Speer, Downs take Northern AA Divisional crown

Glacier’s top doubles pairing of Haven Speer and Sarah Downs claimed the Northern AA Divisional tennis title Friday at FVCC defeating Ryann Walker and Olivia Buckingham of CMR.

Speer and Downs will be joined at the state tournament by fellow duo Cadence and Cassidy Daniels who claimed third place Friday.

“It was a great day for us,” Downs said. “ We played confidently all day long and I think we just improved as the day went on.

“I think we really just came together today and executed the shots we wanted to,” Speer said. “ We really played together and had a great time.”

In the boys doubles competition, Glacier’s Will Rudbach and Sam Engellant come up short of a divisional crown, but make the trip to state along with fourth-place finishers Carl Bitney and Dalyn Mathison.

“You need one or two (losses) just to get ready,” Rudbach said after falling to CMR’s Josh Stimac and Eli Crist — a duo they beat earlier in the season.. “Hopefully we will just try and forget about it, maybe learn from it a little and see where it goes.”

Kutuk White picked up a third-place match win in boys singles to secure a spot at the state tournament for the Wolfpack.

In girls singles, Glacier’s Leilani Lennarz also grabbed a third place finish to secure her trip to Bozeman for the state tournament.

Flathead finished the tournament with no qualifiers to state next week, but head coach Travis Cattron said he is proud of how his young team performed.

“We had four freshman that did really well,” Cattron said. “As far as the future of the team, we have some kids who are already really close to qualifying in the first year they played. A very strong base there.”

In the team results, CMR claimed both the boys and girls championships. The girls finished with 57 points, ahead of Glacier (42), Flathead (12), and Great Falls (1). The boys ended with 61 points. Glacier finished second with 35 points, Great Falls (9) and Flathead (7) finished out the standings.

The state tournament is May 23-24 in Bozeman.

Northern AA Divisional

FVCC

Top four qualify for state tournament

BOYS

Team results — 1, CMR 61; 2, Glacier 35; 3, Great Falls 9; 4, Flathead 7.

DOUBLES

Semifinals — Will Rudbach/Sam Engellant, Glacier def. Carl Bitney/Dalyn Mathison 6-0, 6-1; Josh Stimac/Eli Crist, CMR def. Aeden Bingham/Conner Sherman 6-2, 6-2.

Consolation semifinals — Aeden Bingham/Conner Sherman, CMR def. Michael Waldenburg/Charlie Bruce 6-0, 6-4; Carl Bitney/Dalyn Mathison, Glacier def. Jayce Isles/Kevin Fortin 6-3, 6-4.

Third place — Aeden Bingham/Conner Sherman, CMR def. Carl Bitney/Dalyn Mathison 7-5, 7-6 (6).

Championship — Josh Stimac/Eli Crist, CMR def. Will Rudbach/Sam Engellant 6-3, 6-3.

SINGLES

Semifinals — Howard Daniels, CMR def. Kutuk White 6-4, 1-6, 6-4; Fleming Daniel, CMR def. Kade Haverlandt 5-7, 7-5, 6-3.

Consolation semifinals — Kade Haverlandt, CMR def. Wiwo Batungbacal 6-1, 6-3; Kutuk White, Glacier def. Chad Wyman 6-4, 6-4.

Third place — Kutuk White, Glacier def. Kade Haverlandt 6-1, 6-3.

Championship — Howard Daniels, CMR def. Fleming Daniel 6-4, 6-2.

GIRLS

Team results — 1, CMR 57; 2, Glacier 42; 3, Flathead 12; 4, Great Falls 1.

DOUBLES

Semifinals — Haven Speer/Sarah Downs, Glacier def. Katy Bitney/Elise Strobel 6-1, 6-1; Ryann Walker/Olivia Buckingham, CMR def. Cadence Daniels/Cassidy Daniels 6-3, 6-4.

Consolation semifinals — Cadence Daniels/Cassidy Daniels, Glacier def. Kaylee Wasilewski/Kenzie Engel 6-0, 6-4; Quincy Weymouth/Marianne Hawley, CMR def. Katy Bitney/Elise Strobel 6-2, 2-6, 6-4.

Third place — Cadence Daniels/Cassidy Daniels, Glacier def. Quincy Weymouth/Marianne Hawley 6-3, 5-7, 6-4.

Championship — Haven Speer/Sarah Downs, Glacier def. Ryann Walker/Olivia Buckingham 6-0, 6-0.

SINGLES

Semifinals — Grace Kauffman, CMR def. Leilani Lennarz 6-1, 6-2; Gabbi Molen, CMR def Claire Ennis 7-6 (7-2), 6-2.

Consolation semifinals — Kiera Richards, CMR def. Claire Ennis 2-6, 6-4, 7-5; Leilani Lennarz, Glacier def. Coco Brown 6-4, 4-6, 6-1.

Third place — Leilani Lennarz, Glacier def. Kiera Richards by default.

Championship — Gabbi Molen, CMR def. Grace Kauffman by default.

    Glacier's Will Rudbach hits a return in the boys doubles final with teammate Sam Engellant against Great Falls CMR's Eli Crist and Josh Stimac at the AA Northern Divisional Tennis Tournament at Flathead Valley Community College on Friday, May 17. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    Glacier's Leilani Lennarz hits a return in a girls singles match against Great Falls CMR's Coco Brown in the AA Northern Divisional Tennis Tournament at Flathead Valley Community College on Friday, May 17. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    Glacier's Kutuk White hits a return in a boys singles match against Great Falls' Chad Wyman in the AA Northern Divisional Tennis Tournament at Flathead Valley Community College on Friday, May 17. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider