AA state tennis: Glacier's Blalack in state singles title match

by The Daily Inter Lake
| May 14, 2015 11:21 PM

HELENA — Despite heavy winds and rain that forced the tournament inside, Glacier’s Hunter Blalack is one match away from a state championship.

The senior went 3-0 during Day 1 of the MHSA Class AA state tennis tournament in Helena on Thursday, defeating Marcos Zelver of Bozeman in the semifinals, 6-3, 6-4.

The Wolfpack boys currently sit in second place in the team standings.

Blalack dropped just one set heading into the semifinal matchup. He opened up the tournament with a straight-set victory over Bozeman’s Colter Fretwell before taking down Fergus Pollard of Billings West, 6-1, 6-0 in the quarterfinals.

“His hard work has paid off. He is playing very well. He’s been very consistent and very confident,” Glacier coach Josh Munro said.

“He adjusted well to the wind and rain that came in at the end of his semifinal match. He served it out as it started to pour harder and he won the match.”

Blalack will face Helena High’s Lane Ryerson. Ryerson, the state runner-up in 2014, took down defending state champ Noah Strizich of Helena Capital, 6-3, 6-1, in a rematch of last year’s title contest.

Blalack is the lone local athlete still in the tournament.

Holland Blalack and Sam Stern went 2-2 on the day, nearly reaching the medal rounds.

Doubles duo Kali Mathison and Amber Hamblin dropped their opening match and went 1-1 in consolation play, losing their second consolation match to end their season.

Ellie Berreth was Flathead’s lone winner, but the freshman dropped a dramatic consolation match to Missoula Hellgate’s Mariah Skiftun, 7-5 (7-4) 6-2 and was eliminated.

Class AA State Tennis Tournament

Helena

BOYS

Team Scores

Billings West 17, Glacier 15, Missoula Hellgate 12, Bozeman 12, Helena High 11, Billings Senior 7, Capital High 6, Missoula Sentinel 4, Missoula Big Sky 4, Great Falls High 4, Billings Skyview 3, Butte 1, CM Russell 0, Flathead 0

Sinlges

Round 1

Layne Ryerson, HHS, def. Daniel Olszewski, Flat, 6-0, 6-1; Colin Bahin, MBS, def. Logan Derby, Boz, 6-0, 6-1; Noah Strizich, CHS, def. Spencer Johnson, Gla, 7-6 (4), 6-4; Jay Montague, Sen, def. Miggy Sanpedro, GFH, 6-1, 6-1; Hunter Blalack, Gla, def. Colter Fretwell, Boz, 6-0, 6-0; Fergus Pollard, BW, def. Tristan Dills, Flat, 6-0, 6-0; Ryan Benge, Sky, def. Eric Abarr, GFH, 6-0, 6-0; Marcos Zelver, Boz, def. Dylan Rossbach, MH, 6-1, 6-0.

Quarterfinals

Ryerson, HHS, def. Bahin, MBS, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (3); Strizich, CHS, def. Montague, Sen, 6-2, 6-1; Blalack, Gla, def. Pollard, BW, 6-1, 6-0; Zelver, Boz, def. Benge, Sky, 6-1, 6-0.

Semi-finals

Ryerson, HHS, def. Strizich, CHS, 6-3, 6-1; Blalack, Gla, def. Zelver, Boz, 6-3, 6-4.

Consolation round 1

Derby, Boz, def. Olszewski, Flat, 6-0, 6-1; Johnson, Gla, def. San Pedro, GFH, 6-4, 6-1; Fretwell, Boz, def. Dills, Flat, 6-1, 6-3; Rossbach, MH, def. Abarr, GFH, 6-2, 6-3.

Consolation round 2

Derby, Boz, def. Montague, Sen, 6-3, 6-3; Bahin, MBS, def. Johnson, Gla, 6-4, 7-6 (4); Benge, Sky, def. Fretwell, Boz, 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (4); Pollard, BW, def. Rossbach, MH, 6-2, 6-2.

Doubles

Round 1

Swatzke/Alme, BW, def. Bentley/Reilly, Bu, 6-0, 6-2; Blalack/Stern, Gla, def. Bernhardt/Korb, CMR, 7-5, 6-0; Hewitt/Ramsbacher, MS, def. Johnstone/Wyman, 6-3, 7-5; Williams/Hance, Boz, def. Driscoll/Foster, Sen, 6-0, 6-0; Nord/Porter, MH, def. Dabler/Perry, GFH, 6-0, 6-2; Thomas/Wilgus, Sen, def. Rehm/Dobbins, CHS, 6-2, 6-4; Pulis/Walker, BW, def. Stagg/Bittner, Boz, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (7); Lunn/Johnson, GFH, def. Lindley/Tabish, MBS, 6-3, 6-3.

Quarterfinals

Swatzke/Alme, BW, def. Blalack/Stern, Gla, 6-1, 6-1; Williams/Hance, Boz, def. Hewitt/Ramsbacher, MS, 6-2, 6-2; Nord/Porter, MH, def. Thomas/Wilgus, Sen, 7-5, 6-3; Lunn/Johnson, GFH, Pulis/Walker, BW, 6-3, 7-6 (4).

Semi-finals

Sawatzke/Alme, BW, def. Williams/Hance, Boz, 4-6, 6-0, 6-3; Nord/Porter, MH, def. Lunn/Johnson, GFH, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1.

