Mission, Ronan send tennis teams to State tournament
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The Maidens hosted the Western B-C Divisional girls tennis tournament Friday and Saturday, fighting questionable weather and each other on the courts. The Maidens finished with only one doubles team heading to State play while Mission faired a bit better qualifying three singles to compete at State.
Maidens’ doubles team Hannah Bird Rattler/Hannah Kiehn found themselves in fourth overall but have nothing to hang their heads about as they will be making the trip to Billings for the big show. Despite only qualifying one team, Maiden head coach Gordon Cummings is happy with how well his young team adjusted throughout the season.
“It’s been a great tournament,” he said. “There’s a lack of experience but I am very proud of Divisionals.”
Cummings knows State will be tough and says it all depends on the draw, but his team is ready.
“They’ll hold their own,” he said about Bird Rattler and Kiehn.
Although he’s happy with the performance of his “number-ones,” Cummings said his whole team has done some great things. The Maidens only senior, Shannon Saint, did not qualify for State, but she sure fought for it. Saint has been in the program for only two years.
“Shannon’s just a great kid that’s come a long way in two years,” Cummings said. “She is a hard worker, very determined, focused, and has been a delight to coach.”
Also making a stamp on Maiden tennis are first-year players Sam Friedlander and Breanna Turpin, who Cummings says will prove to be a force next year.
For Mission it was all about the singles as Lady Bulldog Briar Ahlborn swept it all to take the Divisional title.
Following Ahlborn to State will be teammates Daisie VandenBos and Kayla Billette. Mission girls’ tennis coach Sara Ison couldn’t be happier with the results.
“It went really good,” she said. “The girls did really well.”
As for her State contenders, Ison said she’s excited to see what they do next weekend.
“Briar was very solid. It was pretty awesome to see,” Ison said. “Daisie did really well; she’s just a sophomore. It was a good experience for her. She’s becoming a lot more tough.”
The girls will meet the boys, who have an automatic bid into the State Tournament, in Billings, May 23-24.
Results
Team scores - Bigfork 58, Mission 38, Troy 29, Ronan 19, Eureka 13.
Singles
Semifinals
Briar Ahlborn (Mis) def. Kathryn Stein (Eur); Lana Berg (BF) def. Kayla Billette (Mis).
Final
Ahlborn def. Berg.
Consolation semifinals
Stein (Eur) def. Daisie VandenBos (Mis) Billette def. Genevieve Gibson (BF).
Consolation final
Stein def. Billette.
State qualifiers - Ahlborn, Berg, Stein, Billette, VandenBos, Gibson.
Doubles
Semifinals
Katie/Kellie Lundin (Troy) def. Kayla Casalegno/Alauna Weilacher (BF); Alanis Stallknecht/Brooke Bonner (BF) def. Hannah Bird Rattler/Hannah Kiehn (Ron).
Final
Lundin/Lundin def. Stallknecht/Bonner.
Consolation final
Casalegno/Weilacher def. Bird Rattler/Kiehn.
State qualifiers - Lundin/Lundin, Stallknecht/Bonner, Casalegno/Weilacher, Bird Rattler/Kiehn.
