'Pack dominate divisional

Technically, bragging rights in the Bates family really belong to the youngest - Kellen, a sophomore.

But's he's willing to relinquish those for the time being.

The defending Class AA state tennis champion won his second-straight divisional title on Friday at Flathead Valley Community College.

Bates took care of business with a very workmanlike 6-0, 6-0 triumph over freshman Glenn Strickler of Flathead.

Liana Bates, a senior, nearly 20 minutes later captured her first divisional title, besting teammate Hailey Blalack, a sophomore, 6-2, 7-5 in their singles final.

It was her first division championship after back-to-back runner-up performances and placing third as a freshman.

"She's older," Kellen said of the bragging rights issue.

"She can have them."

"That was nice of him," she said while smiling.

"(It feels) pretty good (to be a division champ). Yes, definitely."

Those singles titles, along with Glacier's Cami Mathison and Veronica Walton repeating as divisional doubles champs capped off a very successful two-day Northern AA tournament for the Wolfpack.

The boys claimed their first divisional title, edging C.M. Russell 44-40. Flathead was third with 18 points.

The girls easily repeated as divisional champs, rolling up a 64-point total. CMR was second, 26, and Flathead, 8, third.

This was the third meeting of the season for the undefeated Bates and Strickler. Bates lost one game in their first match-up and two in the second.

"I thought he played pretty solid," Bates said of Strickler.

"The match was closer than the score shows. There were good points in each match and I got most of them.

"I thought we both played better than we did before," he added.

"My serve was the best part of my game today."

"I would say I played pretty well overall," Strickler agreed.

"And definitely played better than the previous two."

Strickler said it was a real challenge to take on Bates, who has not last a match in almost two years. Last year he went 24-0. He's 11-0 so far this spring.

"The way he alternates between hard, flat serves and kick serves," Strickler said of what makes Bates so tough to play.

"His ground strokes are deep with lots of spin. Those are hard to handle."

Still, Strickler was pleased with his performance.

"I could return quite a few of his serves," he said.

"I had pretty decent ground strokes."

Blalack also had perhaps her best showing ever against Bates in their final.

"Hailey played pretty well," Bates said.

"She's playing better. I pulled it out."

Bates, who plans to play collegiate tennis next year at Montana State University, said she's still not playing her best of the season.

"It's just a mental thing, I think," she said.

"Just relax, that's the big one. Hopefully I can get that back."

Her play at divisional, however, gives her some hope for success at state.

"I didn't play well last week, so to come back from that and play fairly well is awesome," she said.

Bates has been a state singles runner-up the last three years.

Blalack will be making her second-straight state tournament appearance. Last year she finished fourth in singles at divisional.

"I'm excited (about state)," Blalack said.

"It was a good match (with Bates). I'm happy with how I played."

Especially in the second set.

"The first set was a little rougher than the second," she said.

"I was making a lot more errors in the first set than I wanted to. Then I just tried to pick up my footwork and cut down my errors a little bit. I tried to play more aggressive."

The net result, Bates had to work much harder in the second set.

Mathison and Walton beat teammates in both the semifinals - Shelby Ballard and Ingrid Erickson 6-0, 6-2 - and finals - Amy Snipstead and Kailea Vaudt 6-0, 6-0.

Glacier is sending a school record 14 to state - seven girls and seven boys. Strickler is Flathead's lone entrant.

The top four in singles and doubles advance.

The AA state meet is Friday and Saturday in Great Falls.

Divisional

Boys

Team Totals

Glacier 44, C.M. Russell 40, Flathead 18

Singles

Semifinals

Kellen Bates, G, def. Brit Kessner, CMR, 6-3, 6-0; Glenn Strickler, F, def. Ben Gold, CMR, 6-0, 6-3.

Championship

Bates def. Strickler, 6-0 6-0

Consolation

Quarterfinals

Phillip Phattharaampornchia, G, def. Andrew Klinginsmith, F, 6-2, 6-0; Will Runkel, CMR, def. Brandon Doty, G, 6-1, 6-2.

Semifinals

Gold def. Phattharammpornchai, 6-4, 4-6, 2-0 retirement to injury; Kessner def. Runkel, 7-5, 6-1.

Third/Fourth

Kessner def. Gold, 6-1, 6-2.

Doubles

Semifinals

Brandon Simpson/Patrick Phattharaampornchai, G, def. Braden Murphy/Nick Yaeger, CMR, 6-0, 6-0; Jack Martinez/Eamon Ormseth, CMR, def. Ryan Schmauch/Ryan Edwards, G, 6-3, 6-1.

Championship

Martinez/Ormseth def. Simpson/Phattharaampornchai, 6-2, 2-6, 6-4.

Doubles

Quarterfinals

Miles Sorlie/Tucker Moe, F, def. Ben Mason/C.J. Schumacher, F, 6-0, 6-2; Karl Hellwig/Evan Froystad, G, def. Gavin Weissman/Will Smith, CMR, 2-6, 6-2, 6-4.

Semifinals

Schmauch/Edwards def. Sorlie/Moe, 2-6, 6-1, 6-4; Hellwig/Froystad def. Murphy/Yaeger, 6-1, 6-3.

Third/Fourth

Hellwig/Froystad def. Schmauch/Edwards, 6-0, 6-0.

Girls

Team Totals

Glacier 64, C.M. Russell 26, Flathead 8

Singles

Semifinals

Liana Bates, G, def. Cecily Meade, CMR, 6-0, 6-0; Hailey Blalack, G, def. Katya Kulikova, G, 6-4, 6-1.

Championship

Bates def. Blalack, 6-2, 7-5.

Consolation

Quarterfinals

Hilary Syvertson, G, def. McCall Smith, F, 6-1, 6-1; Lexi Pyette, CMR, def. Barrie Sugarman, F, 6-3, 7-5.

Semifinals

Kulikova def. Syvertson, 6-0, 6-0; Meade def. Pyette, 6-3, 6-0.

Third/Fourth

Kulikova def. Meade, 6-1, 6-0.

Doubles

Semifinals

Cami Mathison/Veronica Walton, G, def. Shelby Ballard/Ingrid Ericksen, G, 6-0, 6-2; Amy Snipstead/Kailea Vaudt, G, def. Haley Mortenson/Lise Spencer, CMR, 6-3, 1-6, 6-1.

Championship

Mathison/Walton def. Snipstead/Vaudt, 6-0, 6-0.

Consolation

Quarterfinals

McKenzee Richards/Maddie Hazelip, CMR, def. Jaryn Ravetto/Susan Sievers, F, 6-3, 6-0; Katie Fish/Cayley Fish, CMR, def. Andrea Battello/Annie Marshall, F, 6-3, 6-3.

Semifinals

Mortenson/Spencer def. Richards/Hazelip, 6-2, 6-3; Fish/Fish def. Ballard'Ericksen, 6-1,6-4.

Third/Fourth

Mortenson/Spencer def. Fish/Fish, 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (4).