Griz tennis lands former Whitefish star

| May 9, 2018 1:43 AM

MISSOULA (UM Sports Information) — Fresh off receiving the Big Sky Coach of the Year award in his first season as interim head coach of the Montana men’s tennis team, Jason Brown has finalized the incoming class of 2018 with the addition of Finn Anderson, a Whitefish native who returns to Montana as a three-star prospect after playing his high school tennis in Florida, to the program.

Anderson grew up a Griz fan in Whitefish before moving south and winning high school state championships in Florida.

“I love the school, and I’ve been around the school my entire life — going to Missoula growing up in Whitefish, and I don’t think I want to play anywhere else,” Anderson said.

For Brown — also a native of the Treasure State hailing from Conrad — Anderson’s homecoming is equally as sweet.

“Being a lifelong Griz sports fan, it’s so fun to see Montana kids on the football team do well, or Montana kids on the basketball team do well, or whatever. I lived next to Dave Dickenson in the dorms, and seeing a kid from Great Falls do what he has done is special,” Brown said.

“I know getting to represent Montana adds to the excitement for Finn versus playing somewhere else. He’s really excited about being back in his home state getting to play for the Griz.”

Anderson — whose 6-foot-3, 175-pound frame would be imposing on a football field let alone a tennis court — won the 2017 Florida state championship and was a two-time runner-up in one of the most talent-rich states in the nation.

“He’s a big, strong kid. I think when he gets exposed to the speed and pace of college tennis he’ll adapt well. I think he has a lot of untapped potential because he plays a big game,” Brown said.