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TENNIS PREVIEW
CLASS A TENNIS PREVIEW: Whitefish rebounds from accident, hopes for good run
The fact that this year's State A tennis tournament will be played in Polson means the Whitefish boys' team can already breathe a little easier.
Chilly temperatures and spotty snow have made practice and early season competition tough for area coaches, who are mostly still in the dark when it comes to the how things will turn out in the class. “We were up sweeping snow off the courts at Grouse Mountain today,” Cummings said on Tuesday. “(But) we don't have the nets up yet.” Besides the shorter bus trip, Whitefish may also be feeling confident after bolstering an already strong boys' singles lineup with the addition of Chilean exchange student Renzo Caimi. Caimi and 2007 state runner-up Matt Harris have been juggling the Nos. 1-2 spots through the early part of the year, with the rest of the singles positions still fairly fluid, Cummings said. Other top boys like Ryan Rottenbiller - who advanced to the state semifinals last year - and Ian Hosek could well end up playing doubles, depending on how things shake out. The singles competition is made even more wide open after defending state champion Jordan Hatzell transferred from Billings Central to Class AA Billings West. That leaves the door open a little bit more for hopefuls like Corvallis' Geoff Fehr. Fehr, a senior, leads a Blue Devils squad that was the west's second-best finisher at state last season, with four points. Coach Chris Maul-Smith said his squad can improve on that showing this year. “Last year we had a lot of kids who were new to the state experience,” Maul-Smith said. “We found out you could get a pretty good thumping at state. But from that experience I think a lot of the kids have been playing through the winter and working hard. They're really wanting to do something better at state this year.” Libby also has state qualifier Steven Hauck back from last season. Hauck lost to Fehr in the opening round of the state tournament. Polson is nearly all sophomores and juniors and has former doubles player Karston Erickson moving over to try his hand at singles, coach Bob Hislop said. He'll get some support from No. 2 player Tyler Engebretson. The graduation of state doubles champs Matt and Steve Gruener of Lewistown leaves the competition wide open and brightens the fortunes of teams like Corvallis' Jake Sangster and Levi Pauley, who were divisional champs last year. On the girls' side, Jackie Mee returns for the Loggers after a fourth-place finish at state as a freshman. Also a standout in basketball and volleyball, Mee will compete in a girls' field that includes state runner-up Katie Mariani of Havre, who is back for her senior season. “(Mee) uses a lot of power,” said Libby coach Kyle Hannah. “She just hits the ball pretty dang hard ... But as just a sophomore, I think that finesse game will come, too.” Mee also has a budding rivalry with Whitefish's Brielle Menegazzi. The Bulldogs' top singles player handed Mee her only loss of the regular season last year and then advanced all the way to the state consolation semifinals before the Libby frosh got the best of her. Much to the chagrin of the Loggers, it was Menegazzi who topped Mee last weekend in the pair's first meeting of 2008. “Hopefully this (loss) was just another little wake-up call for (Mee), like last year,” Hannah said. For Corvallis, Megin Madruga returns after advancing to the state quarterfinals last season, where she lost to Mee. The eastern half of the state fairly soundly dominated girls' doubles play at state in 2007, but heavy losses to graduation could make Polson's Cali Hislop and Malika Erickson the top returners. They advanced to the quarters last season. With the field in singles fairly loaded, Bob Hislop said the Pirates may try to load up on doubles teams with talents like Mattea York, Cassie Ward and Maddie Grebetz all waiting in the wings. The Blue Devils have Kirsten Bull back after a first-round doubles victory at state last year, but she'll have to mesh with new partner Kallie Ward. Divisional tournaments are scheduled for May 12-17, while state begins May 22. CLASS A BOYS Bigfork Head coaches: Matt Porrovecchio, third year/Paul Wallin Last year: Second at Western divisionals State participants lost: Owen Roberts/Kainoa Lake State participants returning: None State placers returning: None Projected top singles: Philipe Meyers (Sr.); Bridger Mahlum (So.) Projected top doubles: Scott Taylor (Jr.)/Tyler Butts (Jr.) Porrovecchio’s outlook: “We have a real positive outlook. The boys, throughout the offseason, have been working really hard, putting in a lot of time, and I think it’s showing this early in the season. The time in the offseason’s really paying off and they’re definitely starting off real strong for us.” Columbia Falls Head coach: Gary Yee, second year Last year: Fifth at Western divisionals State participants lost: None State participants returning: Grant Getts (Jr.)/Cody Maynard (Sr.) State placers returning: None Projected top singles: Jake Ronish (Jr.); Scott Hawkins (Jr.); Billy Garcia (Jr.); George Kimmerly (Jr.) Projected top doubles: Getts; Maynard; Kimmerly; Ronish Coach’s outlook: “I’m hoping to send two doubles teams to state this year. The thing I’m short on is freshmen. They’re a pretty solid group all the way through. We’re looking at divisionals and state — that’s kind of our main objective here. We would like to win at least as many duals as last year.” Libby Head coach: Kyle Hannah, third year Last year: Fourth at Western divisionals State participants lost: None State participants returning: Steven Hauck (Sr.) State placers returning: None Projected top singles: Hauck; Hunter Sheffield (Jr.); Chris Schnackenberg (Sr.) Projected top doubles: Too early to tell Coach’s outlook: “Of course Whitefish is going to be harder than snot with their boys, but I hope they compete, and I think we’ll go half and half with our duals, and placing third or fourth at divisionals is my goal with our boys.” Polson Head coach: Bob Hislop, 17th year Last year: Third at Western divisionals State participants lost: Jake Grebetz State participants returning: Karston Erickson (So.) State placers returning: None Projected top singles: Erickson; Tyler Engebretson (Jr.) Projected top doubles: Stefan McCrumb (Jr.)/Matt Roberts (So.) Coach’s outlook: “Experience coupled with a lot of youth gives us a chance to be pretty solid the next two years after this year.” Ronan Head coach: Gordon Cummings, sixth year Last year: Fourth at Southern divisionals State participants lost: Kyle Orr State participants returning: Ryon Hesselgesser (Sr.) State placers returning: None Projected top singles: Angel Nikolov; Hesselgesser; Frederick Kocheise Projected top doubles: Colten Cheff (So.)/Evan Waldren (Jr.) Coach’s outlook: “We had five last year, graduated one, and we have 15 out this year, which is nice numbers for us. We have a lot of kids, but they’re a lot of young players. Hopefully they progress as the season goes on to help us at divisionals.” Whitefish Head coach: Kathy Cummings, third year Last year: First at Western divisionals, second at state State participants lost: None State participants returning: Matt Harris (Jr.); Ryan Rottenbiller (Sr.); Ian Hosek (Sr.); Kyle Jacobson (Sr.)/Brendan Viscomi (Jr.) State placers returning: Harris (second); Rottenbiller (fourth) Projected top singles: Harris; Renzo Caimi (Sr.) Projected top doubles: Rottenbiller; Jacobson: Hosek; Viscomi Coach’s outlook: “We have our goals set pretty high. I have extremely talented boys and a lot of depth on the boys’ varsity and a lot of experienced state players.”
Posted by: wernet
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