Glacier girls win AA state tennis title
BOZEMAN — Kellen Bates wrapped up a perfect season with a singles title on Saturday at the Class AA state tennis tournament while the Glacier girls, led by doubles state champions Cami Mathison and Veronica Walton, brought home its first-ever state championship.
Glacier’s girls rolled up 34 points to knock off defending state champion Great Falls High, which finished second with 24. Bozeman was third with 23.
Glacier’s Liana Bates was the singles runner-up for the third-straight year, falling for the second-straight time in the state final to Ellie Crum of Great Falls High 6-2, 6-3.
“She couldn’t quite get past Ellie, again,” Glacier coach Josh Munro said.
Liana Bates lost just three times this season, all to Crum, a senior.Hailey Blalack had a spectacular first tournament for the Wolfpack as she finished fourth in singles. Blalack lost to the state champ in the semis, but managed to take a set from Crum and then lost in a third-set tiebreaker 7-5, 4-6, 10-5.
“A great showing,” Munro said by Blalack, a freshman.
“A tough match there (with Crum). She had an amazing day.”
Mathison, a junior, and Walton, a freshman, completed their first season together by dropping just
one match on the season. They stopped Netti Dayhuff and Shannon Bosche of Bozeman in the final 6-2, 7-6.
“A huge, huge hug,” Munro said of how his top duo celebrated their victory.
“The girls, all of the girls, played so great this weekend,” he said.
“Everybody played tough.”
Kellen Bates finished his season with a 23-0 mark in singles play. He prevailed over Max Dimich-Louvet of Billings Senior in the final 6-3, 6-3.
Kellen Bates won his semifinal match by the same score.
“He played well,” Munro said of the school’s first state tennis champion.
“He had to fight through some things as he was a little sick today. Still, he played well, did what he had to do.”
Munro said when the match ended, Kellen Bates let loose with a fist-pump.
“That was it,” he said.
“He was excited, he was expecting to win. He was very respectful.”
Glacier’s boys also hoisted a state trophy, tying Billings Senior for second place with 14 points. Missoula Hellgate ran off with the team title with a 49-point total.
Snow and rain forced play indoors for the final day. All matches were also shortened, with players starting at 2-2 rather than 0-0.
“Just a great year for all of them,” Munro said of his state qualifiers.
“They handled the weather conditions well. There was lots of cheering, vocal crowds for and against you (indoors). They handled it very well.”
Boys
Team Totals
Missoula Hellgate 49, Billings Senior 14, Glacier 14, Helena Capital 12, Bozeman 5, Helena High 5, Great Falls 5, CMR 4, Billings West 3, Billings Skyview 1, Flathead 0, Missoula Big Sky 0.
Singles
Semifinals
Kellen Bates, Glacier, def. Lee Fristen, Hellgate, 6-3, 6-3.
Max Dimich-Louvet, Senior, def. Tyler Krushensky, Helena, 6-2, 6-2.
Championship
Bates, Glacier, def. Dimich-Louvet, Senior, 6-3, 6-3.
Consolation
Third round
Tyler Christianson, Capital, def. Thomas Steffileno, Senior, 4-6, 6-3, 10-7.
Tony Mayer, Hellgate, def. Kyle Rohrer, GF, 6-4, 7-5.
Semifinals
Christianson, Capital, def. Krushensky, Helena, 3-6, 6-2, 10-6.
Mayer, Hellgate, def. Fristen, Hellgate, 4-6, 6-3, 10-8.
Third place
Christianson, Capital, def. Mayer, Hellgate, no score available.
Doubles
Semifinals
Avery Howard/Cody Jahrig, Hellgate, def. Lucas Matelich/Anders Nord, Hellgate, 6-2, 6-3.
Alex Braun/Eric Braun, Hellgate, def. Sam Angel/Will Ballew, Hellgate, 6-3, 6-2.
Championship
Braun/Braun, Hellgate, def. Howard/Jahrig, Hellgate, 6-0, 6-4.
Consolation
Third round
Alex Martinez/Brit Kessner, CMR, def. Taylor Pulis/Luke Ness, West, 6-4, 6-4.
Nate Christenson/Ryan Messemer, Capital, def. Eli Meyer/Karch Lockerby, GF, 6-4, 4-6, 10-7.
Semifinals
Angel/Ballew, Hellgate, def. Martinez/Kessner, CMR, 6-4, 6-4.
Matelich/Nord, Hellgate, def. Christenson/Messemer, 6-4, 6-3.
Third place
Matelich/Nord, Hellgated, def. Angel/Ballew, Hellgate, 6-2, 7-6.
Girls
Team Totals
Glacier 32, Great Falls 24, Bozeman 23, Billings West 11, Missoula Big Sky 11, Missoula Hellgate 6, Billings Senior 3, Helena Capital 2, Billings Skyview 0, Helena High 0, CMR 0, Flathead 0.
Singles
Semifinals
Liana Bates, Glacier, def. Molly Crum, GF, 6-4, 7-5.
Ellie Crum, GF, def. Hailey Blalack, Glacier, 7-5, 4-6, 10-5.
Championship
E. Crum, GF, def. Bates, Glacier, 6-2, 6-3.
Consolation
Third round
Renae Ockford, Boz, def. Jenna Fiscus, West, no score available.
Dani Sheridan, Big Sky, def. Courtney Collins, Boz, 6-3, 6-2.
Semifinals
Blalack, Glacier, def. Ockford, Boz, 6-3, 6-3.
M. Crum, GF, def. Sheridan, Big Sky, 6-2, 7-5.
Third place
M. Crum, GF, def. Blalack, Glacier, 7-6, 6-3.
Doubles
Semifinals
Cami Mathison/Veronica Walton, Glacier, def. Meghan Crawford/Jillian Burgan, West, 6-2, 6-2.
Netti Dayhuff/Shannon Bosche, Boz, def. Hanley Caras/Shannon Hayes, Big Sky, 7-5, 6-4.
Championship
Mathison/Walton, Glacier, def. Dayhuff/Bosche, Boz, 6-2, 7-6.
Consolation
Third round
Lisa Lee/Kaylee Litle, Boz, def. Michelle Carey/Taylor Simkins, Hellgate, 6-2, 6-3.
Rachel Gorsuch/Katie Cerotzke, GF, def. Natasha Pelensky/Sarah Mutch, Senior, 4-6, 6-4, 10-4.
Semifinals
Crawford/Burgan, West, def. Gorsuch/Cerotzke, GF, 6-2, 6-3.
Caras/Hayes, Big Sky, def. Lee/Litle, Boz, 6-4, 4-6, 10-8.
Third place
Caras/Hayes, Big Sky, def. Crawford/Burgan, West, 6-3, 6-4.