Polson tops at State A Tennis

Judging by the Polson Tennis trophy case, quite a few great players and teams have come through the program. However, this year's boys and girls teams might have had the most storylines going into the Class A State Tournament at Fort Missoula.

The Polson boys tennis team picked up their first state title in 10 years, with their No. 1 doubles team, Owen McElwee and Trent Wilson, winning an individual state title. On the girls' side, Clara Todd capped off a brilliant career for the Lady Pirates, losing just two sets all season and winning the girls' singles individual championship, and helping the girls claim second place at state.

"The boys had actually said on their own that they really wanted to win state this year," Polson Head Coach Bob Hislop said. "I knew we were very talented and experienced, but any coach with some sanity isn't going to put that kind of expectation on their team, but the boys wanted it and really bought in."

The Polson boys were 18-1 in dual action this season, with some weekends not having their full normal roster. Hislop said that the team was extremely willing to take coaching directions and had a lot of mental toughness going into divisionals and the state tournament.

"All season, we had been playing in 30- to 50-degree weather, and then we hit divisionals, and it's like the high 80s, and they just played right through it," Hislop said.

Hislop called this year's boys' state tennis field probably one the most balanced he has seen in his 31 years of coaching, adding that five different tennis players could have won state titles on any given day.

Polson's Owen McElwee and Trent Wilson came into the tournament as highly regarded doubles players but perhaps not the odds-on favorites to win.

"Our expectations were pretty high, and we knew we could compete with all the teams there," McElwee said. "We had a pretty good divisional tournament, but we knew we had to play to our fullest potential for the last week of the season, and I think we definitely did that."

But they had been playing together since sophomore year as a duo, and they just so happened to be playing their best tennis of the year.

“It’s kind of surreal,” Wilson said. “We put in a lot of work in the offseason the last couple of seasons so to go out and actually accomplish this feels great.”

Wilson added he almost didn’t play tennis his sophomore year, but he was on the bus for basketball when McElwee convinced him to come out with him to the court and hit a few balls.

“I really liked it and now here we are,” Wilson said.

McElwee and Wilson won their first-round matchup against Park's Houston Dunn and Logen Jorgenson 6-1, 6-2. They reached the semifinals by downing Miles City's Jamson Hostman and Charli Lang 6-3, 6-1.

"I think against Miles City they really started to look good," Hislop said. "Against Hardin, they were looking better. I think once they knew they had won the state team title, they loosened up, didn't overthink anything, and the other team's style played right into their hands."

To reach the championship match, they defeated Hardin's Sean Mehing and Derek Blankenship 1-6, 6-3, 6-4.

“It was really challenging,” Wilson said. “There were some really good doubles teams out there and the semifinal and championship matches were really good teams. We just kind of clicked this weekend.”

At this point, they learned that Polson had won the team state title due to scoring, and according to McElwee that took a lot of pressure off their shoulders.

"We went into the match with no pressure and that we had already met our main goal," McElwee said.

But they weren't done.

Facing Billings Central's Matthew Newbury and Gabbo Giametti, McElwee and Wilson battled their way to a 6-3, 6-3 victory and a state championship.

"It was definitely fun to win a state championship, and it's been something we've always dreamed about," McElwee said.

It was the first boys' doubles tennis team champion in Polson school history. The boys' team has won two state titles under Hislop and four girls' state titles. He also coached the track team to one state title when he was "much younger."

Fellow Pirates doubles team Colter Wilson and Tate Barentsen earned fifth place after defeating Corvallis' Christopher Jessop and Grant Wilcox, providing more points for Polson on the team scoreboard.

Whitworth University-bound Clara Todd of Polson won a state title, downing Columbia Falls' Cloey Ramage 6-1, 6-1 on Saturday and capping an amazing season and career.

"I had put a lot of work into this offseason and played a lot of tennis in Kalispell and Missoula working with pros and our coach," Todd said.

The simple reality is stark, she didn't lose a match all year, and in her previous two years, she only lost to state champions. Todd lost just two sets all season, one coming against Miles City's Alina Kot in the semifinals, but she turned it around for a 3-6, 6-0, 6-1 victory.

"I went into every single match with the mindset that I'm not going to lose this match," Todd said. "I think that really helped me overcome the loss of that set."

