Tennis: Glacier boys take fifth straight divisional crown
MISSOULA — The Glacier boys won the team title at the Western AA divisional tennis meet on Friday, the fifth straight divisional championship for the Wolfpack after winning the last four in the Northern AA.
Wolfpack senior Hunter Blalack led the way, winning the boys’ singles title over Missoula Big Sky’s Colin Bahin 7-6 (3), 6-2. Blalack also won the singles title in the North last year and has qualified for state all four seasons at Glacier.
Spencer Johnson finished in third place falling to Bahin in three sets in the semifinals 1-6, 6-2, 6-2. Johnson beat Hellgate’s Dylan Rossbach in the consolation final 6-1, 6-1.
Glacier’s top doubles team of Holland Blalack and Sam Stern finished in third place, also qualifying for state, winning 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 over the top team from Big Sky.
The Glacier boys qualified more boys for state than any other team at the tournament.
The top girls’ doubles team for the Wolfpack will also be headed to state. Kali Mathison and Amber Hamblin finished third, winning 6-3, 6-0 in the consolation final. The pair fought all the way back after losing in the first round.
It is Mathison’s fourth trip to the state tournament.
“We had some great matches,” Glacier coach Josh Munro said. “I’m really proud of the way the kids played, even the kids who didn’t make it. I’m really happy with them. The kids played really tough this weekend. It was great.”
The state tournament will be held in Helena next Friday and Saturday.
Western AA Divisional
Friday results
(Finalists earned state berths along with consolation finalists)
BOYS
Team points
Kalispell Glacier 34, Missoula Hellgate 30, Missoula Big Sky 26, Missoula Sentinel 26.
Singles
Semifinals: Colin Bahin, MBS, def. Spencer Johnson, KG, 1-6, 6-2, 6-2; Hunter Blalack, KG, def. Rayce Compton, MBS, 6-1, 6-1.
Final: Blalack def. Bahin, 7-6 (3), 6-2.
Consolation semifinals: Dylan Rossbach, MH, def. Compton, MBS, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1; Johnson def. Sean Lodmeil, MH, 6-2, 6-3.
Consolation final: Johnson def. Rossbach, 6-1, 6-1.
Doubles
Semifinals: Isak Nord/Grant Porter, MH, def. Luke Lingscheit/Jake Tabish, MBS, 6-1, 6-4; Michael Hewitt/Sean Ramsbacher, MS, def. Sam Stern/Holland Blalack, KG, 6-3, 7-5.
Final: Nord/Porter def. Hewitt/Ramsbacher, 6-0, 6-0.
Consolation semifinals: Lingscheit/Tabish def. Jack Hall/Sean Lindley, MBS, 6-3, 6-4; Stern/Blalack def. Donahue/Koehn, MH, 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-0.
Consolation final: Stern/Blalack def. Lingscheit/Tabish, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.
GIRLS
Western AA Divisional
Team scores
Hellgate 49, Sentinel 34, Glacier 15, Big Sky 14.
Singles
Semifinals: Sofia Panarella, MH, def. Mariah Skiftun, MH, 6-1, 6-1; Olivia Panarella, MH, def. Molly Langland, MBS, 6-1, 6-1.
Finals: So. Panarella def. Ol. Panarella, 6-0, 6-0.
Consolation semifinals: Langland def. Sara Heine, MS, 6-0, 6-3; Skiftun def. Van De Wetering, MH, 6-1, 6-0.
Consolation final: Skiftun def. Langland, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.
Doubles
Semifinals: Katie Veteto/Morgan Harrington, MS, def. Maddie Keiper/Holland Small, MH, 6-3, 6-1; Kelsey Thomas/Sarah Ramsbacher, MS, def. Sonja France/Paula Woerlein, MH, 6-2, 6-1.
Final: Veteto/Harrington def. Thomas/Ramsbacher, 6-2, 6-2.
Consolation semifinals: Kali Mathison/Amber Hamblin, KG, def. France/Woerlein, 6-4, 7-6 (0); Keiper/Small def. Anna Cecil/Sarah Seynei, KG, 7-6 (5), 6-4.
Consolation final: Mathison/Hamblin def. Keiper/Small, 6-3, 6-0.