Glacier girls win state tennis
GREAT FALLS - Glacier ruled the courts on the final day of the Class AA state tennis tournament Saturday.
The Wolfpack defended its girls state title, blowing away the field by placing 1-2-3 in singles and winning doubles. That added up to a 46-point total, 30 points better than runner-up Bozeman. Great Falls High was third with 12.
The Glacier girls have now brought home a state trophy four-straight years.
The Glacier boys earned a trophy for the second straight year, this time finishing third with 14 points. Missoula Hellgate defended its title, amassing 44 points. Billings Senior was second, 22.
The Glacier boys tied for second last year.
"We had everything lined up," Glacier coach Josh Munro said for state, with seven boys and seven girls qualifying.
"We knew if we executed, good things would happen and they did.
"The only bracket we didn't win was boys doubles," Munro added.
"The kids fought through the adversity of a crazy schedule (Friday and Saturday) and performed very well."
The two-day tournament was forced indoors both days because of rain. All play took place on three courts at Meadow Lark Country Club.
Kellen Bates, Glacier's standout sophomore, breezed through another undefeated season to repeat as singles champ. He beat Joe Weaver of Billings Senior in the final, 6-1, 6-3.
"The points were intense," Munro said.
"It was crazy. Both boys were on top of their game."
Liana Bates, who has finished second in state singles the last three years for the Wolfpack, finally broke through in her final state trip. She defeated teammate Hailey Blalack, a sophomore, 6-0, 6-3 in the final.
Those two also played for the Northern AA
divisional title a week earlier in Kalispell.
"Big hugs all around from the girls," Munro said after the state final.
"She (Bates) was just excited. She's worked really hard and earned this one."
The surprise may be been turned in by Glacier's Katya Kulikova. She defeated Molly Crum of Great Falls High 6-2, 7-6 (7-3) to place third.
Crum finished third at state last year.
"She refused to give up," Munro said of Kulikova.
"She had a big lead in second set, let it slip away a little, but refocused and came back strong in the tie-breaker."
Glacier's Cami Mathison and Veronica Walton outlasted Shannon Bosche and Madi Henning of Bozeman in their doubles final, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.
"That was the only team (Bosche and Henning) to beat them since last year at the Kalispell Invitational when they were sick," Munro said.
"They (Mathison and Walton) played amazing tennis, especially all day Friday."
Flathead had one performer at state - freshman Glenn Strickler. He was eliminated in the second round of consolation play on Saturday.
BOYS
Team Totals
Missoula Hellgate 44, Billings Senior 22, Kalispell Glacier 14, Helena High 12, Billings West 4, Bozeman 2, Great Falls CMR 2, Butte High 1, Kalispell Flathead 1, Missoula Sentinel 1, Helena Capital 1
Singles
Quarterfinals
Joe Weaver, Senior, def. Tony Mayer, Hellgate, 7-5, 6-3; Dylan Harvala, Hellgate, def. Tyler Krushensky, Helena, 6-2, 6-2; Alex Braun, Hellgate, def. Max Dimich-Louvert, Senior, 5-7, 6-4, 10-8; Kellen Bates, Glacier, def. Collin Harris, Helena, 6-3, 6-3
Semifinals
Weaver def. Harvala 6-4, 6-2; Bates def. Braun 6-1, 6-2
Championship
Bates def. Weaver 6-1, 6-3
Consolation
First Round
Glenn Strickler, Flathead, def. Nick Swenson, Capital, 6-2, 6-2; Brit Kessner, CMR, def. Alex Savoie, Bozeman, 6-2, 6-3;
Ben Gold, CMR, def. Yasser Rios, Helena, 6-2, 6-3; Lucas Veteto, Sentinel, def. Robbie Pike, Bozeman, 6-4, 6-4
Second Round
Krushensky def. Strickler 6-3, 6-4; Kessner, CMR, def. Mayer 6-4, 7-5; Harris def. Gold 6-2, 6-2; Dimich-Louvert def. Veteto 7-5, 6-2
Third Round
Krushensky def. Kessner 6-4, 7-5; Dimich-Louvert def. Harris 6-2, 6-4
Fourth Round
Braun def. Krushensky 6-2, 6-2; Dimich-Louvert def. Harvala 6-3, 6-7, 10-8
Third-Fourth
Dimich-Louvert def. Braun 6-2, 6-1
Doubles
Semifinals
Avery Howard/Anders Nord, Hellgate, def. Cody Jahrig/Blake Miller, Hellgate, 6-4, 6-4; Sam Angel/Lee Fritsen, Hellgate, def. Will Poell/Colter Curey, Helena, 6-3, 6-7 (10-4)
Championship
Howard/Nord def. Angel-Fritsen 6-3, 6-2
Consolation
First Round
Sonny Sando/Joe Fogerty, Capital, def. Ryan Schmauch/Ryan Edwards, Glacier, 7-5, 6-2; Ryan Messner/Joe Henderson, Capial, def. Jack Martinez/Eamon Ormseth, CMR, 6-4, 6-3; Karl Hellwig/Evan Froystad, Glacier, def. Aaron Folsom/Ethan Gilleran, Helena, 6-4, 6-3; Daniel Harvala/Sam Waldorf, Hellgate, def. Brandon Simpson/Patrick Phattharaampornchai, Glacier, 6-2, 6-3.
