Boys doubles teams take second and third at state
The Bigfork Boys doubles teams led the Vikings to second place at the Class B-C state tennis tournament on Saturday in Great Falls.
The Vikings finished the three-day event with a 29-point total.
Number one doubles team Isaac Martel and Adam Jordt placed second. The pair played their way to the championship match against Loyola’s Sellman and Roberts. Though Martel and Jordt took the second set, Loyola claimed the third. Coach Paul Sullivan said the matches for the duo were strong all around.
Number two doubles team Ben Russell and George Gibson placed third, defeating Loyola’s Muth and Nagata in an exciting matchup.
“It was a really fun match to watch,” Sullivan said.
Coach Mike Bonner said throughout the tournament Russell and Gibson stepped up their game.
“I think Ben and George, they just came alive at the right time and played really well when it mattered,” Bonner said. “They really came through at clutch moments.
While the doubles teams found the podium, the Vikings singles players just missed it.
Kyle Thomson made it to the quarterfinals, but lost a tough match there to the eventual third place finisher.
Freshman Alex Buenz won his first round match, but didn’t make it to a placing matchup. Freshman Michael Bedford lost his first round match.
Overall Sullivan said he thought the boys finished well.
“Finishing up second place at state, I think that’s a pretty accurate representation of where we were,” he said. “I think the kids competed hard all season and were ready when they got to state.”
After winning divisionals the Valkyries had a rough go at state. All of the girls lost their first round matches and had to fight their way through the consolation bracket.
Number one doubles team Brooke Bonner and Alauna Weilacher had a first round bye, but found themselves up against a hot pair when they hit the court in the second round.
“The girls were very disappointed,” Mike Bonner said. “They did so well at divisionals and so well in the regular season it was just kind of a shock to them.”
The Vals fared better in the consolation bracket, but none were able to fight their way back to the podium.
Bonner and Weilacher won three matches, but lost the match that would have advanced them to a placing round.
Divisional champion Kalia Wicklund also won a few consolation matches.
Though state wasn’t what the Vals had hoped for, Bonner said he thinks they look strong for next season. Brooke Bonner is the only senior graduating for the Vals. Graduating on the boys side is Martel, Thomson, Tyler Zavala and Mack Paine. “We have a lot to look forward to next year on both teams,” Bonner said.
State B-C Tennis
At Great Falls
Meadow Lark CC
GIRLS
Chinook 52, Cut Bank 28, Baker 24, Townsend 22, Lone Peak 15, Chester-Joplin Inverness 13, Choteau 11, Conrad 9, Jefferson 9, Missoula Loyola 7, Fairfield 7, Bigfork 6, Wolf Point 4, Philipsburg 3, Darby 2, Whitehall 2, St. Ignatius 2, Troy 1, Valley Christian 1
SEMIFINALS
Luisa Locker, Lone Peak, def. Brooke Nicholson, Chinook, 6-4, 6-1; Mariah Swank, Chinook, def. Dakota Dosch, Cut Bank, 6-2, 6-0
Championship
Mariah Swank, Chinook, def. Luisa Locker, Lone Peak, 7-6 (10-8), 7-6 (14-12)
Consolation semifinals
Lauren Stewert, CJI, def. Dakota Dosch, Cut Bank, 6-3, 6-1; Brooke Nicholson, Chinook, def. Kylie Hadley, Baker, 6-2, 5-7, 6-2
Fifth Place
Kylie Hadley, Baker, def. Dakota Dosch, Cut Bank, 6-3, 7-5
Third Place
Brooke Nicholson, Chinook, def. Lauren Stewert, CJI, 6-4, 5-7, 6-2
DOUBLES
Semifinals
Kraft-Gobert, Cut Bank, def. Sparrow-Yancy, Broadus, 6-1, 6-2; Harshman-Gunderson, Chinook, def. Bullock-Vossler, 6-2, 6-4
Championship
Kraft-Gobert, Cut Bank, def. Harshman-Gunderson, Chinook, 4-6, 6-2, 6-0
Consolation Semifinals
Sparrow-Yancy, Broadus, def. Gramm-Hodgkiss, Choteau, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2; Hickey-Wyrick, Baker, def. Bullock, Vossler, Jefferson, 6-2, 6-4
Fifth Place
Gramm-Hodgkiss, Choteau, def. Bullock-Vossler, Jefferson, 7-5, 6-3
Third Place
Hickey-Wyrick, Baker, def. Sparrow-Yancy, Broadus, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1
BOYS
Missoula Loyola 71, Bigfork 29, Troy 26, Ronan 18, St. Ignatius 14, Cut Bank 12, Valley Christian 12, Conrad 6, Darby 3
SINGLES
Semifinals
Kalen Christiaens, Loyola, def. Fisher Shima, Ronan, 6-1, 6-4; Carson Christian, Loyola, def. Ian Descamps, Loyola, 7-5, 7-5
Championship
Kalen Christiaens, Loyola, def. Carson Christian, Loyola, 6-2, 6-3
Consolation semifinals
Ian Descamps, Loyola, def. Andrew Esslinger, St. Ignatius, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2; Dominic Chiaverini, Troy, def. Fisher Shima, Ronan, 6-4, 6-1
Fifth Place
Fisher Shima, Ronan, def. Andrew Esslinger, St. Ignatius, 7-6, 3-6, 6-3
Third Place
Ian Descamps, Loyola, def. Dominic Chiaverini, Troy, 6-3, 6-4
DOUBLES
Semifinals
Sellman-Roberts, Loyola, def. Gibson-Russell, Bigfork, 6-2, 6-3; Martel-Jordt, Bigfork, def. Manuel-Brewer, Valley Christian, 6-3, 6-0
Championship
Sellman-Roberts, Loyola, def. Martel-Jordt, Bigfork, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1
Consolation Semifinals
Muth-Nagata, Loyola, def. Manuel-Brewer, Valley Christian, 7-5, 4-7, 6-1; Gibson-Russell, Bigfork, def. Czech-Ray, Cut Bank, 4-6, 6-1, 7-5
Fifth Place
Czech-Ray, Cut Bank, def. Manuel-Brewer, Valley Christian, 6-2, 6-4
Third Place
Gibson-Russell, Bigfork, def. Muth-Nagata, Loyola, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2