Pirates tennis teams finish with 8 state-placers

Polson High School boys, girls tennis coach Bob Hislop said he was “pleased” with the performance of his Pirate, Lady Pirates’ tennis team at the conclusion of the state tournament at Flathead Valley Community College last week.

The boys, girls tennis finished the season with a total of eight all-state placers both in individuals and doubles teams.

“In a state tournament as competitive as this one, it is very hard to place,” Hislop said. “We had eight kids, both boys and girls, finish with all-state honors and that has to be pretty good. A couple of times we had six or seven. I am sure it’s a big deal and sort of culminates things. With tennis, I am a team-first kind of coach and I felt that worked out rather nicely.”

The Lady Pirates finished fourth as a team and the Pirates finished fifth in the state.

Cassie Carlyle ended up being the only member of the team that challenged for the Class A singles state title. Carlyle finished second with a loss to Ceeara Staiger of Glendive. Staiger defeated Carlyle in a two-set match 6-2, 6-4.

Hislop said Carlyle’s second-place finish was a result of her driving to Kalispell to play in United State Tennis Association-sanctioned events and that resulted in her improvement.

“She was the one driving back to Kalispell by herself, regardless of the weather, to be at the USTA tournaments,” Hislop said. “Tennis is a sport that you get out of it what you put into it. She just did a beautiful job. She doesn’t care that she finished second. She was just very classy and played very well throughout the entire tournament.”

Hislop said he expects big things from his No. 1 singles player and one of his departing seniors.

“Cassie is just a wonderful kid as far as personality and has never been afraid to stick her nose out and go to war with someone in tennis,” Hislop said. “She just stepped in and got at it. You don’t see a lot of kids that don’t want to fight playing No. 1 or No. 2 on anyone’s tennis team.”

Hislop credited his boys doubles tandem of Cadis Chowning and Matt Sitter with developing “great chemistry” in order to achieve their victories. The duo defeated Jeff Campbell and Andrew Nelson of Billings Central 8-6, 6-4 and then defeated Trey Layman/Aidan Hamilton of Belgrade 7-6, (2-7), 6-4, before falling to Darnell Lefthand and Michael Neeser of Hardin in the semifinals. The two defeated Pirates’ Jaron Morgan and Kaiden Foreman-Webster 6-3, 3-6, and 6-1 to finish in fifth place.

“Not very many times in doubles will you see 10 or 12-shot rallies, and point after point they continued to battle,” Hislop said.

Olivia Hewston and Kyler Lundeen defeated Lisa Cai and Maddie Flamm of Hardin, 6-1, 6-1 and they defeated Emily St. John and Tricia Joyce of Butte 6-2, 6-2, before falling to Hailey Keller and Molly Putnum, Billings Central, 6-7, 7-5, 6-3, 6-7, and 6-8.

No. 1 tennis player for the Pirates Colin Kenney tried to battle his way to the championship game and defeated Gabe Delo of Corvallis in three sets, 7-6, 5-7, and 7-5. Kenney then defeated Jakim Ricketts of Park 6-1, 6-4 before falling to Simon Marshall of Billings Central 6-2, 6-1.

Hislop said he is “excited” about the team’s future even though they will be losing their No. 1 players Kenney and Carlyle to graduation.

“We have a fun family atmosphere, our kids are involved, and that is the only way I want it to be,” Hislop said. “We had an amazing group of players and and an amazing weekend of tennis.”

State A Tennis Tournament

Thursday-Friday, May 25-26, 2017

at Flathead Valley Community College, Kalispell

abridged for space considerations

GIRLS

Team Scores – Glendive 26, Billings Central 26, Dillon 20, Polson 18, Whitefish 15, Hardin 12, Corvallis 5, Belgrade 3, Butte Central 2, Columbia Falls 1, Lewistown 1, Stevensville 1.

Singles

Championship

Ceeara Staiger (Glen) def. Cassie Carlyle (Pol), 6-2, 6-4.

Semifinals

Staiger def. Emma Putnam (BlgsC), 6-0, 6-0; Carlyle def. Paint Intasuk (Wfsh), 7-5, 6-4.

Quarterfinals

Carlyle def. Brittney Schaff (Hard), 6-2, 6-1.

