Mee nets fourth tennis title
Libby’s Jackie Mee takes a break between sets during the Western A divisional singles championship match on Friday at Flathead Valley Community College. Mee went on to win her fourth-straight divisional championship.
Whitefish's Joel Mallams makes a return during the boys divisional singles championship match at FVCC Friday afternoon.
Polson's Jane Probst wipes her face with her shirt between sets in the Western A divisional singles championship match on Friday. Probst lost in the finals for a second-straight year to Mee.
Her career may be winding down, but the list of accomplishments continues to grow for Libby's Jackie Mee.
The four-sport, all-state athlete became the first Logger tennis player to win four divisional titles on Friday with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Polson's Jane Probst in the Northwestern A singles final at Flathead Valley Community College.
The win gives her the No. 1 seed from the divisional and sets her up nicely for her fourth state tournament appearance next week, where she is the defending champ.
Mee has won 36 straight matches, 16 of those this year, and has lost just one set during that stretch, which came in the state finals last year.
"You never expect to be undefeated for that long," Mee said, "but it's fun.
"I've worked hard for it. It's exciting."
Libby dominated individual play. Cree Maloney won boys singles and Anna Valentine and Audra Poppen knocked off No. 1- seed Kayla and Kendyall Rochin of Polson in the girls doubles final.
Polson's Justin Evertz and Shad Giles won the boys doubles title.
Polson's girls captured their fourth-straight divisional title with a 61-point total. Libby was next with 56.
Libby's boys took the team trophy with 48 points. Whitefish, which was shooting for its fifth-straight divisional title, tied Polson for second place with 40 each.
The top four singles players and doubles teams advance to state.
Mee opened divisional play Thursday with a pair of easy victories - 6-0, 6-0 and 6-0, 6-0.
Friday morning, she stopped Tami Kolatschek of Columbia Falls 6-1, 6-1 in the semifinals and followed that with perhaps her most challenging match in quite some time versus Probst.
Probst and Mee met just once this season, but the two also squared off in the finals last year at divisional with Mee rolling to a 6-0, 6-0 victory.
"She plays real well," Mee said of Probst.
"She has good strokes. We have some good rallies, so it's fun."
Mee will begin defense of her title on Thursday in Billings. She finished sixth at state her sophomore year and fourth as a freshman.
"It's a weird feeling," she said of having her prep career come to a remarkable close.
"I remember when I was in eighth grade and I watched my brother play (in divisional) and I said I can't wait to do that. Now it's almost over, and in the blink of an eye."
Mee's game, for the most part, was pretty solid in the final. She aced several serves, had Probst chasing some well-placed shots along the line, and stroked the ball with authority.
"My serve is a lot harder and it's a lot more consistent," she said of her game this year.
"Especially my second serve. Last year I took a lot off that one. Now I'm hitting it harder and more consistent. It sets up a lot of easy points.
"I don't know why," she said of being nervous before big matches.
"I want to do so well so badly. I guess it's more nervous excitement."
Northwestern A divisional
Saturday
Team Totals
Libby 48, Whitefish 40, Polson 40, Columbia Falls 26, Ronan 7
Individual Results
Singles
Championship
Cree Maloney, Lib, def. Joel Mallams, Wfsh, 6-2, 5-7, 6-2
Semifinals
Maloney def. Parker Johnson, CF, 6-1, 6-1; Mallams def. Matt Roberts, Pol, 7-5, 7-5.
Consolation
Third/Fourth
Roberts def. Johnson, 6-3, 6-3
Semifinals
Roberts def. Jake Morison, Wfsh, 6-2, 7-6; Johnson def. Crawford Dinning, Lib, 7-6, 6-0
Quarterfinals
Morison def. Austin Butler, Ron, 6-2, 6-2; Dinning def. Miroslav Zvygelskiy, CF, 6-4, 7-6
Doubles
Championship
Justin Evertz/Shad Giles, Pol, def. TJ Benson/Alex Cislo, Lib, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5
Semifinals
Evertz/Giles def. Lewis Brossman/Nate Broden, Lib, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1; Benson/Cislo def. Brian Marcille/Vadim Zvygelskiy, CF, 6-2, 6-2.
Consolation
Third/Fourth
Connor Ellis/Joel Bacher, Wfsh, def. Marcille/Zvygelskiy, 6-1, 4-6, 6-3.
Semifinals
Ellis/Bacher def. Brossman/Broden, 6-4, 6-2; Marcille/Zvygelskiy def. Tyler Schiff/Francisco Valle, Wfsh, 7-6, 7-5.
Quarterfinals
Schiff/Francisco def. Hayden Congdon/Sam Peel, Pol, 2-6, 7-6, 6-0; Ellis/Bacher def. Will Davey/Ian Laimbeer, Pol, 6-3, 6-1.
Girls
Team Totals
Polson 61, Libby 56, Columbia Falls 31, Whitefish 11, Ronan 0
Singles
Championship
Jackie Mee, Lib, def. Jane Probst, Pol, 6-3, 6-1
Semifinals
Mee def. Tami Kolatschek, CF, 6-1, 6-1; Probst def. Whitney Zimmerman, Pol, 6-2, 6-0
Consolation
Third/Fourth
Zimmerman def. Kolatschek, 6-3, 6-2
Semifinals
Zimmerman def. Erika Nunlist, Pol, 6-2, 6-4; Kolatschek def. Natalie Law, CF, 6-2, 6-1
Quarterfinals
Nunlist def. Karmen Borchers, Pol, 6-2, 6-4; Law def. Chelsey Oedewaldt, Lib, 6-4, 6-4
Doubles
Championship
Anna Valentine/Audra Poppen, Lib, def. Kayla Rochin/Kendyall Rochin, Pol, 6-4, 2-6, 6-1
Semifinals
Valentine/Poppen def. Lexie Bartkoski/Marissa Getts, CF, 6-2, 6-3; Rochin/Rochin def. Shay Grilley/Krystal Bedford, CF, 6-0, 6-1
Consolation
Third/Fourth
Bartkoski/Getts def. Kelsie Howell/Mackenzie Clay, Pol, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5
Semifinals
Bartkoski/Getts def. Alissa Buti/Kyla O'Brien, Lib, 6-2, 6-2; Howell/Clay def. Grilley/Bedford 4-6, 7-5, 6-2
Quarterfinals
Howell/Clay def. Jordan Quinn/Audra Poppen, Lib, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4; Buti/O'Brien def. Tawnya Granger/Ashley Shaw, Lib, 6-1, 6-0.