, CMR, 1-6, 7-4, 6-1; Sugarman def. Katelynn Gandolfi, GF, 6-0, 6-2.
Consolation
Ballard def. Paige Volk, CMR, 6-0, 6-1; Spencer def. Isabelle Brooks, F, 6-2, 6-0 Sugarman def. Cecily Meade, CMR, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1; Gandolfi def. McCall Smith, F, 7-6, 4-6, 6-3.
Doubles
Championship
Cami Mathison/Veronica Walton, G, def. Rachel Gorsuch/Katie Cerotzke, GF, 6-3, 6-1.
Semifinals
Mathison/Walton def. Katlyn Hacke/Amy Snipstead, G, 6-3, 6-0; Gorsuch/Cerotzke def. Haley Mortenson/Steph Ovrom, CMR, 7-5, 6-2.
Consolation
Third/Fourth
Hacke/Snipstead def. Mortenson/Ovrom, 6-2, 7-5.
Consolation Semifinals
Hacke/Snipstead def. Annie Marshall/Lisa Kelecy, F, 6-1, 6-3; Mortenson/Ovrom def. Cayley Fish/Katie Fish, CMR, 6-2, 6-1.
Consolation Quarterfinals
Fish/Fish def. Andrea Battello/Susan Sievers, F, 6-2, 6-3; Marshall/Kelecy def. April Cahill/Jackie Santin, GF, 7-6, 6-7, 6-0.