Freshman Baltrusch wins individual title, eight Pony boys to state

For the fourth straight year, the Havre boys tennis team is the Central A divisional champions. The Ponies scored 59 points 30 ahead of Lewistown in second.

"I knew going in that we would win divisionals," Sam Dierman said. "My biggest question was how many boys we could qualify for state. We qualified eight which is one more than we did last year."

The Ponies claimed the individual singles championship for the fourth straight year. But the winner isn't who one might expect.

Freshman Kyle Baltrusch stunned the opposition and cruised to three easy wins for the singles title.

"Kyle was outstanding," Dierman said. "I've never had a freshman take first in divisionals. He will be fun to watch at state."

Baltrusch said he expected to be playing Cody McLain, who won the divisional title last year.

"I would have rather been playing Cody," Baltrusch said. "Playing Brady Ernst was probably easier because I know Cody's better than him."

Baltrusch defeated Boyce from Lewistown, 6-0, 6-0, in the quarterfinals and then Lewistown's J. Ernst, 6-1, 6-2, in the semifinals. In the championship, Baltrusch fell to Brady Ernst from Lewistown 6-1, before striking back to win two straight, 6-0, 6-0.

It wasn't just Baltrusch who was a bright spot for Havre. The three doubles teams took the top three places to move on to state.

The Havre teams met up with each other in the brackets. Duo Jeremy Heninger and Seth Maristuen defeated freshmen Marc Mariani and Gary Wagner 6-4, 6-3 to advance to the championship where they would face teammates Mike Frey and Daine Solomon.

Heninger and Maristuen won the championship 6-3, 0-6, 6-1.

Mariani and Wagner came back through the loser's bracket for third place.

"The boys doubles finished one, two, three which was excellent," Dierman said. "I feel we have great boys doubles teams. I guess we will find out at state."

Rounding out the eight boys for the Ponies is McLain, who placed fourth.

"It doesn't matter where Cody finished as long as he advanced to state," Dierman said. "He had a rough divisionals but I wouldn't want to play him at state. He will be very focused."

After losing in the semifinals, McLain had to find his way back through the loser's bracket in order to make a trip to the state tournament. His first competitor in the loser's bracket was cousin Andrew McLain. Cody McLain defeated Andrew McLain 6-3, 6-1 to advance to the third- and fourth-place match.

"It is always sad when you lose a competitor like Andrew but he had a great career at Havre," Dierman said.

Havre also qualified three girls for the state competition singles player Crystal Pyrak and doubles team Ryan Hamilton and Jennifer Gorder.

The girls came away with the second-place trophy for the fourth consecutive year. Livingston won the title with 45 points, Havre with 36 and Anaconda with 35. Lewistown came in fourth with 23 points.

"We are going to get a divisional championship in girls tennis in the near future if the girls will play more tennis in the summer," Dierman said.

For the first time since 1995, a Havre girls doubles team played in the championship. The duo of Hamilton and Gorder, which missed the state tournament by one match last season, lost to Park's doubles team of Hannon and Winfrey. Hannon and Winfrey did not allow an opponent to win a game against them in the tournament.

"Jennifer Gorder and Ryan Hamilton had a great divisionals," Dierman said. "They missed by one match last year and were very determined this year. Hannon and Winfrey will walk away with the state A doubles championship. They are the best girls doubles team that I've ever seen. Gorder and Hamilton will do well at state."

Pyrak finished in fourth place, losing to Lewistown's Brand 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 6-2.

"It's great that Crystal qualified," Dierman said. "She still hasn't played her best tennis. I'm hoping she will be relaxed at state and do well."

Samantha Shrauger and Laura Hedstrom fell just short of a trip to the state tournament. Pyrak knocked Hedstrom out of the tournament on her way back to playing for third and fourth place.

"Laura did not have a very good season but she was unbelievable at divisionals. By far our biggest surprise," Dierman said. "She is our lone senior and to finish how she did was excellent. Samantha had a great divisionals and will be tough in her senior season."

