Cree's hard-luck victory
At this point, Cree Maloney must be wondering what could possibly happen next to derail his state tournament aspiration.
Last year he suffered a season-ending knee injury right before the Western A divisional tennis tournament.
His singles record at that point was 14-2. He was almost a sure bet to advance.
Thursday, during the first point in his first divisional match at Flathead Valley Community College, the Libby junior had to deal with equipment failure.
"It was kind of different," he said.
"My string broke (on his racquet)."
Does he feel jinxed?
Not really.
"I never thought of it that way," he said.
"It just happened."
Unlike the injury, at least the racquet issue was fixable.
Maloney, the top seed this year with a 7-0 conference mark, was able to conquer that distraction by going to his back-up plan, in this case his back-up racquet, to defeat Jon Riffy of Columbia Falls 6-1, 6-0.
"It started off kind of weird," he said of his first few shots with the other racquet.
"My back-up is lighter, not as strong."
He says he was able to adjust his game quickly and ... "it wasn't a problem after that."
With a little help from the Libby softball team, Maloney had his No. 1 racquet in his hands for a quarterfinal match later that day against Jake Morison of Whitefish.
Unable to have his racquet strung locally, Libby volunteer coach Dave Nelson's wife Kathy called back to Libby to have their racquet stringer put on the bus with the Logger softball team, which was going to Whitefish for a 5 p.m. game. The stringer was delivered in Kalispell and Dave Nelson restrung the racquet in his hotel room in 40 minutes.
Maloney then defeated Morison 6-3, 6-3 to advance to the semifinals.
"He's a pretty mentally tough kid," Libby coach Kyle Hannah said of Maloney.
"He's come a long way in two years. It takes a lot to shake him up."
Maloney had his hands full with Morison, trailing 3-1 in the first set and down 3-0 in the second. It was the first time those two had played this season.
"I'm used to it, coming from behind," Maloney said.
"I cleared my mind, erased everything that happened before."
After he did that in both sets, he raised the level of his play and made fewer hitting errors.
Conditions were brutal for boys singles, doubles and girls doubles at FVCC. Players had to contend with some nasty gusty crosswinds and temperatures in the low 50s.
Girls singles had it much nicer, playing indoors at the Glacier Tennis Club at The Summit.
Top seed and defending state champion Jackie Mee of Libby, who came into singles action having won 32 straight matches, rolled 6-0, 6-0 and 6-0, 6-0 after a first-round bye. That puts her in today's semifinal round.
The divisional's other top seeds, Kayla and Kendyall Rochine of Polson and TJ Benson and Alex Cislo of Libby, did not lose on opening day in doubles.
Play resumes today at 8:30 a.m.
The top four singles players and doubles teams advance to the state tournament May 27-29 in Billings.
Western A divisional tennis
Thursday
Boys
Singles
First Round
Cree Maloney, Lib, bye; Jon Riffy, CF, def. Chase Allen, Ron, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2; Andrew Storro, Pol, bye; Jake Morison, Wfsh, bye; Austin Butler, Ron, bye; Chris McCurdy, Pol, bye; Mike Wise, Lib, def. Cody Ling, Wfsh, 3-6, 7-5, 6-0; Parker Johnson, CF, bye; Joel Mallams, Wfsh, bye; Jacob Browne, Pol, def. Zach Schikora, Lib, 6-2, 7-5; Kyle Yankey, Ron, bye; Miroslav Zvygelskiy, CF, bye; Crawford Dinning, Lib, bye; Tim Spencer, CF, bye; Austin Sattler, Wfsh, def. Joe Dresen, Ron, 6-1, 6-0; Matt Roberts, Pol, bye.
Second Round
Maloney def. Riffy, 6-1, 6-0; Morison def. Storro, 6-2, 6-2; Butler def. McCurdy, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4; Johnson def. Wise, 6-2, 7-5; Mallams def. Browne 6-2, 6-0; Zvygelskiy def. Yankey, 6-1, 6-1; Dinning def. Spencer, 7-5, 6-2; Roberts def. Sattler 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Quarterfinals
Maloney def. Morison 6-3, 6-3; Johnson def. Butler, 6-1, 6-3; Mallams def. Zvygelskiy 7-6, 6-3; Roberts def. Dinning, 6-0, 6-1.
Consolation
First Round
Sattler def. Allen 6-2, 6-0; Browne def. Ling 6-2, 6-2; Schikora def. Wise, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3; Riffy def. Dresen, 6-1, 6-2.
Second Round
Sattler def. Spencer 6-2, 6-2; Brone def. Yankey6-1, 6-3; McCurdy def. Shikora 6-3, 6-2; Riffy def. Storro, 6-4, 6-1.
