Ronan’s Bailey Moss takes fifth at state
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MISSOULA – Ronan Chiefs’ No. 1 singles player Bailey Moss opened strong and finished the same way Saturday afternoon, en route to his fifth-place finish at the State Class B-C tennis tournament held at Playfair Park in Missoula.
“I couldn’t be prouder of Bailey,” Ronan tennis head coach Jim Blow said. “He’s such a hard-worker and all that work he put into improving this year paid off. He deserves to be in that group of the top five tennis players in the state.”
With a bye in the first round, Moss faced off against Conrad’s Dawson Berg taking the second-round match 6-1, 6-4.
On Friday, Moss faced Libby’s Colin Maloney in a tough three-set quarterfinal match up. Moss advanced to the semifinals by defeating Maloney 3-6, 6-1, 6-3.
Moss dropped his semifinals match 6-1, 6-1 to Valley Christian’s Trey Christiaens, who ultimately finished the tournament in second place.
In the consolation bracket Saturday morning, Moss fell to Loyola’s Jake Hollenback 6-0, 7-6.
The loss set Moss up against a familiar opponent in Bigfork’s Alex Buenz, who Moss had not beaten in two previous matches during the year, to battle for the fifth and sixth place. Moss prevailed over Buenz 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 to claim fifth place.
Ronan’s No. 2 singles player Coleman Taylor, started his tournament off by winning his first match 7-6, 6-3 over Anaconda’s Andy Myotte but a quick start by Great Falls Central’s Nick Dickens handed Taylor a 6-0, 6-1 loss in the second round.
Taylor shook off the loss Friday by defeating Troy’s Austin McCully 6-1, 2-6, 6-2 in the consolation bracket.
On Saturday morning, McCully’s teammate A.J. Faur ended Taylor’s season 7-6, 6-1.
The Chiefs’ doubles team of Thomas Yellowbird and Garrett Anderson dropped their opening match against Bigfork’s Colton and Clayton Reichenbach 6-4, 7-5.
In the first game of the consolation bracket, Yellowbird and Anderson bounced back defeating Valley Christian’s team of Hawkins and Streit 6-4, 6-2. However, in the second consolation match their tournament run came to an end against Great Falls Central’s Walters and Chu, 6-4, 6-4.
It was a tough day Thursday for the Maidens’ doubles team of Breanna Turpin and Maddy Sevier, as they were eliminated from the tournament on that first day.
In the first round, Turpin and Sevier fell 6-1, 6-2 to the team of Rasmussen and Nelson from Anaconda. Turpin and Sevier started their second-round match strong against Baker’s Vogt and Strong by winning the first set 6-3. However, the Baker’s duo battled back taking the next two sets 6-1, 7-5 for the win.
Mission Bulldogs’ Elsa Kylen found success at the tournament placing sixth overall.
Kylen opened the tournament with a three-set victory against Libby’s Mehki Sykes 6-7, 6-3, 7-6 and 6-3, 6-1 victory over Loyola’s Lauren Bodlovic.
In what turned out to be a quarterfinals shocker, Kylen defeated Lone Peak’s defending state champion Luisa Locker 6-2, 6-4.
Unfortunately, Kylen’s run for the championship came to a screeching halt, when she fell 6-3, 6-1 in the semifinal round to Baker’s Ellen Widell.
In the consolation round, Kylen was defeated by Bigfork’s Ellie Berreth 6-2, 6-2 for sixth place.
Bulldogs’ boys double team of Warren Castor and Tine Toemkoa started their first-round matchup against Troy’s Caballero and Cummings winning 2-6, 6-4, 7-5.
The team faced off against Conrad’s Judisch and Padilla in the second round losing 6-2, 6-4 and won their next round against Conrad’s Larson and Paulsen 6-1, 4-6, 6-4.
In their final match of the tournament, the Bulldog duo took on Great Falls Central’s Walters and Chu, falling 6-2, 6-3.
Boys
Thursday
Peak Racquet Club
Singles
First round: Coleman Taylor, RON, def. Andy Myotte, ANA, 7-6 (3), 6-3.
Second round: Bailey Moss, RON, def. Dawson Berg, CON, 6-1, 6-4; Nick Diekans, GFC, def. Taylor, 6-0, 6-1.
Consolation: Taylor def. Austin McCully, TR, 6-1, 2-6, 6-2; FAUR, TR, def. Taylor, 7-6, 6-1.
Doubles
First round: Warren Castor/Tine Toemkoa, MIS, def. Caballero/Cummings, TR, 2-6, 6-4, 7-5; Colton Reichenbach/Clayton Reichenbach, BF, def. Thomas Yellowbird/ Garrett Anderson, RON, 6-4, 7-5.
Second round: Clint Judisch/Austin Padilla, CON, def. Castor/Toemkoa, 6-2, 6-4.
Consolation: Yellowbird/Anderson def. Hawkins/Streit, VCS, 6-4, 6-2.
Friday
Playfair Park
Singles
Quarterfinals: Bailey Moss, RN, def. Colin Maloney, LB, 3-6, 6-1, 6-3.
Semifinals: Trey Christiaens, VCS, def. Moss, 6-1, 6-0.
Doubles
Consolation: Castor/ Toemkoa def. Larson/Paulsen, CON, 6-1, 4-6, 6-4; Wyatt Walters/Benson Chu, GFC, def. Yellowbird/Anderson, 6-4, 6-4; Walters/ Chu def. Castor/ Toemkoa, 6-2, 6-3.
Saturday
Playfair Park
Singles
Consolation: Hollenback, LSH, def. Moss 6-0, 7-6.
Fifth-sixth: Bailey Moss, RN, def. Alex Buenz, BF, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1.
Girls
Thursday
Playfair Park
Singles
First round: Elsa Kylen, MIS, def. Mehki Sykes, LB, 6-7, 6-3, 7-6.
Quarterfinals: Kylen def. Lauren Bodlovic, LSH, 6-3, 6-1.
Doubles
First round: Hailey Rasmussen/Jordyn Nelson, ANA, def. Breanna Turpin/Maddy Sevier, RON, 6-1, 6-2;
Second round: Wilson Vogt/Xiao Strong, BF, def. Turpin/Sevier, 3-6, 6-1, 7-5.
Friday
Peak Racquet Club
Singles
Quarterfinals: Elsa Kylen, SI, def. Luisa Locker, LP, 6-2, 6-4.
Semifinals: Ellen Widell, BK, def. Kylen, 6-3, 6-1.
Saturday
Playfair Park
Singles
Fifth-sixth: Ellie Berreth, BF, def. Kylen, 6-2, 6-2.
