For tennis teams, one last tune up before post-season

The Columbia Falls tennis teams have one final match this week before heading into the Northwest Class A divisional tournament. The teams will host Libby at home this Friday.

Last week, they got in a barrage of matches, as the sun finally shone and the valley was blessed with blue skies and highs in the 70s.

The teams opened with an away match April 28 against Libby. The girls won 4-3, and the boys lost 5-2. The next day in a make-up match against Polson the boys lost 6-1 as did the girls.

Columbia Falls hosted Whitefish on May 1, and the girls lost 6-1, while the boys lost 4-2. They then traveled to Polson on May 3 for a doubleheader against the Pirates and Stevensville. The girls lost to Polson 6-1, but beat the Yellowjackets 6-0. The boys lost to Stevi 6-1 and to Polson 5-2.

While the teams haven’t had great success, there have been individual standout performances. Wildkat Emily Getts has lost only one match all season long as the team’s No. 1 singles player.

“She’s playing consistent, high percentage tennis,” girls coach Jerry Smalley said.

For the boys, coach Gary Yee said the team has had a tough season, but he gives credit to his freshmen and sophomore players for filling in varsity roles, even though they haven’t many wins.

“In the long run, it makes them stronger players,” he said.

The boys’ best chances for a state berth comes from Gavin Thelan in No. 1 singles and the doubles team of Mason Gedlaman and Caleb Baumann. The two came back in a match against Stevi to win in three sets, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. Yee said it was the best the pair had played all season long.

“It was fun to watch,” Yee said.

The Libby matches on Friday are scheduled to start at 3 p.m.

“With one more match before divisionals, we’ve got a lot of fine tuning to get done,” Smalley said. “Especially with so many weather cancellations this year.”