Vals sweep divisional tournament

Some fell easy and some took a little more work, but in the end the Valkyries defeated the majority of their opponents in the Western B/C Divisional Tennis Tournament last weekend in Bigfork.

In fact, the Bigfork girls did so well that they scored more than twice as many points as any other team and ran away with the team trophy, in addition to several singles and doubles honors. The Valkyries tallied 57 points while Eureka took second with 26. St. Ignatius was third with 14 points and Troy earned 11 for fourth place.

"I'm happy in general with Bigfork's play," Wallin said. "The girls that played in the consolation side had a lot of matches to play in warm conditions. I am pleased that all of the girls made it to state. We've had a good season. They've worked hard and being able to play at state is a nice reward."

Bigfork earned the top spots in both singles and doubles play. Senior Jade Bosic defeated Eureka's Casey Armstrong in a match that lasted more than two hours for the championship medal.

"It felt really good to actually win," Bosic said. "I was really hoping I would get first. I knew that Casey was my biggest competition at the divisionals. It was great when I won it and the match was finally over."

Bosic won the first set 7-5, lost the second 3-6 and the third hit a 6-6 tie that was ultimately broken by Bosic 7-5.

"I could've worked on my serves a little more," Bosic said of her play in the championship match. "My serve percentage wasn't very good, but overall I was happy with how I played. It was a really close match. I play more of a defensive game and she played more of an offensive game."

Bosic and Armstrong met twice during the regular season. The first time was in Eureka and Bosic won and the second time was in Bigfork and Armstrong won. Bosic stuck with Armstrong in their third meeting, though, and got the win when it really counted.

"Jade's match was the match of the tournament," Wallin said. "Jade saved one match point and the Eureka girl saved three match points. The Eureka girl had two gutsy shots to eliminate two match points. The tie breaker is the point in the match that Jade should feel proud of. She played solid high percentage tennis and kept trying under adverse circumstances."

Prior to defeating Armstrong, Bosic beat Bigfork teammate McKinze Shults, 6-1, 6-2, in the semi-finals. Bosic beat Eureka's Karina Hofstee, 6-0, 6-0, in the second round and her first match of the tournament was against Troy's Carmen Peace, who she beat 6-0, 6-0. Bosic's win-streak in the tournament strongly contributed to the Vals' first-place finish in the team standings.

"It was great to get a plaque for the school because tennis hasn't done that in a long time," Bosic said. "I was also really happy that all of the girls made it to state."

The Valkyries' No. 1 doubles team of Claire Wilken and Hannah Barrett captured a divisional championship as well. The Bigfork girls defeated Jackie Pepiot and Tara Duzan, 6-2, 6-3, for the win.

"I'm super excited for state," Barrett said. "We don't really know what to expect. We haven't played a lot of the teams. We are a little worried about Cut Bank (the only Class B school the duo has lost a match to this season). I'm pretty confident though. I think we'll do well."

Barrett and Wilken had just one other match during the divisional tournament since they had a bye in the first round.

"Although they had a bye in the first round, I felt that they were by far the best doubles team in the tournament," Wallin said of Wilken and Barrett. "They didn't let the taller of the two girls that they played in the final get to the net and dominate the match the way she had the previous match."

In the second round, the Bigfork pair defeated Eureka's Shannon Stein and Shelby Taurman, 6-1, 6-3.

"I'm excited. I'm usually more into volleyball, but this year has been really good for tennis," said Wilken, who is a senior. "I don't know what it is. Maybe because Hannah and I just click as doubles partners. Everyone on the team gets along really well too so it's made the season really fun."

As was often the case during the tournament, two Bigfork girls were pitted against each other in singles play for the rights to the third- and fourth-place spot. Carolina Tietzel and Shults battled it out and Tietzel ultimately won, 6-1, 6-1.

After working her way back up through the consolation bracket following a second-round loss to Armstrong, Bigfork senior Emily Hardman played Hofstee to determine who finished the tournament in fifth and sixth place. Hardman lost 6-3, 6-1.

"Emily has a very tough first-round match ahead of her," said Paul Sullivan, one of Bigfork's two co-head coaches. "She'll be paired up with a No. 1 and that will be a hard one. But she is a great natural athlete and I think she can carry herself into this with that and win some matches, which would be great for her as a first-year player."

Ariel Stallknecht and Kianna Wicklund made the cut for state in doubles play securing the fourth-place spot. They were defeated in a fight for third place by Mission's Sarah Bowers and Becky Hiatt, 6-4, 6-2.

The top six singles players and the top four doubles teams from the girls divisional tournament advance to the Class B/C State Tournament, which starts today, May 20, for the boys and the girls and runs through Saturday at the University of Montana.

"The girls' tournament will be more complex than the boys," said Wallin of the state tournament. "There are more girl participants and we haven't seen many of the girls play. The only team that we haven't seen on the boys side is Loyola."

Bosic said she is thankful to be unfamiliar with her soon-to-be opponents.

"It's kind of a good thing that I don't know any of the competition because that way I can't be intimidated by any of the girls I haven't played before," Bosic said. "I just hope that I play well."

There is no divisional tournament for boys or other qualifying match for state.

Each school is allowed to send four singles and two doubles teams from their roster of boys players.

Senior Bridger Mahlum will play in the No. 1 singles spot for the Bigfork boys and in the No. 1 doubles spot will be Ryan Gembala and Evan Jordt.

"I'm very happy with Bridger's play," Sullivan said. "The way he's striking the ball, the way he's putting points together — he really is playing top-shelf tennis. I think Ryan and Evan are really putting some things together about how to play doubles tennis and both of them are striking the ball very well."

In the No. 2 singles spot will be sophomore Colter Mahlum, who is Bridger's younger brother.

"He is following hot in his older brother's footsteps," Sullivan said. "I think he's out to make a name for himself in this tournament and I definitely think he can do that."

Nate Roberson and Seth Roessmann will fill the No. 2 doubles spot for Bigfork. Dylan Reichenbach will play in the No. 3 singles spot and John Lyon will be the No. 4 singles player for Bigfork.

"It's a big advantage that we are taking literally our entire team and it's not something that I remember happening during my years of tennis," Sullivan, who is a Bigfork alum said. "I think it speaks to the quality and the depth of the team."

Saturday the boys did go to Mission to play in one last tournament before state. The tournament, called Best of the West, which was attended by four Class B schools — Troy, Bigfork, Mission and Valley Christian — was set in a round-robin format.

"It was good for them to get to play a bunch the week before state," Sullivan said. "It was a great opportunity for the boys to play Valley Christian, who we haven't played against. The tournament was a helpful scouting expedition. We got to see almost half of the teams that we will be playing at the state tournament."

Results from the Mission tournament were unavailable at press time.

"We just lost a few matches against Mission I don't think we should've lost," said Sullivan of Bigfork's performance in the tournament. "They got it out of their system and I have a lot of confidence that it won't happen at state. Overall, though, the boys did well and I was mostly happy with how they played."

Check www.bigforkeagle.com for state tournament updates.