First Round

Olivia Fehr (Corv) def. Madsen, 6-1, 7-5; Carlyle def. Emma Pickett (Corv), 6-0, 6-1.

Consolation

First Round

Madsen def. Grace Davis-Nicolson (Belg), 7-5, 6-2;

Second Round

Hannah Madsen (Wfsh) def. Schaff 3-6, 6-4, 6-4;

Third Round

Madisan Chavez (Hard) def. Hannah Madsen (Wfsh), 7-6 (7-5), 6-1;

DOUBLES

Championship

Tessa Sawyer/Adrianne Southam (Dil) def. Keller/Putnam 6-3, 6-4.

Semifinals

Hailey Keller/Molly Putnam (BlgsC) def. Olivia Hewston/Kyler Lundeen (Pol), 7-6 (7-5), 3-6, 7-6 (8-6); Quarterfinals

Hewston/Lundeen def. Emily St. John/Tricia Joyce (BuC), 6-2, 6-2;

First Round

Hewston/Lundeen def. Lisa Cai/Maddie Flamm, Hardin, 6-1, 6-1;

Consolation Fourth Round

Adolph/Meyer def. Sproul/Ross 2-6, 6-4, 6-4; Katrielle Carney/Abby Hill (Glen) def. Hewston/Lundeen, 6-4, 6-3.

Fifth Place

Hewston/Lundeen def. Paige Sproul/Cailyn Ross (Wfsh) 6-0, 6-4.

BOYS

Team Scores – Billings Central 20, Hardin 17, Dillon 16, Havre 14, Polson 12, Glendive 11, Belgrade 7, Whitefish 6, Livingston 2, Lewistown 2, Butte Central 2.

SINGLES

Championship

Marshall def. Alex Raymond (Ham), 4-6, 6-4, 7-5.

Semifinals

Simon Marshall (BlgsC) def. Colin Kenney (Pol), 6-2, 6-1;

Quarterfinals

Kenney def. Jakim Ricketts (Liv), 6-1, 6-4

Opening Round

Kenney def. Gabe DeLeo (Corv), 7-6 (7-5), 7-5; Raymond def. Johnny Moore (Pol), 6-0, 6-0;

Consolation First Round

Danyon Rice (Lew) def. Moore 6-3, 6-0;

Fourth Round

Jory Opp (Glen) def. Kenney 6-3, 6-4.

Fifth Place

Jeff Fournier (Belg) def. Kenney, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2.

DOUBLES

Championship

Lefthand/Neeser def. Jake Sedahl/Nate Korb (Havr), 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5).

Semifinals

Darnell Lefthand/Michael Neeser (Hard) def. Matt Sitter/Cadis Chowning (Pol), 6-3. 6-4; def. Deven Doughty/Christian Stradley, Miles City, 6-3, 6-4.

Quarterfinals

Lefthand/Neeser def. Johnson/Ossello 6-1, 6-3; Sitter/Chowning def. Layman/Hamilton 7-6 (7-2), 6-4; Sedahl/Korb def. Buls/Carloss 6-3, 6-2; Doughty/Stradley def. Nordahl/Wilson 6-0, 4-6, 7-5.

Opening Round

Lefthand/Neeser def. Kabe Forman-Webster/Carson McDaniel (Pol), 6-1, 6-2; Sitter/Chowning def. Jet Campbell/Andrew Nelson (BlgsC), 8-6, 6-4; Devin Doughty/Christian Stradley, Miles City, def. Morgan/Kaid. F-W, 6-2, 6-1;

Consolation First Round

Trey Murphy/Kennedy McKay (Havr) def. Kabe F-W/McDaniel, 6-2, 7-5; Morgan/Forman-Webster def. Tanner Mannin/Nate Kindlers (Lew), 7-5, 6-2.

Second Round

Morgan/Kaid. F-W def. Cameron Johnson/Guido Ossello (BuC), 6-2, 6-4;

Third Round

Morgan/Kaid. F-W def. Cairo Morton/Jake Pankratz (BlgsC), 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.

Fourth Round

Todd Nordahl/Kyson Wilson (Dil) def. Sitter/Chowning 7-5, 6-4; Devin Doughty/Christian Stradley (MC) def. Morgan/Kaid. F-W, 6-0, 6-1.

Fifth Place

Sitter/Chowning def. Jaron Morgan/Kaiden Forman-Webster, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1.