SWEEPING FINISH FOR POLSON TENNIS

by Brandon Hansen & Sports Editor
| May 17, 2012 9:00 AM

LIBBY – Polson tennis wrapped up the regular season last Saturday with a result all too familiar. The Pirates and Lady Pirates swept their opponents, Libby, by team scores of 7-0, 7-0 thanks to strong play up and down the roster.

The weekend cemented an incredible 31-3 dual record by both tennis teams this season.

“That’s absolutely remarkable,” Polson tennis coach Bob Hislop said. “Usually you’ll have one team do really well, but to have both boys and girls teams put up the records that they did is really cool.”

Hislop added that while the girls were expected to be strong this season, a youthful boys squad stepped up in a big way and proved themselves to be a big force in Montana high school tennis this season.

“The boys are still young and to be 15-2, and almost beating a state power like Corvallis twice is very, very satisfying,” Hislop said.

It was business as usual for both teams on Saturday when they swept Libby. For the boys, Brady Hislop trounced No. 1 Libby player Jason Schnackemberg 6-1, 6-0 while Sam Peel, Tommy Mercer and Layne Zimmerman picked up singles wins as well.

In doubles play, Dylan McCrumb and Hayden Congdon, who have yet to be defeated this season, won a No. 1 team matchup against Libby, 6-4, 6-4. Ian Laimbeer and Will Davey picked up a win at No. 2 doubles while Sam Kinzle and Reed Hovenkotter did the same at No. 3 doubles.

For the girls, Sara Robinson played in the No. 1 spot for the second weekend in a row and took a 5-7, 6-4, 10-5 victory over Libby’s No. 1 Kaya Hardgrove. Kylee Wegner, Tegan Bauer and Lauren Dupee also picked up singles victories.

Jordan Quinn and Karly Rochin won at No. 1 doubles, while Audra Engebretson and Karmen Borchers won at No. 2 doubles. Kenzie Clay and Mollybeth Hendrix won at No. 3 doubles.

And while that wrapped up the regular season for Polson, this certainly won’t be the last you hear from these two tennis teams. The Pirates and Lady Pirates are hosting divisionals on Thursday, and look to be the strong favorites against the rest of the Northwestern A.

“Our primary goal is to win a divisional championship and qualify as many as we can for state,” Hislop said.

The top four singles players and doubles teams for boys and girls will qualify for the state tournament. It’s a tough accomplishment to get a state berth but Polson has the potential to take a multitude of those slots, and anytime you can move on in the postseason is a mark of a good player or team.

“We really try to emphasize just how big of deal this is for players to make it to state,” Hislop said.

While the Polson coach isn’t taking anything for granted, Polson should be the strong favorites at divisionals. For example, No. 1 tennis players Brady Hislop and Whitney Zimmerman have yet to lose a set in divisional play. All of the Polson girls doubles teams have rotated through the No. 1 spot in dual play and all three could qualify for state. The Polson boys doubles team also have that same potential.

The divisional tournament is different in that everyone is now playing through a bracket by themselves, meaning they’ll face opponents that they may not otherwise have seen in dual play.

“It’s sometimes tough for some of the No. 3 and No. 4 players because they haven’t faced those other No. 1 players before,” Hislop said. “We have rotated some of the players through to get them that experience. We have had really good luck in the past couple of years with our players coming through with upsets.”

Hislop said that divisionals is something like a boxing match, where kids who suffer a loss in the early stages of the tournament have to pick themselves off the mat and need to continue to play for a state berth.

The Columbia Falls girls squad looks to push the Polson girls, while a deep Whitefish boys squad aims to be the Polson boys biggest challenge.

However, the Pirates and Lady Pirates do hold the advantage in depth and the fact that the matches will be at home.

“It’s a good thing,” Hislop said. “It also gives folks a chance to come down and watch some really good tennis and two good teams. It’s a pretty neat event, there’s a lot of camaraderie with these kids.”

Divisionals will start on Thursday at 10 a.m.

POLSON GIRLS 7, LIBBY 0

Singles - Sara Robinson def. Kaya Hardgrove 5-7, 6-4, 10-5; Kylee Wagner def. Patricia Manikova 6-3, 6-3; Teagan Bauer def. Harley Malstrom 6-3, 7-5; Lauren Dupuis def. Erin Roogers 6-4, 2-8, 10-8. Doubles - Jordan Quinn/Karly Rochin def. Hannah Sullivan/ Tana Wilson 6-2, 6-2; Audra Engebretson/Karmen Borchers def. Kyla O’Brien/Kira Rose 6-0, 6-0; Kenize Clay/Mollybeth Hendrix def. Becky Boulware/Mariah Briskin 6-1, 6-1.

POLSON BOYS 7, LIBBY 0

Singles - Brady Hislop def. Jason Schackenberg 6-1, 6-0; Sam Peel def. Dan Leggins 6-7 (7-2), 6-2, 6-2; Tommy Mercer def. Andrew Smith 6-4, 6-2; Layne Zimmerman def. Nick Alspaw 6-1, 6-1. Doubles - Dylan McCrumb/Hayden Congdon def. Ian Myslicki/Lane Luscher 6-1, 6-2; Ian Laimbeer/Will Davey def. Rob Hamilton/ Pat Valentine 6-1, 6-2; Sam Kinzle/Reed Hovenkotter def. Jake Remy/Josh Broaderick 6-4, 6-4.