Dogs win Northwest A tennis crown

Whitefish tennis will send a dozen to the State A tournament this week in Bozeman after a convincing run through the Northwest A divisional bracket.

The Bulldog boys qualified three singles players and two doubles teams in winning the school’s first divisional crown since 2008. Whitefish held off Polson on the final day of action Friday at Flathead Valley Community College and finished with 60 points to top the Pirate’s 43. Last year, the boys finished one point behind Polson in the tourney.

“They were so close last year and they’ve been working really hard this season,” boys coach Chris Schwaderer said. “It’s a culmination of a lot of effort. The hard work and commitment to the team pays off.”

He said in numerous cases players overachieved and played above their seeding.

“That showed on Friday when we had three of four singles players still on the court,” he said.

Top-seeded sophomore Max Smyley won the singles championship with three straight-set wins. He topped fellow Bulldog Eric Holdhusen 6-2, 6-2 in the title match. Nathan Fauth will join that pair at state after a fourth place finish.

The coach says Smyley can match up with the best in the state.

“There’s no one he should be afraid of,” Schwaderer said. “If he has a good state tournament, he can be in the conversation for being on the podium. He’s put himself in a good position.”

Holdhusen’s results came somewhat unexpectedly. He knocked off Stevensville’s top hitter Colton Belcourt to reach the championship.

“That was huge for us,” Schwaderer said. “He’s such a steady player and kind of unshakable.”

Fauth battled to get fourth and punch a ticket to state.

“I know he really wanted it this year,” Schwaderer said. “Nathan came in with a real confident attitude.”

On the doubles side, the Dogs’ No. 3 paring of Brendan Buls and Austin Reese pulled off a few tournament upsets to take third place. They beat Whitefish’s No. 1 team then bounced the Bulldog’s No. 2 team in the third place match.

“They charged though the back side of the bracket and ended up beating a lot of really good teams,” Schwaderer said, noting that he’s never had a No. 3 team make it to state. “It’s pretty rare. They definetley found a different gear and were super intense. Some times you need to find another level to overcome better teams.”

Ryan Brown and Cole Turgeon placed fourth and will go to state, as well.

Schwaderer says he’s looking forward to seeing what Whitefish can do at the big tournament. He says the Dogs have the numbers and talent to score some significant points.

“I want the kids to overachieve and show up like they did at divisional,” he said. “Let’s lay it all out there and try to score some points.”

The Lady Dogs placed second as a team with 42 points behind Polson’s 54.

Whitefish was led by the top two doubles teams that met in the championship on Friday.

The Bulldogs’ Katie Fyall and Anna Peterson won the divisional crown with a 6-3, 6-3 win against Hannah Madsen and Heather Luedke. Both teams are going to state. It’s the second consecutive year the two teams met in the Northwest doubles championship.

“It was the same routine as last year,” Whitefish girls coach Patrick Dryden said. “Except I think all four girls have really improved over last year. It will be a different story when those teams go to state this year.”

Both doubles teams bounced Polson duos to get into the championship. Peterson and Fyall battled in their semifinal to win in three tough sets.

“Going into that third set, they were just so confident,” Dryden said. “They got up 5-2, but Polson is not just going to give it to you. It went to 5-4 and finally they pulled it out.”

In singles action, Lili Szundy placed fourth to earn a trip to state, as well. Dryden was impressed with her showing and said she earned her ticket to state.

“She had to fight for the fourth spot,” Dryden said. “Her game has picked up and she is playing with more control and confidence.”

The coach says Whitefish can be in the mix for a top-5 finish at state and that the doubles teams are in good position to finish on the podium.

“That’s realistic,” he said. “I’m excited about our prospects at state.”

Northwestern A divisional

GIRLS

Team scores — Polson 54, Whitefish 42, Columbia Falls 19, Stevensville 7.

Singles

Semifinals

Mollie Lemm, POL, def. Emily Getts, CF, 7-6 (6), 6-3; Marlee Congdon, POL, def. Lili Szundy, WF, 7-5, 6-0.

Championship

Congdon, POL, def. Lemm, POL, 7-5, 6-4.

Consolation

Molly Schmidt, CF, def. Paige Sproul, WF, 6-2, 6-4; Tessa Nunlist, POL, def. Janette Kolarzic, WF, 6-3, 6-4; Getts, CF, def. Schmidt, CF, 6-1, 6-2; Szundy, WF, def. Nunlist, POL, 6-2, 6-4.

Third place

Getts, CF, def. Szundy, WF, 6-3, 6-2.

Doubles

Semifinals

Hannah Madsen/Heather Luedke, WF, def. Olivia Hewston/Kyler Lundeen, POL, 6-2, 7-5; Katie Fyall/Anna Peterson, WF, def. Cassie Carlyle/Shawna Lenz, POL, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.

Championship

Fyall/Peterson, WF, def. Madsen/Luedke, WF, 6-3, 6-3.

Consolation

Natalee Wheeler/Hunter Tamcke, POL, def. Allison Enzler/Danielle Haacke, STV, 6-2, 6-3; Sydney Grilley/Morgan Stenger, CF, def. Shelby Spokas/Jackie Westman, STV, 6-1, 6-3; Carlyle/Lenz, POL, def. Wheeler/Tamcke, POL, 6-1, 6-4; Hewston/Lundeen, POL, def. Grilley/Stenger, CF, 6-3, 6-3.

Third place

Carlyle/Lenz, POL, def. Hewston/Lundeen, POL, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2.

BOYS

Team scores — Whitefish 60, Polson 43, Stevensville 9, Columbia Falls 4.

Singles

Semifinals

Max Smyley, WF, def. Nathan Fauth, WF, 6-3, 6-0; Eric Holdhusen, WF, def. Colton Belcourt, STV, 6-4, 6-1.

Championship

Smyley, WF, def. Holdhusen, WF, 6-2, 6-2.

Consolation

Thomas Carloss, WF, def. Carson McDaniel, POL, 6-1, 6-2; Jaron Morgan, POL, def. John Moore, POL, 6-4, 6-2; Fauth, WF, def. Carloss, WF, 6-4, 6-4; Belcourt, STV, def. Morgan, POL, 6-4, 6-1.

Third place

Belcourt, STV, def. Fauth, WF, 6-2, 6-2.

Doubles

Semifinals

Quaid Harlan/Colin Kenney, POL, def. Ryan Brown/Cole Turgeon, WF, 6-2, 6-3; Cadis Chowning/Matt Sitter, POL, def. Chaffin Ross/Ethan Potthoff, WF, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4.

Championship

Chowning/Sitter, POL, def. Harlan/Kenney, POL, injury default

Consolation

Wyatt Ducharme/Hudson Smith, POL, def. David Haacke/Aksel Sorensen, STV, 6-2, 6-2; Brendan Bulls/Austin Reese, WF, def. Brock Denny/Trevor Wick, CF, 6-1, 7-5; Brown/Turgeon, WF, def. Ducharme/Smith, POL, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2; Bulls/Reese, WF, def. Ross/Potthoff, WF, 6-4, 6-1.

Third place

Bulls/Reese, WF, def. Brown/Turgeon, WF, 6-3, 6-3.