Lady Dogs send five to state tennis

The Lady Bulldogs will send five players to the Class A state tennis tournament in Billings after a strong showing at divisional.

Whitefish racked up 32 points to finish in second place as a team behind Polson.

“We had five girls go last year, too,” Whitefish coach Pat Dryden said. “To have that many again is great. Hopefully it’s a habit.”

Whitefish’s Sloan Ellis made a great run through the tourney and gave the No. 1 seed Emily Getts of Columbia Falls all she could handle in the semifinals.

Ellis took the first set from Getts 2-6, the only set she has lost to a conference opponent all season. Getts was able to rally back and take the next two for the match.

“There were a couple of deep rallies that ended with fabulous winners,” Dryden said. “Getts just stepped it up in the end.”

Ellis edged Polson’s Shannon Oakley in the third place match 6-2, 6-4.

“That was a big win and will help her with seeding at state,” Dryden said. “To beat someone of Shannon’s caliber and to take Getts deep was impressive.”

Ellis is 14-4 on the season, with two of her losses against Getts.

“Ellis can be difficult to compete against and she’s deceptively quick,” Dryden said. “She keeps everything in play and frustrates the opponent.”

She will face a No. 2 seed from Hardin in the first round of state.

One the doubles side, two Whitefish teams met in the third place match.

Caroline Carbo and Heather Luedke topped McKenzie Wick and Anna Peterson 6-2, 6-3. Both teams will go to state.

Dryden said both teams had solid tournaments.

Carbo and Luedke beat Polson’s Shawna Lenz and Mollie Menn 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 to get into the semifinals.

Peterson and Wick beat Libby’s Ally Buckner and Shae Munro 7-6 (7-0), 6-0 and Columbia Falls’ Baylee Brinton and Elizabeth Jackson 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 to get into the semis.

“They played very loose and bouncy,” Dryden said. “Both served well and attacked the net.”

Katie Fyall had a nice tournament, making it to the semifinals before getting knocked out by Ellis 7-6 (7-4).

“She was really swinging her racquet,” Dryden said. “She’s determined and very athletic.”

Dryden says his team needs to play relaxed at state to have success.

“We have to keep each other loose,” he said.

GIRLS

Team Scores — Polson 60, Whitefish 32, Columbia Falls 21, Libby 9.

Singles

Championship Bracket

Semifinals

Emily Getts, CF, def. Sloan Ellis, WF, 2-6, 6-4, 6-1; Shawna Oakley, P, def. Shannon Oakley, P, 6-2, 6-3.

Finals

Getts def. Shawna Oakley, 6-1, 6-3.

Consolation Bracket

Third Round

Katie Fyall, WF, def. Simone Craft, WF, 7-6 (8-6), 6-1; Lauren Dupuis, P, def. Cassie Carlyle, P, 6-4, 7-5.

Semifinals

Ellis def. Fyall, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3; Shannon Oakley def. Dupuis, 6-2, 6-3.

Third Place

Ellis def. Shannon Oakley, 6-2, 6-4.

Doubles

Championship Bracket

Semifinals

Mollybeth Hendrix/Taylor Rost, P, def. McKenzie Wick/Anna Peterson, WF, 6-1, 6-4; Karly Rochin/Marlee Congdon, P, def. Caroline Carbo/Heather Luedke, WF, 6-3, 7-5.

Finals

Hendrix/Rost def. Rochin/Congdon, 6-3, 3-3 (inj. def.)

Consolation Bracket

Second Round

Lenz/Lemm, P, def. Barrick Cosgriff, L, 6-1, 6-3; Brinton/Jackson, CF, def. Hawthorne/Boardner, L, 6-1, 7-5.

Semifinals

Wick/Peterson def. Lenz/Lemm, 6-1, 6-4; Carbo/Luedke def. Brinton/Jackson, 6-3, 6-3.

Third Place

Carbo/Luedke def. Wick/Peterson, 6-2, 6-3.