Jordt and Martel place third at state tennis
Bigfork’s tennis doubles team of Adam Jordt and Isaac Martel placed third in the State tournament last weekend.
“Adam and Isaac just played a really great tournament,” coach Paul Sullivan said. All season he said, they had the skills but things weren’t really falling into place for them. But at the state tournament they did, “and that’s the right time to do it.” Sullivan said.
He said they played “probably the best match of the careers,” in the semifinals against a Loyola team, which they lost. But they came back through the consolation bracket, beating a team from Conrad and coming back from a first set loss against a Troy team. When they played for third against Zach Burke and Harry Muth of Loyola Sacred Heart they were pretty in control.
The girls doubles team of Alanis Stallknecht and Brooke Bonner placed sixth. Coach Mike Bonner said they played well the first day of the tournament, making it to the semi-finals where they lost to the eventual state champions.
They struggled in the consolation bracket, and lost the match for fifth place to Alecia Fladstol and Carmen Estalell of Choteau.
However, Bonner said they were happy to place.
The other boys doubles team of George Gibson and Ben Russell also made it to the second day of the tournament. Sullivan said they were paired together halfway through the season and have come a long way this year. It was a good tournament for them he said, even though they didn’t place.
“They just kept battling and just fighting,” he said.
Sullivan is excited to see how the team continues to grow and improve.
“We had a young team, and an inexperienced team,” Sullivan said. “But watching how far these kids came this season, I’m really excited to see how they do next year.”
Class B-C State Tennis
BOYS
At Peak Racquet Club
Team scores
Loyola Sacred Heart 59, Cut Bank 38, St. Ignatius 23, Troy 20, Ronan 19, Conrad 17, Bigfork 14, Valley Christian 6, Darby 2.
Singles
Championship
Kalen Christiaens, Loyola, def.Karl Daniels, St. Ignatius, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.
Third place
Isaac Matt, Cut Bank, def. Ian Descamps, Loyola, 6-1, 6-2.
Fifth place
Tyler Padilla, Conrad, def. Fisher Shima, Ronan, 5-7, 7-3, 6-3.
Doubles
Championship
Teddy Muth/Stephen Sellman, Loyola, def. Michael Kraft/Robert Jennings, Cut Bank, 6-4, 6-3.
Third place
Adam Jordt/Isaac Martel, Bigfork, def. Zach Burke/Harry Muth, Loyola, 1-6, 7-6, 7-6.
Fifth place
Bruce Metz/Luke Haggerty, Troy, def. Daniel Aylesworth/Ron Cullis, Ronan, 6-4, 6-1.
GIRLS
Team scores
Chinook 35, Townsend 31, Cut Bank 28, Fairfield-Power 23, Chester/Joplin/Inverness 13, Baker and Choteau 12, Bigfork 11, Loyola and Troy 9, Conrad 7, Superior-Alberton and Wolf Point 5, Valley Christian and Fort Benton 4, St. Ignatius 3, Eureka and Ronan 2, Simms, Boulder and Darby 1.
Singles
Championship
Mariah Swank, Chinook, def. Paige Larson, Cut Bank, 7-5, 6-3.
Third place
Brooke Nicholson, Chinook, def. Kylie Hadley, Baker, 7-5, 5-7, 6-2.
Fifth place
Susanne Stewart, Chester/Joplin/Inverness, def. Jocelyn Caldwell, Loyola, 6-4, 6-3.
Doubles
Championship
Jill Barta/Kaylee Baeth, Fairfield, def. Kasee Clark/Mariah Saltzman, Townsend, 6-2, 6-4.
Third place
Alex Kraft/Duana Gobert, Cut Bank, def. Katie/Kellie Lundin, Troy, 6-3, 7-5.
Fifth place
Alecia Fladstol/Carmen Estalella, Choteau, def. Alanis Stallknecht/Brooke Bonner, Bigfork, 6-4, 6-2.