Class B switch alters road to state for tennis players

Bigfork High School's boys and girls tennis teams are in full swing and looking forward to the start of their new season.

The teams began practice last Monday, March 15, at the public courts and the Montana Athletic Clubs' courts. They have their first match April 6 in St. Ignatius. The first Bigfork home match is April 10 against Whitefish.

The top four boys to start the season are Bridger Mahlum, Colter Mahlum, Evan Jordt and Ryan Gembala.

"I think we are really going to have a good year," Gembala said. "We have had a good week's practice so far."

The promising athletes on the girls team include Jade Bosic, Kelly Deaton, Claire Wilken, Hannah Barrett, Ariel Stallknecht, Kianna Wicklund and McKinze Shults.

"I think it going to be really good year," Barrett said. "Now, with more experience we'll have a better chance at the state tournament."

Bosic is the only athlete from Bigfork who participated in last year's Class A State Tournament. The senior lost out in her first two matches of the double-elimination tournament.

Although the tennis program is part of the switch to Class B that BHS experienced this year, the teams will still play all of their old Northwest A rivals including Polson, Ronan, Whitefish, Libby and Columbia Falls, as well as Corvallis, a Southwest A school.

They will also go up against Class AA teams Flathead and Glacier high schools as they have done in the past.

The only Class B matches that Bigfork has scheduled are against Mission, Eureka and Troy.

Bigfork will also host its annual BHS Flight Tournament on April 24, which attracts schools from multiple conferences.

One result of the Class B change that will affect Bigfork's tennis program is the way in which players advance to state.

There is no divisional tournament for boys in Class B. Instead they all get to compete at state due to the low number of participants.

The girls divisional tournament will be hosted by Bigfork this year and will be held May 14 and 15.

The Class B State Tournament is May 20 and 22 at the University of Montana in Missoula.

Paul Wallin, who has headed up the Bigfork program for several years, has a new co-coach Paul Sullivan, a 2000 BHS graduate. Sullivan competed in tennis all four years of high school and made it to the state tournament each year.

His senior year he and doubles partner Danny Day took first at the Class A Boys Tennis Tournament.

"I love the game of tennis and I love helping the kids improve their game," Sullivan said. "I also enjoy getting to coach with someone that is as accomplished and knowledgeable in the game of tennis as Paul Wallin is. It is really about the kids though. I like trying to get them excited about tennis and I hope to get them excited about it as much as I am."

Sullivan brings some experience to the team with competing in Class B as well, since the school was a Class B school his freshman year.

"I don't know enough about where things were at in the past few years, but anything that helps the kids get to the state tournament and have more playing time is great," Sullivan said. "I don't remember Class B having any easier competition. It just seemed like there were fewer people doing it. I'm really excited about Bigfork's chances and I don't see the move to B as anything but a good thing."