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Cowgirl tennis team nets second |
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Thursday, 15 May 2008 |
 DIVISIONAL TENNIS TEAM – From the left in front is Calen King, Kesha Blockeel, Brittnee Wittmier, Alyssa Keil, Kelly Johns and Jamie Ries. In the middle is Jaren VanDyke. In the back are Andy Springer, Dustin VandenBos, Kurtis Janzen, Garet Sullivan, Gregg Kalbas, Coach Kendall Griggs, Katie Schlepp, Anna Pearson and Ashley Beckham.
After play on Friday, the Cowgirls and the Lady Wolves were knotted up at 14-14, Fairfield was only two points back with 12 while Choteau was essentially out of the competition with two points.
On the boys’ side, there were only two teams, Cut Bank and Conrad, and the Wolves held a 9-5 advantage.
Some of the quarterfinal action on the boys’ side had Calen King, Kurtis Janzen and Stefan Sommer losing while Jaren VanDyke was winning his match in three sets. In the consolation round, King downed Reid Gage, again in three sets and Sommer suffered another loss.
In doubles action, Gregg Kalbas and Garet Sullivan suffered a loss, as did Andy Springer and Dustin VandenBos.
On Saturday, Springer-VandenBos defeated teammates Sullivan-Kalbas for third place. King rallied back to take fourth place in the singles action. Cut Bank won the tourney 52-14.
For the women, the story was Kelly Johns who fell in her opening match. However, as coach Kendall Griggs put it, “She played phenomenally coming from the consolation bracket to win four matches and defeat the number one seed to place fourth and advance to the state tournament.”
Early winners were the doubles teams of Anna Pearson-Katie Schlepp and Brittnee Wittmier-Kesha Blockeel.
In singles play, Ashley Beckham won, Jamie Ries was a winner and Alyssa Keil lost a match.
When play was finished on Saturday, Cut Bank had come on to edge Conrad 40-36. Fairfield was three points back in third place at 33 and Choteau had fourth with 5 points.
Eventually, teammate Ries defeated Johns to place third, in straight sets, 6-0, 7-5.
On the doubles side, Pearson-Schlepp came in second and Wittmier-Blockeel lost a tough match and was in sixth place.
Griggs commented, “I’m proud of how both teams faired. All of the girls played their hearts out to rally back and placed second.”
This weekend they are in Missoula for the state tournament.
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