Consolation round 1

Rehm/Dobbins, CHS, def. Dabler/Perry, GFH, 6-1, 6-3; Bentley/Reilly, Bu, def. Bernhardt/Korb, CMR, 6-4, 6-3; Driscoll/Foster, Sen, def. Johnstone/Wyman, GFH, 6-0, 7-6 (2); Stagg.Bittner, Boz, def. Lindley/Tabish, MBS, 6-2, 6-0.

Consolation round 2

Hewitt/Ramsbacher, MS, def. Bentley/Reilly, Bu, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2; Blalack/Stern, Gal, def. Driscoll/Foster, Sen, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2; Rehm/Dobbins, CHS, def. Pulis/Walker, BW, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1; Thomas/Wilgus, Sen, def. Stagg/Bittner, 6-0, 6-4.

GIRLS

Team

Bozeman 25, Hellgate 18, CM Russell 13, Skyview 10, Sentinel 8, Capital High 5, West 4, Helena High 4, Butte 3, Great Falls 2, Glacier 1, Flathead 1, Senior 0, Big Sky 0

Singles

Round 1

Katie Hooton, Sky, def. Ashley Mineau, Boz, 6-4, 6-2; Mariah Skiftun, MH, defaulted over Jenna Jensen, Flat; Olivia Panarella, MH, def. Ellie Berreth, Flat, 6-2, 6-0; Zoe Lindgren, Boz, def. Abbie George, HHS, 6-0, 6-2; Sofia Panarella, MH, def. Lucia Barbieto, CMR, 6-0, 6-2; Isbah Khan, Sky, def. Karissa Tu, Boz, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2; Hannah Haas, CHS, def. Witni Wilson, Sky, 6-0, 6-1; Abigail Davidson, GFH, def. Molly Langland, MBS, 6-1, 6-0.

Quarterfinals

Hooton, Sky, def. Skiftun, MH, 6-0, 6-4; Lindgren, Boz, def. O. Panarella, MH, 6-1, 6-1; S. Panarella, MH, def. 6-1, 6-2; Haas, CHS, def. Davidson, GFH, 7-5, 6-2.

Semi-finals

Lindgren, Boz, def. Hooton, 6-1, 6-0; S. Panarella, MH, def. Haas, CHS, 6-3, 6-0.

Consolation round 1

Mineau, Boz, default over Jensen, Flat; Berreth, Flat, def. George, HHS, 7-5, 6-0; Wilson, Sky, def. Langland, MBS, 6-1, 6-3; Tyu, Boz, def. Barbieto, CMR, 6-2, 6-4.

Consolation round 2

Wilson, Sky, forfeit over Khan, Sky; O. Panarella, MH, def. Mineau, Boz, 7-5, 6-2; Skiftun, MH, def. Barreth, Boz, 7-6 (7-4), 6-2; Tu, Boz, def. Davidson, GFH, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2.

Doubles

Round 1

Starke/Battershell-Corson, HHS, def. Dart/Roady, GFH, 6-1, 6-1; Ramsbacher/Thomas, MS, def. Reddig/Swenson, CHS, 6-3, 6-0; Ori/McGinnis, Bu, def. Hamblin/Mathison, Gla, 7-5, 6-3; Martinez/Georeg, CMR, def. Light/VanDyke, Sky, 6-1, 6-0; Harrington/Veteto, MS, def. Hays/Linkenbach, Boz, 6-4, 6-4; Meyer/Woodin, BW, def. Pyette/Campbell, CMR, 6-4, 6-2; Dutton/Hoff, Sky, def. Madsen/Murphy, GFH, 7-6 (2), 6-2; Allen/Shea, Boz, def. Keiper/Small, MH, 6-2, 6-2.

Quarterfinals

Ramsbacher/Thomas, MS, def. Starke/Battershell-Corson, HHS, 6-3-6-0; Martinez/George, CMR, def. Ori/McGinnis, Bu, 6-0, 6-0; Harrington/Veteto, MS, def. Meyer/Woodin, BW, 6-2, 6-2; Allen/Shea, Boz, def. Dutton/Hoff, Sky, 6-1, 6-1.

Semi-finals

Martinez/George, CMR, def. Ramsbacher/Thomas, MS, 6-2, 6-3; Allen/Shea, Boz, def. Harrington/Veteto, MS, 6-2, 6-2.

Consolation round 1

Reddig/Swenson, CHS, def. Dart/Roady, GFH, 6-1, 6-2; Hamblin/Mathison, Gla, def. Light/VanDyke, Sky, 7-6 (2), 6-1; Pyette/Campbell, CMR, def. Hays/Linkenbach, Boz, 7-6 (3), 6-7 (3), 6-4; Keiper/Small, MH, def. Madsen/Murphy, GFH, 6-3, 7-6 (6).

Consolation round 2

Ori/McGinnis, Bu, def. Reddig/Swenson, CHS, 6-1, 6-0; Starke/Battershell-Corson, HHS, def. Hamblin/Mathison, Flat, 5-7, 6-2, 6-0; Pyette/Campbell, CMR, def. Dutton/Hoff, Sky, 6-2, 2-6, 6-0; Meyer/Woodin, BW, def. Keiper/Small, MH, 6-3, 6-0.

Consolation quarters

Starke/Battershell-Corson, HHS, def. Ori/McGinnis, Bu, 7-6 (4), 6-4; Meyer/Woodin, def. Pyette/Campbell, CMR, 6-2, 6-3.