Kot, a Ukrainian war refugee, was a very talented player, Todd added, saying it took her a set to adjust to her playing style, and it was probably the most challenging match of the state tournament.

To get to that point, Todd defeated Custer County's Kinzee Brimmer 6-0, 6-0 in the opening round, then toppled Hardin's Debra Don't Mix 6-0, 6-1 to get to the semifinals.

But beyond her own accolades, Todd said she was excited to win a state title for the first time in 10 years and feels great for the seniors on the team.

"No everybody expected Trent and Owen to win a state title, so when they did, we were so happy for them. I think I was just as excited for their win as mine," Todd said.

Todd, heading to Spokane this fall for college and tennis, said it was one final hurrah for the tennis seniors getting to ride a fire truck on Memorial Day before graduation and the next step of their lives.

"It was awesome," Todd said. "It is really rewarding because I had placed that last two years in tennis, so the fact I was able to finish off on the highest note was great. It has always been my goal to be a state champion."

Hislop said that once Todd starts playing college tennis, she will continue to improve each year at that level and shows a lot of potential for growth in the sport.

Polson's Katie Smith and Lucy Violett placed fifth for the Pirates, downing Hardin's Oceilly Black Eagle and Johanna Limberhand 6-1, 6-2. In all, the Lady Pirates brought nine girls from divisionals to state, and everyone scored a point in team scoring adding up to their second place trophy.

Polson's Torrin Ellis placed second in the Class A boys singles bracket, falling to Hamilton's Andy Purcell 6-3, 4-6, 6-2. Purcell finished off an undefeated season.

Ellis rolled through the bracket, defeating Corvallis' Aaron Powell 6-0, 6-0, and then Miles City's Jake Larson 6-2, 6-4 to reach the semifinals. There he defeated Hardin's Noteboom 6-2, 6-4.

"I think during the state tournament, the most challenging match was against Noteboom. He was a really good competitor, and that was a fun one to be in," Torrin said

Much like the doubles team, Ellis learned after the semifinals that the boys' team would be state champs, taking a lot of pressure off the championship matchup against a power like Purcell.

"I knew we had already won, and with that relief, I think I played my best tennis, and I was close. I took him to three sets," Ellis said.

Hislop said that it is easier for singles players to get into their heads about how they're playing but that Ellis and Todd did a great job taking care of themselves mentally.

"Clara's semifinal match was probably her toughest, and Torrin's final was probably his toughest, and the way those two handled pressure was amazing," Hislop said. "Torrin probably played the best singles tournament of his life."

Hislop said that having both boys' and girls' team placed so highly is uncommon but that Polson has done it several times in the past decade. Since Polson was the host school for this year's state tournament, Hislop also had to serve as tournament director. With so many Polson players moving through the brackets, Polson coaches were busy.

"During regionals, I don't even think our coaching staff got to take a lunch break," Hislop said. "During divisionals, I think we went six hours where there were at least three Polson players out on the court."

In the seven times Polson has been the host school for state tennis, they've won a state title at four of them.

"We have good coaches," Ellis said. "We have great assistants too. We all work hard during the summer and winter and try to visit Kalispell for clinics. We try and work harder than the other teams."

Hislop had mentioned that the tennis teams had basically pulled an all-nighter after regionals to go watch Polson baseball play in the state championship, and in return, a big contingent of Polson students and athletes showed up to the tennis state tournament to cheer them on.

“That was really special, I hadn’t seen that before, but the atmosphere they brought to these matches was really great,” Hislop said. “I don’t think I’ll ever forget that.”

Also at the A tournament, Ronan's Beau Decker won his first-round matchup against Corvallis' Ryan Hutchison 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 but dropped his next two matches.

At the State B-C Tennis Tournament, Mission's Lanie Keast bested Choteau's Peach, 7-5, 6-2, before moving to the girls' consolation bracket.

In boys' doubles action, Tre Heath-LaFrombois and Nic Frost won their first-round matchup against Terry's Boyer and Guinti 6-2, 6-2. After losing their second-round matchup, they defeated Cut Bank's Winkowitsch brothers 6-3, 6-2 before bowing out of the tournament.