Second Round
Spencer Beswick/Fritz Keuch, Bozeman, def. Sando-Fogerty 6-4, 7-5; Nick Pelensky/Nick Staffileno, Senior, def. Messner/Henderson 2-6, 6-3, 10-7; Ryan Wheeler/Trais Woodley, West, def. Hellwig/Froystad 6-3, 6-2; Harvala/Waldorf def. Hunter Hauptman/Bridger Blain, Senior, 6-2, 6-3
Third Round
Pelinsky/Staffileno def. Beswick/Keuch 6-4, 6-4; Harvala/Waldorf def. Wheeler/Woodley 6-3, 6-4
Fourth Round
Poell/Curry def. Pelinsky/Staffileno; Harvala/Waldorf def. Jahrig/Miller 2-6, 6-4, 10-6
Third-Fourth
Harvala/Waldorf def. Poell/Curry 6-4, 6-4
GIRLS
Team Totals
\Glacier 46, Bozeman 16, Great Falls High 12, Billings West 11, Missoula Hellgate 5, Missoula Big Sky 4, Missoula Sentinel 4, Helena Capital 3, Great Falls CMR 2, Helena High 1
Singles
Quarterfinals
Dani Sheridan, Big Sky, def. Christine Olivo, Bozeman, 7-6, 6-3; Liana Bates, Glacier, def. Brooke Satre, Capital, 6-2, 6-3; Katya Kulikova, Glacier, def. Molly Crum, GFH, 6-3, 6-2; ailey Blalack, Glacier, def. Sarah Harmsworth, Hellgate, 6-2, 7-5
Semifinals
Bates def. Sheridan 6-0, 6-1; Blalack def. Kulikova 7-6, 6-4
Championship
Bates def. Blalack 6-0, 6-3
Consolation
First Round
Kaitlin Nichols, Helena, def. Cecily Meade, CMR, 6-4, 6-3; Jackie Santin, GFH, def. Maddi Pederson, Bozeman, 6-7, 7-6, 10-8; Coutney Collins, Bozeman, def. Mariah Garza, Capital, 6-2, 6-3; Ranae Ockford, Bozeman, def. Anita Ratcliff, Capital, 6-2, 6-4
Second Round
Nichols def. Satre 6-4, 3-6, 11-9; Olivo def. Santin 6-3, 6-4; Collins def. Harmsworth 6-3, 6-2; Crum def. Ockford 6-2, 6-2
Third Round
Olivo def. Nichols 6-4, 6-4; Crum def Collins 6-3, 6-2
Fourth Round
Kulikova def. Olivo 6-3, 6-3; Crum def. Sheridan 6-2, 6-2
Third-Fourth
Kulikova def. Crum 6-2, 7-6 (7-3)
Doubles
Semifinals
Shannon Bosche/Madi Henning, Bozeman, def. Stephanie Ehrlich/Jenna Nickless, Sentinel, 6-2, 6-1; Cami Mathison/Veronica Walton, Glacier, def. Katie Cerotzkie/Rachel Gorsuch, GFH, 6-2, 6-4
Championship
Mathison/Walton def. Bosche/Henning 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
Consolation
Second Round
Eileen Gregori/Jade Goodyear, West, def. Amy Snipstead/Kailea Vaudt, Glacier, 4-6, 6-2, 10-2; Claire Rappold/Morgan Simkins, Hellgate, def. Haley Mortenson/Lise Spencer, CMR, 6-2, 6-4; Morgan Woods/Jillian Burgan, West, def. Cayley Fish/Katie Fish, CMR, 6-3, 6-3; Jenna Fiscus/Haley Swain, West, def. Kelsey Garza/Jenna Cunningham, Capital, 6-2, 6-4
Third Round
Rappold/Simkins def. Gregori/Goodyear 6-3, 6-3; Woods/Burgan def. Fiscus/Swain 6-2, 6-4
Fourth Round
Cerotzke/Gorsuch def. Rappold/Simkins 6-3, 7-6; Woods/Bergan def. Ehrlich/Nickless 6-2, 6-2
Third-Fourth
Woods-Bergan def. Cerotzke/Gorsuch 6-3, 6-4