Whitefish sends two doubles teams to state

One team is athletic and aggressive, the other more calculated and refined. Both are going to state.

The Lady Bulldogs will send two doubles teams to the State A tennis tournament this week after a strong showing at the Northwest A divisional tournament in Libby.

Anna Peterson and Katie Fyall teamed up to take the Northwest A doubles title after edging teammates Heather Luedke and Hannah Madsen in the championship match, 7-5, 6-2, on Friday

Both teams lifted the Lady Dogs to a second place finish in the tourney with 35 points. Polson won with 42 points and Columbia Falls was third with 31.

“Both doubles teams had an outstanding tournament,” Whitefish coach Pat Dryden said, noting that it’s the first time in recent history that two Whitefish teams met in a divisional championship.

He described the scene around the final match as “quiet” as both teams battled for the title.

“I felt proud watching them play,” Dryden said. “I couldn’t be happier for them to lock up the first and second seeds and be positioned well for a run at state.”

Peterson and Fyall had to grind in the semifinals to advance. They dropped the first set 4-6 against Polson’s Olivia Hewston and Cassie Carlyle before rallying to win the final two frames 6-2, 6-0.

“If you’re going to be successful at state, you have to be able to bounce back,” Dryden said. “That match is going to make them stronger in the long run.”

Luedke and Madsen defeated Taylor Rost and Shawna Lenz 6-3, 6-4 in the semis to advance.

“We were confident in those matches,” Dryden said about facing perennial power Polson. “We played well against them and we could see them again at state.”

He says the two Whitefish doubles teams have contrasting styles, but are equals on the court.

“Anna and Katie are very athletic, aggressive at the net and keep everything alive,” Dryden said.

“Hannah and Heather put more pace on the ball and have refined strokes.”

The State A tourney is in Missoula at the University of Montana campus beginning Thursday.

Both teams have favorable first-round matches, but Dryden says in order for them to advance they will need to play relaxed.

“They have to have fun,” Dryden said. “They have to play confident and get on a roll.”

“There will be some teams that surprise people. There will be teams that fall a part.”

He commended Whitefish athletic director Aric Harris for beefing up the tennis schedule this season to give Whitefish a better look at the top competition.

“The most important part of our season were the overnight trips to Cutbank and Hamilton,” he said. “Half of the doubles teams we’ve played.”

Northwestern A Divisional

Thursday/Friday at Libby

Girls team scores - Polson 52, Whitefish 35, Columbia Falls 31, Libby 13.

Singles

First round - Emily Getts, CF, def. Paige Sproul, W, 6-0, 6-0; Tessa Nunlist, P, def. Dani Hawthorne, L, 3-6, 6-1, 6-0; Mollie Lemm, P, def. Harley Molchan, CF, 6-2, 6-1; Paula Fernandez, L, def. Keara Delaney, W, 6-2, 6-2; Kaylene Hudson, L, def. Annika Gordon, W, 7-5, 6-0; Hailey Sapa, CF, def. Hunter Tamcke, P, 6-2, 6-0; Molly Schmit, CF, def. Makenna Benbrook, W, 6-3, 6-4; Marlee Congdon, P, def. Katie Alspaw, L, 6-0, 6-0.

Quarterfinals - Getts def. Nunlist, 6-2, 6-4; Fernandez def. Lemm, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5; Hudson def. Sapa, 7-5, 6-4; Congdon def. Schmit, 6-1. 6-0.

Semifinals - Getts def. Fernandez, 6-2, 6-1; Congdon def. Hudson, 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (5).

Championship - Getts def. Congdon, 6-3, 6-3.

Third/fourth - Fernandez def. Lemm, 6-4, 6-4.

Doubles

First round - Hewston/Carlyle, P, bye; McCallum/Lingle, CF, def. Cosgriff/Lauer, L, 7-6, (5), 6-1; Lundeen/Wheeler, P, def. Grilley/Stenger, CF, 7-5, 5-7, 6-3; Peterson/Fyall, W, bye; Rost/Lenz, P, bye; Ross/McDaniel, W, def. Barrick/Boardner, L, 6-1, 6-4; Gilk/Flanigan, CF, def. Martineau/Reny, L, 7-6, 6-4; Luedke/Madsen, W, bye.

Quarterfinals - Hewston/Carlyle def. McCallum/Lingle, 6-0, 6-0; Peterson/Fyall def. Lundeen/Wheeler, 6-0, 6-1; Rost/Lenz def. Ross/McDaniel, 6-2, 6-0; Luedke/Madsen def. Gilk/Flanigan, 6-0, 6-0.

Semifinals - Peterson/Fyall def. Hewston/Carlyle, 4-6, 6-2, 6-0; Luedke/Madsen def. Rost/Lenz, 6-3, 6-4.

Championship - Peterson/Fyall def. Luedke/Madsen, 7-5, 6-2.

Third/fourth - Rost/Lenz def. Hewston/Carlyle, 0-6, 6-0. 6-4.