Polson tennis heads to state

KALISPELL - Polson took home its fourth straight girls' tennis divisional title Saturday, wrapping up a dominant regular season. The best part, head coach Bob Hislop said, may be how dominant the team has become in the last few years, despite having some of the newest players in Northwestern Class A.

"[The] girls won their fourth straight title and really had an amazing weekend," he said. "Polson had only one girls' title in school history before this streak of four. The best part is that we were the youngest girls team in the field."

While a young team bodes well for the future, it's clear the Lady Pirates are stocked for a state run this season as well. The team played so well that the girls had to play each other to advance, Hislop said.

"It was kind of a bummer we had to beat each other out in doubles and singles, but it's cool we all got that far," junior Kendyall Rochin said. Her doubles team of herself and senior sister Kayla clinched the No. 2 doubles seed at state.

The quality play resulted in two singles players and two doubles duos advancing to state. The team beat Libby for the team title by five points.

Senior Jane Probst had an exciting tournament, as she didn't lose a game in her first two matches in straight set sweeps. Her semifinal match up came against teammate Whitney Zimmerman, a freshman that Probst defeated 6-2, 6-0. Once in the finals, Probst ran into top girls' singles player Jackie Mee, of Libby. In what Hislop called "a very well played match," Probst fell 3-6, 2-6, but still punched her ticket as the No. 2 seed at state.

"Jane Probst played by far her best tennis of the year," Hislop said. "Jane has had a knee issue all season and has been sick for the past three weeks so it was really nice to see her back playing at a level she is capable of."

Despite losing to teammate Probst, Zimmerman responded by taking third place at the tournament with a nice run in the loser's bracket. She started by taking out senior teammate Erika Nunlist, who Hislop said "had a great tourney," by a 6-2, 6-4 score before heading to the losers final and winning 6-3, 6-2 to wrap up third place and a trip to state.

"The weekend's good surprise was freshman Whitney Zimmerman, who was Polson's No. 4 singles player," Hislop said. "We learned that she has an iron will and amazing stamina. Without her surprise third place finish, the Lady Pirates Divisional Championship streak would have ended at three."

On the doubles side, the Rochin sisters advanced to state by making it to the doubles finals match. They breezed through the first two rounds, losing only a single game in straight set wins before running into a familiar, but tough, Libby duo and falling 4-6, 6-2, 6-1.

"Neither of the number one seeds had their A game and they fell to Libby No. 1 in three sets," Hislop said of his best doubles pairing. "It is a team they beat in straight sets last week."

Senior Kelsie Howell and sophomore Mackenzie Clay wrapped up the No. 4 spot for state, not before knocking off sophomore teammates Jordan Quinn and Audra Engebretson in a 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 battle. The duo advanced to the losers bracket final before succumbing to a Columbia Falls team 6-4, 2-6, 5-7.

The boys' had their best showing in four seasons as the finished tied with Whitefish for second place overall.

"The Polson boys scored their highest point total at divisionals since 2006 with a second place, 40 point weekend," Hislop said.

The team scoring was led by doubles duo Justin Evertz, a junior, and senior Shad Giles. The pairing started off with a straight set 6-1, 6-1 win over Ronan before two long three setter wins. The boys outlasted two Libby duos, winning 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 in the semifinals before a tough 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 win in the finals.

"Polson's only champs were Justin Evertz and Shad Giles, who beat [the] previously undefeated team of Alex Cislo and TJ Benson from Libby," Hislop said, "The four boys had played an epic three set match in Libby a week ago and Libby had won. This time, Shad and Justin played a really smart third set and won Polson's first boys doubles title since 1994."

Also advancing to state is senior Matt Roberts, who took No. 3 at the divisional tournament. After a tough 5-7, 5-7 loss in the semifinals, Roberts headed to the losers bracket where he cruised to a 6-3, 6-3 win in the finals to wrap up third.

"I have no doubt he would have played in the finals against eventual champ Cree Maloney [of Libby] if it weren't for the fact that he dealt with cramping in his semifinal match when he had a comfortable 5-2 lead in the second set," Hislop said of his senior. "The tournament trainer treated him and he was able to qualify for state."

Hislop was equally proud of all his players, saying that many played their best tennis of the year, whether they qualified for state play or not.

"Only one player we took out of 20 ended up without a win, and with the age of the team, it is really exciting to look to the future," he said.

The Pirates will compete in the state tournament beginning today in Billings.