Polson, Whitefish state net champs
By DAVID LESNICK
The Daily Inter Lake
POLSON — A “maybe” became a reality for Polson coach Bob Hislop while the wish by Whitefish coach Chris Schwaderer for his players to show that “they deserved to be there” also came true at the Class A state tennis tournament over the weekend.
Polson’s girls and Whitefish’s boys were both crowned team champions of the three-day event. It was a fitting end on Saturday to a spectacular season for both programs, who earlier this month won Northwest A divisional boys and girls titles.
The Polson girls were 17-2 in duals this season with losses to Corvallis and Libby; and the Whitefish boys 14-1 with the lone setback to Hamilton.
Polson, riding the efforts of state singles champion Shea McGuinness and fourth-place doubles finishers Kyler Lundeen and Berkely Ellis, rolled up a 24-point total to finish seven ahead of Belgrade and Hardin, who tied for second.
Corvallis, 14, was fourth and Whitefish, 12, fifth.
Whitefish, Hardin and Corvallis tied for the title on the boys side. All three teams had 20 points.
Havre and Dillon tied for fourth with 18 each.
Whitefish was led by junior Brendan Buls, a singles runner-up, and the fifth/sixth place senior doubles team of Mark Anderson and Forrest Kobelt. They completed their state play in the rain-delayed event on Friday. Boys singles matches to determine third/fourth and fifth/sixth places were delayed until Saturday morning. Whitefish and Hardin did not have a player involved in those matches, but Corvallis did with Marius Godard defeating Manuel Gonzalez of Butte Central 6-1, 6-4 to place third. That allowed Corvallis to share in the team title.
Polson’s Johnny Moore defeated Jakim Ricketts of Livingston 6-4, 6-0 to place fifth.
“It makes for a unique situation, but we’re still very happy to be part of it, more than happy to accept a state championship,” Schwaderer said.
“I had no expectations of winning it. All I wanted was for the kids to show up, play their best, play to their potential. I never saw this coming.”
He said he was hoping to be in the conversation regarding a trophy, but knew it would take “a lot of luck and a lot of good play. Certain things had to happen, kids had to step up. The kids had to overachieve and that’s what they did.
“I’m blown away by the whole thing,” he continued.
“I’m proud of them. We don’t have a bunch of superstars, but we had a bunch of kids who contribute.”
The state title for the Whitefish boys was their first since 2008.
McGuinness defeated Olivia Fehr of Corvallis 6-4, 6-3 in the finals on Saturday. She was 4-0 at state and won all her matches in two sets. The junior finished the season with an 18-0 record.
Lundeen and Ellis pulled through with a 7-6 (7-4), 6-0 consolation win over Katherine Kamp and Bobbi Lima of Livingston, but came up short in the third-place match, losing to Whitefish’s Aubrey Hanks and Olivia Potthoff 6-4, 6-3.
“We knew we would get a share of the title if they won their (first) morning match,” Hislop said of his doubles team.
McGuinness scored 16 points at state with Lundeen and Ellis adding eight.
“I knew there was a good chance with three girls we could score,” Hislop said. “We needed a perfect weekend and we had it.
“She’s pretty solid, a talented player, very athletic, takes coaching real well,” Hislop said of McGuinness. “She’s smart and figures things out on her own.”
It was the first state title for the Polson girls since 2013. Polson also hosted state that year. The Pirates have captured three state championships in the last 10 years.
The Polson boys won state in 2013.
Libby had a state placer in its return to Class A after two seasons in B-C. Isabelle Martineau defeated Emma Putnam of Billings Central 6-2, 7-6 (13-11) on Saturday to finish third.
Class A State Tennis
At Polson/Ronan
Thursday/Friday/Saturday
Final Results
Boys
Team Totals
Whitefish 20, Hardin 20, Corvallis 20, Havre 18, Dillon 18, Butte Central 15, Polson 7, Livingston 6, Billings Central 2, Hamilton 2, Columbia Falls 1, Ronan 1, Lewistown 1.
Singles
Final: Brad Rakich, Dillon, def. Brandon Bule, Whitefish, 6-3, 7-5
Third place: Marius Godard, Corvallis, def. Manuel Gonzalez, Butte Central 6-1, 6-4
Fifth place: Johnny Moore, Polson, def. Jakim Ricketts, Livingston, 6-4, 6-0
Doubles
Final: Trey Murphy/Kennedy McKay, Havre, def. Caleb Mason/Jonathan Noteboom, Hardin, 6-4, 6-2
Third place: Caleb Wanken/Gabe De Leo, Corvallis, def. Cameron Johnson/Guido Ossello, Butte Central, 6-3, 6-0
Fifth place: Mark Anderson/Forrest Kobelt, Whitefish, def. Ryan Old Crow/Famous Left Hand, Hardin, 6-4, 0-6, 6-3
Girls
Team Totals
Polson 24, Hardin 17, Belgrade 17, Corvallis 14, Livingston 12, Whitefish 12, Libby 12, Billings Central 10, Dillon 5, Stevensville 4, Hamilton 2, Havre 2, Glendive 1
Singles
Final: Shea McGuinness, Polson, def. Olivia Fehr, Corvallis 6-4, 6-3
Third place: Isabelle Martineau, Libby, def. Emma Putnam, Billings Central, 6-2, 7-6 (13-11)
Fifth place: Nicole Hritsco, Dillon, def. Reagan Smith, Livingston, 6-1, 6-0
Doubles
Final: Brooke Gilbertson/Lily Reddick, Belgrade, def. Makiko Reisig/Kate Murdock, Hardin, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3
Third place: Aubrey Hanks/Olivia Potthoff, Whitefish, def. Kyler Lundeen/Berkley Ellis, Polson, 6-0, 6-0
Fifth place: Katherine Kant/Bobbi Lima, Livingston, def. Erin Bartlett/Jackie Westman, Stevensville, 6-3, 6-3