Wolfpack looks to net more titles at divisional

Last year it was a memorable performance by the Glacier High School tennis team at the Northern AA divisional tournament.

The Wolfpack had one individual champion - Kellen Bates in singles - a doubles champion - Veronica Walton and Cami Mathison - and a team title in girls play.

Those were all school firsts.

And it could happen again.

Divisional action begins today at noon on the courts at Flathead Valley Community College. Forty-eight matches are scheduled to be played.

Play resumes Friday at 9 a.m. with semifinal action.

The top four finishers in singles and doubles advance to state - May 20-21 in Great Falls.

Only three schools are competing at the divisional this year - Glacier, Flathead and C.M. Russell. Great Falls High, which won the boys divisional title here last year - will compete in Missoula at the Western AA divisional because of a rotational schedule.

Next year, all four teams - Glacier, Flathead, C.M. Russell and Great Falls High - will compete in the Northern AA divisional in Great Falls.

"It does open it up a lot, definitely," Glacier coach Josh Munro said of having one less school this year.

"A lot of kids that were close last year, this will give them more of a chance to get through."

Bates, Walton and Mathison are back to defend their titles and the girls will be favored again to claim team honors.

Liana Bates, a singles divisional runner-up, also returns for the Wolfpack.

Glacier wound up sending 10 players - six girls and four boys - to the 2010 state meet.

Kellen Bates went on to win a state AA singles title and the Glacier girls, led by Liana Bates' third-straight runner-up finish, claimed the state AA title.

Munro is hoping to advance between five and nine girls to state and five to eight boys.

"It's not necessarily about the numbers," he said.

"It's the spots and positions. How kids show up to play, mentally."

Munro said the back-to-back days of sunny, near-perfect weather has been a blessing.

"Its definitely a change," he said.

"We were playing in 35-40 degree weather five days ago.

"There is a little bit of fatigue when you are not used to the heat. We've been able to acclimate to it pretty well. They just have to bring their water."

And their game.

Kellen Bates, a sophomore, went 24-0 last year and is 8-0 this spring.

Liana Bates, a senior, is 11-1 to date.

Flathead, which did not qualify a player for state last year, should do so this time.

"My hopes are three, my dreams are six," Flathead coach Buck Measure said.

Flathead's top performer has been freshman singles player Glenn Strickler.

"He's had a great season," Measure said.

"I think he will finish in the top four (at divisional)."

Measure expects his No. 1 girls doubles team - Andrea Battello, senior, and Annie Marshall, junior, to also advance.

"They've had a good year," Measure said.

"They have worked well together."

On the bubble of advancing are Barrie Sugarman, a sophomore singles players, and the Braves No. 1 doubles team of Tucker Moe, a sophomore, and Miles Sorlie, a junior.

Sugar, Battello and Marshall advanced to the divisional consolation semifinals last year.