Valkyries tennis dominates divisional tourney

The Bigfork Valkyries dominated their divisional tennis tournament on Friday and Saturday in Bigfork.

Doubles team Brooke Bonner and Alauna Weilacher will head into the state tournament this weekend as division champions after beating Ronan’s Hannah Bird Rattler and Hannah Kiehn.

“Brooke and Alauna just rolled through the final,” tennis coach Mike Bonner said. Bonner and Weilacher beat out teammates Jaime Berg and Sophie Hasselmeier in the semifinals before defeating Ronan.

Berg and Hasselmeier took their consolation matchup to secure third and join their teammates at state.

The singles championship was another Valkyries showdown between Lana Berg and Kalia Wicklund. Wicklund took the win for first.

“That was, I thought, a high level match,” Bonner said. “One of the best singles matches of the year. They both played really well. It’s always tough to play your own teammate.” 

Wicklund and Berg will be joined at state by teammate Karlee Park, who fought her way back through the consolation bracket to defeat teammate Abbie Fraley for the last state qualifying position.

“Karlee played great to get to the fifth spot,” Bonner said.

Bonner said that while there will be some tough competition at state in Great Falls, he expects the Vals to win some matches.

Boys tennis doesn’t have divisionals, and the Vikings will also play at state May 14-16.

Western B Divisional Girls

Friday and Saturday May 8-9 at Bigfork

Singles

First Round

Lana Berg, Bf, bye; Abbie Fraley, Bf, def. Kaylee Stecher, Tr, 6-0, 6-03; Sam Ashley, Ro, bye; Daisie VandenBos, Mi, bye; Allie Brown, Tr, bye; Karlee Park, Bf, def. Jenaya Burns, Ro, 6-1. 6-0; Molly Walters, Tr, def. Lindsay Johnson, Mi, 6-0, 6-1; Kalia Wicklund, Bf, bye.

Quarterfinals

Berg def. Fraley, 6-4, 6-2; VandenBos def. Ashley, 6-3, 6-3; Brown def. Park, 6-1, 6-0; Wicklund def. Walters, 6-1, 6-1.

Semifinals

Berg def. VandenBos, 6-4, 6-2; Wicklund def. Brown, 6-1, 6-1.

Championship

Wicklund def, Berg, 6-7 (4-7), 6-0, 6-1.

Consolation

First Round

Stecher def. Walters, 2-6, 6-3, 6-3; Park, bye; Ashley def. Burns, 6-1, 6-0; Fraley def. Johnson, 7-5, 6-4.

Second Round

Park def. Stecher, 6-3, 6-0; Fraley def. Ashley, 6-3, 6-2.

Third round

Allie Brown, Tr, def. Karlee Park, Bf, 6-2, 6-0

Daisie VandenBos, Mi, def. Abbey Fraley, Bf, 6-7 (3-7), 6-1, 6-4

Third/Fourth

VandenBos def. Brown, 6-3, 6-0

Fifth/Sixth

Park def. Fraley, 6-3, 7-5

Doubles

First Round

Brooke Bonner/Alauna Weilacher, BF, bye; Jaime Berg/Sophie Hasselmeier, BF, def. Sam Friedlander/Breanna Turpin, Ro, 6-1, 6-1; Azure Stever/Taylor Brown, Tr, bye; Hannah Bird Rattler/Hannah Kiehn, Ro, bye.

Semifinals

Bonner/Weilacher def. Berg Hasselmeier, 7-5, 6-0; Bird Rattler/Kiehn def. Stever/Brown, 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 6-4..

Championship

Bonner/Weilacher def. Bird Rattler/Kiehn,  6-1, 6-3.

Consolation

Stever/Brown def. Friedlander/Turpin, 6-7 (3-6), 6-4, 6-0.

Third/Fourth Place

Berg Hasselmeier def. Stever/Brown, 7-5, 6-4.