By Tiffany L. Rehbein
The Havre Blue Pony tennis team will get another shot at Conrad, Cut Bank, and Lewistown at the Conrad Invitational on Saturday.
Both the boys' and the girls' teams defeated all three opponents in last weekend's opening-season duals.
"I would like to see continued improvement and play," head coach Sam Dierman said. "I would like to see them improve each match."
The Blue Ponies will still be short-handed on their varsity, with only eight singles' players and two doubles' teams invited to the tournament.
"I would like to see all my kids play," Dierman said.
Kellen Malone, Nick Heninger, and Terence Wells will compete in singles.
Mike Frey and Sean Maristuen, Tyler Croft and Levi LaPrath, and Tyler Vincent and Jeremy Heninger will compete in doubles.
On the girls' side, Teri Sherrill, Crystal Heggen, Lauren Malone, and Nichole Borst will compete in singles.
Sam Velk and Breyon Briese, Jana McPherson and Nikki Baltrusch, and Kirsten Kuka and Tiffany Shrauger will compete in doubles.
"With the doubles, I will get a chance to see how good of kids I have put together," Dierman said.
Croft and LaPrath are the only doubles' team to have competed already together this season.
The team had to challenge within itself to see who would travel to Conrad this weekend.
Chinook will be competing in Havre for the remaining players, including junior varsity, to compete.
The Ponies are continually improving volleys, overheads, and footwork, Dierman said.
"We need to react to the ball a little quicker and quit standing around," Dierman said.
Action at Conrad kicks off at 9 a.m. and action at Havre kicks off at 9 a.m.
