C-Falls, Whitefish start tennis season this week

The Columbia Falls tennis team almost didn’t have a court to play on when practices started last month, but a little persistence and improvisation on coach Michelle Colliander’s part created at least a temporary solution to the issue.

While the courts were torn out by the city last year, the new ones were expected to be done by spring but supply chain issues, among other things, hindered the process to the point that they were incomplete when the spring sports season came around.

Instead of the usual playing surface, the courts were still just blacktop. There was no fencing or lines either. Colliander’s team practiced at the Ruder Elementary School gym and the Summit in Kalispell while the coach lobbied for — and received — special permission from the city of Columbia Falls to use the courts as they were, with few improvements to make them functional for tennis.

Now that they have a place to practice, the Wildcats are shaping up to have a good season with sophomore Cody Schweikert and senior Cade Morgan at the No.1 doubles slot. As a team Schweikert and Morgan qualified for the State A tournament.

Dale Blickhan is making the change from doubles to singles, where he’s slated to play No. 1.

“Excited to see how he does as a singles player,” Colliander said. “He's a very smart player… I think he’ll have some success as a singles player this year.”

On the girls side, junior Chloe Ramage will play No. 1 singles, up from No. 2 last year, though she had a brief stint in doubles just before the state tournament.

"This year she’s hitting really well,” Colliander noted.

The girls doubles lineup is still a fluid situation.

“Right now, I’m not 100 percent set where we are with girls doubles,” Colliander said.

She’s pairing up Grace Gedlaman and Alyssa Williams as a potential No. 1 team.

“(Alyssa) has a solid game,” Colliander said. “I”m going to put those two together and see what happens.”

Columbia Falls begins its season today with a dual in Ronan at 3 p.m.

Patrick Dryden’s Whitefish girls team is full of seniors this year, “The most I’ve ever had,” he said.

Though not every senior will make varsity, it’s still an encouraging sight.

Whitefish was runner up to Polson at last year’s State A and had an individual champion in Gracie Smyley, who has since graduated.

Replicating her success will be no small task.

“We’re going to try to go with the three-headed monster to replace Gracie,” Dryden said.

Those three are Lauren Brown (a state qualifier in 2021), Anyah Cripe and Alivia Lusko. Brown and Cripe are seniors, Lusko a sophomore.

Emma Shaffer, also a senior, is expected to be in the mix.

“She’s going to give us a really tough singles lineup,” Dryden said. "In early season drills all of them have their strengths. Right now I’m really pleased with the way that we’re serving. We’ve made a lot of strides in the last 10 months.”

In doubles, junior Tallory Workman and seniors Emma Trieweiler, Ashley Gunset and Elliette Haigh will be factors, but pairs are undecided.

Workman went to the state tournament last year and Haigh missed a season with and ACL tear.

The Whitefish boys were second at state, like the girls, and are set up for another strong season with six seniors on the roster.

“It’s a really good, solid group,” coach Chris Schwaderer said. “They’ve just been building and developing for four years. It’s kind of a fun time for all of them to come up together at the same time.”

Joe Brandt, a state qualifier last year, will slot in at No. 1 singles.

“He had a really good season,” Schwaderer said. “He’s been working hard in the offseason, sharpening up his game. He’s going to be a quality singles player.’

In at No. 1 doubles are seniors Aaron Dicks and Highland Lee-French, who ended up second at divisionals and fourth at state last year.

Seniors Fin Stagg and Austin Gunset, who are relatively new to tennis but improving quickly, will likely be the No. 2 doubles team depending on how things shake out.

“Like all these guys, they started out young and inexperienced but they love the game and they’ve gotten a lot better,” Schwaderer said.”They didn’t qualify for state (last year) but I have high hopes for them.”

The Whitefish girls play host to Columbia Falls for its first dual of the season Thursday, scheduled for 3 p.m. on the Riverside courts. The boys travel a few miles to Columbia Falls for their dual, also at 3 p.m. Thursday.