Youth tennis is thriving on the Hi-Line

Havre and the rest of the Hi-Line have a strong tradition of excellence in sports. But, one sport that may get overshadowed when talking about achievements and popularity is tennis, which is thriving not only in Havre, but across the area.

The Havre Blue Ponies have long been one of the premier tennis programs in Class A. Meanwhile, led by individual state champion Mariah Swank, the Chinook girls tennis team won the second of back-to-back Class B-C state championships this past spring, which capped a run of three titles in five seasons. Havre hasn't won a state championship as recently as Chinook, but the Blue Ponies have their own accomplishments to boast about as the boys have finished third at the Class A state tournament in each of the past two seasons, while Jeff Miller has finished in the top two individually two years running, winning the singles title in 2014.

Yet, even though neither of the Havre High tennis teams have won the ultimate prize in recent seasons, the run put together by the Ponies over the last two decades is nothing short of remarkable. Most impressively, the HHS boys have won 20 of the last 21 Central A championships and in the last 13 years, the boys and girls teams have combined to win five state championships, while bringing home a whopping 17 top-three trophies from the state tournament.

Of course both Havre and Chinook are led by great coaches, as George Ferguson of HHS and Thom MacLean of Chinook have each led their respective programs to the top of the mountain, while also having the staying power to be among the elite in their respective classes each and every year.

One reason both programs have been so dominant is the fact that tennis has had a rapid increase in popularity in recent years, both in Havre and along the Hi-Line. Just this week, Ferguson hosted his annual Havre Tennis Camp and despite the sweltering heat, 46 kids came out to participate, including a number of players that call themselves Blue Ponies and Sugarbeeters.

"This camp has really grown since I started doing it a while back," Ferguson said. "It's very exciting to see so many kids out here. Kids of all skill levels and ages. Obviously, we want these kids to learn to love the game of tennis, and for the younger ones, to become Blue Pony players someday. But honestly, I just love this sport, and I love coaching it in Havre, that it's just exciting to see these kids out here doing it, even if it's only for two days. If we get future Blue Ponies as a result of learning things here at our camp, that is awesome. But either way, it's just fun to see so many kids out here trying and playing a sport that I love so much and has given so much to me over the years.

"And kids will get a lot out of playing tennis, whether they become high school players or not," he continued. "Tennis is considered one of the top cross-training sports in the world, when it comes to the major sports like basketball, football, volleyball, hockey and baseball, the majority of sports the kids love to play. This sport can help them in all phases of athletics, and that's really been proven in our program over the years. It's also a sport people can play, enjoy and get great exercise out of for the rest of their lives. I might be biased, but I think it's a sport everyone should try to play, even if it's just for fun."

The Beeters’ program is thriving and with a number of talented players set to return next season such as Lauren Harshman, who teamed up with Courtney Gunderson in doubles action to earn a second-place finish at state, the run seems far from over.

"I think a lot of us play because it's what our friends do," Harshman said at the Havre Tennis Camp Tuesday. "Coach Thom is a really good coach and I think that is why we have done so well. He also makes it fun to play."

Yet, Harshman and Gunderson are not the only talented players returning to what should be a stacked team with others like Brooke Nicholson, who was third as an individual last year at state, as well as Hattie Niederegger and Sierra Swank, who each won matches at state a season ago.

Just like the Beeters, the Ponies have plenty of talent returning for the 2016 season, starting with Miller, who will look to play for the individual state title again in an attempt to capture two state titles in three years. In addition to Miller, the Ponies will return Jerod Boles, who was part of a doubles team that won three matches at state, as well as Nate Korb and Jake Sedahl, who each have state experience and are all multi-sport athletes. Ferguson is also looking forward to a senior-laden girls team being very strong next spring.

Boles, who is a four-sport athlete, playing golf, basketball and American Legion baseball in addition to tennis, said Havre just has a knack for turning out good players.

"We have had a lot of good players and I think we still have a lot of talent," Boles said. "I think kids like playing tennis because it's fun. It's fast-paced and it's competitive. There are a lot of kids here at the camp and I think that shows how much kids like it."

There is no question that tennis is becoming all the rage during the spring sports season, whether in Havre or Chinook and the trophies in each school's respective trophy cases are all the proof that's needed to see that tennis is rising in these parts and its ascent may just be beginning.

"Right now tennis is in a really good place, not only here in Havre, but on the Hi-Line," Ferguson said. "Our program is coming off another really strong season, and last spring, our participation numbers were great, and hopefully, that continues. We have all the pieces in place to have another outstanding season next spring.

"And just look at what Chinook has done," He added. "We've got a few Sugarbeeters here at camp right now, and they are all outstanding players. Coach (Thom) MacLean has done such a tremendous job with that program, and they don't show any signs of slowing down. And Chester/J-I had an All-State player this season, and Harlem has girls tennis now. It's a sport that I really feel is becoming more and more popular again in Montana, like it was in the '80s and '90s when Montana was producing a lot of Division I players. And the Hi-Line is thriving in tennis right now, even without the type of indoor facilities that other towns in Montana have. And I'm going to do everything I can to see that that continues."