Doubles
First Round
TJ Benson/Alex Cislo, Lib, bye; Connor Ellis/Joel Bacher, Wfsh, def. Hayden Congdon/Sam Peel, Pol, 6-2, 6-2; Will Davey/Ian Laimbeer, Pol, def. Jeff Blixt/Colten Cheff, Ron, 6-2, 3-6, 7-5; Brian Marcille/Vadim Zvygelskiy, CF, def. Nick Jack/Casey Beiser, Wfsh, 6-4, 6-1; Lewis Brossman/Nate Broden, Lib, def. Payton Adams/Jess Smith, Ron, 6-1, 6-1; Tyler Schiff/Francisco Valle, Wfsh, def. Nathan Carr/Jordan Mueller, CF, 6-1, 6-0; Hunter Shima/Spencer Sucha, Ron, def. Nick Emerson/Chris King, CF, 7-5, 6-3; Justin Evertz/Shad Giles, Pol, def. Chris Faulkner/Kyle Sweedman, Lib, 6-1, 6-0.
Second Round
Benson/Cislo def. Ellis/Bacher, 6-1, 6-1; Marcille/Zvygelskiy def. Davey/Laimbeer, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4; Brossman/Broden def. Schiff/Valle, 6-3, 6-3; Evertz/Giles def. Shima/Sucha, 6-1. 6-1.
Consolation
First Round
Jack/Beiser def. Blixt/Cheff, 6-4, 6-2; Carr/Mueller def. Adams/ Smith, 6-3, 6-2; Faulkner/Sweedman def. Emerson/King, 6-4, 5-7, 6-6 (7-2).
Girls
Singles
First Round
Jackie Mee, Lib, bye; Kendall Sattler, Wfsh, def. Tashina Barnaby, Ron, 6-0, 6-0; Natalie Law, CF, bye; Karmen Borchers, Pol, bye; Erika Nunlist, Pol, bye; Courtney Wilder, Wfsh, bye; Tana Wilson, Lib, def. Bugin Chinzong, Ron, 6-0, 6-1; Tami Kolatschek, CF, bye; Gabrielle Stenger, CF, bye; Chelsey Oedewaldt, Lib, def. Megan Danczyk, Wfsh, 6-2, 6-1; Whitney Zimmerman, Pol, bye; Amber Metzger, Ron, bye; Lindsey Kehn, Lib, bye; Elena Potter, CF, bye; Tara Sullivan, Wfsh, def. Jonelle Lauer, Ron, 6-1, 6-3; Jane Probst, Pol, bye.
Second Round
Mee def. Sattler, 6-0, 6-0; Borchers def. Law, 7-5; 6-3; Nunlist def. Wilder, 7-6 (7-2), 6-1; Kolatschek def. Wilson, 6-0, 6-1; Oedewaldt def. Stenger, 6-2, 7-6 (9-7); Zimmerman def. Metzger, 6-2, 6-1; Kehn def. Potter, 7-5, 7-6 (7-4); Probst def. Sullivan, 6-0, 6-0.
Quarterfinals
Mee def. Borchers, 6-0, 6-0; Kolatschek def. Nunlist, 6-1, 6-0; Zimmerman def. Oedewaldt, 1-6, 6-2, 6-3; Probst def. Kehn, 6-0, 6-0.
Consolation
First Round
Sullivan def. Barnaby, 6-0, 6-0; Stenger def. Chinzong, 6-0, 6-0; Wilson def. Danczyk, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2; Sattler def. Lauer, 6-1, 6-1.
Second Round
Potter def. Sullivan, 6-0, 6-1; Stenger def. Metzger, 6-0, 6-0; Wilder def. Wilson, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2; Law def. Sattler, 6-0, 6-2.
Third Round
Borchers def. Potter, 6-2, 6-4; Nunlist def. Stenger, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0; Oedewaldt def. Wilder, 6-3, 7-5; Law def. Kehn, 6-2, 6-2.
Doubles
First Round
Kayla Rochin/Kendyall Rochin, Pol, bye; Alissa Buti/Kyla O'Brien, Lib, def. Pepper Borland/Franki Anderson, CF, 6-1, 6-3; Tawnya Granger/Ashley Shaw, Lib, def. Katelyn Matkovich/Darian Blixt, Ron, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3; Shay Grilley/Krystal Bedford, CF, def. Anne Miller/Hannah Weaver, Wfsh, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4; Anna Valentine/Audra Poppen, Lib, def. Taylir Courville/Sarah Anderson, Ron, 6-0, 6-0; Kelsie Howell/Mackenzie Clay, Pol, def. Bailey Chauner/Alexa Holliday, Wfsh, 6-0, 6-4; Jordan Quinn/Audra Engebretson, Pol, def. Seri Smith/Brianna Frank, Ron, 6-1, 6-4; Lexie Bartkoski/Marissa Getts, CF, def. Ryan Chauner/Hailey Craven, Wfsh, 6-2, 6-0.
Second Round
Rochin/Rochin def. Buti/O'Brien, 6-0, 6-0; Grilley/Bedford def. Granger/Shaw, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4; Valentine/Poppen def. Howell/Clay, 6-1, 6-2; Bartkoski/Getts def. Quinn/Engebretson, 6-3, 6-2.
Consolation
First Round
Miller/Weaver def. Matkovich/Blixt, 6-2, 6-1; Chauner/Holliday def. Courville/Anderson, 1-6, 6-3, 6-3; Chauner/Craven def. Smith/Frank, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.