Glacier's Speer, Downs in doubles title contention at State AA
MISSOULA — Glacier doubles pair Haven Speer and Sarah Downs are in title contention after putting together a strong first day of play at the State AA tennis tournament Thursday.
Speer and Downs, Northern AA divisional champs, have Bozeman’s Hailey Buss and Nora Schrank, standing in the way of a semifinal berth.
The Bozeman girls and C.M. Russell boys are in the lead among teams.
Bozeman has 10 points, CMR next with nine, and Missoula Hellgate third with six points.
The CMR boys are one point ahead of Bozeman with 12 points. Billings Senior is next with nine, a Glacier is in fourth with eight points.
Flathead’s Alexis Kersten is working her way through the consolation bracket after a second round loss.
Glacier boys singles players Harrison Sanders and Will Rudbach have won a couple in the consolation rounds and could end up facing each other for third place.
In boys doubles, Glacier’s Alex Galloway and Timmy Glanville ended their season with a loss to CMR duo Noah Stimac and Brady Pike in consolation. Ethan Woods and Trey Engellant remain in contention for at best a third-place finish.
State AA Tennis
Thursday, Missoula
GIRLS
Team scores — Bozeman 10, CMR 9, Missoula Hellgate 6, Helena High 5, Billings Skyview 5, Gallatin 4, Billings Senior 3, Glacier 2, Flathead 2.
Singles
Round 1
Alexis Kersten (FH) def. Sydney Luderitz (SKY) 6-2, 6-1.
Round 2
Qayl Kujala (HEL) def. Kersten 6-3, 6-4.
Consolation
Round 4
Kersten def. Hazel Demaray (SKY) 6-0, 6-0.
Doubles
Round 1
Haven Speer/Sarah Downs (GLA) def. Aydan Paul/Molly O’Connor (GAL) 6-3, 4-6, 6-4; Hailey Buss/Nora Schrank (BOZ) def. Colette Daniels/Katy Bitney (GLA) 6-0, 6-1.
Round 2
Speer/Downs def. Brooke McGrath/Katie Keller (BUT) 6-3, 6-1.
Consolation
Round 3
Kadyn Easter/Amber Williams (BS) def. Daniels/Bitney 7-5, 6-2.
BOYS
Team scores — CMR 12, Bozeman 11, Billings Senior 9, Glacier 8, Helena Capital 6, Billings West 4, Gallatin 4, Missoula Sentinel 3.
Singles
Round 1
Ashton Shipley (CAP) def. Harrison Sanders (GLA) 4-6, 6-4, 6-2; Ryan Ashley (CAP) def. Will Rudbach (GLA) 6-3, 6-3.
Consolation
Round 3
Rudbach def. Chris Piccioni (SKY) 6-4, 6-3; Sanders def. Leo Ma (HEL) 6-2, 6-1.
Round 4
Rudbach def. Coulter Thorn (BEL) 6-2, 6-2; Sanders def. Sebastian Silverstein (HEL) 7-5, 7-6(5).
Doubles
Round 1
Alex Galloway/Timmy Glanville (GLA) def. Ridge Wohler/Josh Ebel (SKY) 4-6, 6-3, 6-3; Carson Bruyere/Dayton Magone (BW) def. Ethan Woods/Trey Engellant (GLA) 6-2, 6-0.
Round 2
Jake Farne/Ayden Schonhoff (GAL) def. Galloway/Glanville 7-6 (2), 7-5.
Consolation
Round 3
Woods/Engellant def. Joseph Opitz/Cooper Elliott (SEN) 6-2, 6-3.
Round 4
Woods/Engellant def. Nate Brooks/Joe Monson (BOZ) 1-6, 7-5, 7-6(6); Noah Stimac/Brady Pike (CMR) def. Galloway/Glanville 7-5, 5-7, 6-4.