The following are the results from Friday and Saturday at the divisional tennis tournament in Livingston:

Girls:

Team scores:

Livingston 45

Havre 36

Anaconda 35

Lewistown 23

Butte Central 0

Singles:

First round:

Laura Hedstrom, Havre, def. Hamilton, Anaconda, 6-0, 6-3

Yeoman, Anaconda, def. Storey, Livingston, 6-0, 6-0

Amy McLain, Havre, def. Vise, Lewistown, 6-0, 6-1

Brand, Lewistown, def. Hoover, Livingston, 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (10-8)

Briggs, Livingston, def. Samantha Shrauger, Havre, 7-5, 6-4

Everett, Anaconda, def. Velach, Lewistown, 6-0, 6-3

Spear, Anaconda, def. Graf, Livingston, 6-3, 6-4

Crystal Pyrak, Havre, def. Chapman, Lewistown, 6-1, 6-1

Hedstrom, Havre, def. Minea, Butte Central, 6-4, 6-3

Quarterfinals:

Yeoman, Anaconda, def. McLain, Havre, 6-3, 6-4

Brand, Lewistown, def. Hedstrom, Havre, 6-2, 6-0

Briggs, Livingston, def. Everett, Anaconda, 6-2, 6-1

Pyrak, Havre, def. Spear, Anaconda, 6-4, 6-3

Semifinals:

Yeoman, Anaconda, def. Brand, Lewistown, 6-0, 5-7, 6-4

Briggs, Livingston, def. Pyrak, Havre, 7-6 (7-2), 4-6, 6-2

Championship:

Yeoman, Anaconda, def. Briggs, Livingston, 7-5, 6-1

Consolation round:

Hoover, Livingston, def. Hamilton, Anaconda, 7-5, 6-2

Storey, Livingston, def. Vise, Lewistown, 6-3, 6-2

Hoover, Livingston, def. Minea, Butte Central, 6-0, 6-0

Shrauger, Havre, def. Valach, Lewistown, 6-0, 6-0

Chapman, Lewistown, def. Graf, Livingston, 0-6, 6-4, 6-4

Hedstrom, Havre, def. Storey, Livingston, 6-2, 6-1

Hoover, Livingston, def. McLain, Havre, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3

Shrauger, Havre, def. Spear, Anaconda, 7-5, 6-2

Everett, Anaconda, def. Chapman, Lewistown, 6-7 (1-7), 6-2, 6-2

Hedstrom, Havre, def. Hoover, Livingston, 6-2, 6-4

Shrauger, Havre, def. Everett, Anaconda, 6-1, 6-3

Pyrak, Havre, def. Hedstrom, Havre, 6-3, 6-2

Brand, Lewistown, def. Shrauger, Havre, 6-4, 6-2

Third and fourth place:

Brand, Lewistown, def. Pyrak, Havre, 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 6-2

Doubles:

First round:

Hannon/Winfrey, Livingston, def. Olson/Mayernik, Lewistown, 6-0, 6-0

Johnston/Beausolei, Anaconda, def. Fleming/Melvin, Butte Central, 6-1, 6-2

Richter/Jimmerson, Lewistown, def. Colbert/Laslovich, Anaconda, 6-2, 6-1

Jennifer Gorder/Ryan Hamilton, Havre, def. Foote/Kestling, Livingston, 6-1, 6-3

Nelson/Scofield, Livingston, def. Sweeney/Svaldi, Anaconda, 6-2, 6-3

Quarterfinals:

Hannon/Winfrey, Livingston, def/ Johnston/Beausolei, Anaconda, 6-0, 6-0

Richter/Jimmerson, Lewistown def. Taylor Donaldson/Casey Peterson, Havre, 6-3, 6-1

Gorder/Hamilton, Havre, def. Conroy/Butler, Lewistown, 6-0, 6-2

Nelson/Scofield, Livingston, def. Erika Johnson/Sara Suek, Havre, 6-1, 6-1

Semifinals:

Hannon/Winfrey, Livingston, def. Richter/Jimmerson, Lewistown, 6-0, 6-0

Gorder/Hamilton, Havre, def. Nelson, Scofield, Livingston, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4

Championship:

Hannon/Winfrey, Livingston, def. Gorder/Hamilton, Havre, 6-0, 6-0

Consolation round:

Olson/Mayernik, Lewistown, def. Fleming/Melvin, Butte Central, 6-0, 6-3

Donaldson/Peterson, Havre, def. Olson/Mayernik, Lewistown, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3

Colbert/Laslovich, Anaconda, def. Johnston/Beausolei, Anaconda, 6-0, 6-3

Foote/Kesling, Livingston, def. Johnson/Suek, Havre, 6-7 (6-8), 6-3, 6-2

Colbert/Laslovich, Anaconda, def. Donaldson/Peterson, Havre, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3

Sweeney/Svaldi, Anaconda, def. Foote/Kesling, Livingston, 6-4, 6-2

Nelson/Scofield, Livingston, def. Colbert/Laslovich, Anaconda, 7-5, 6-3

Richter/Jimmerson, Lewistown, def. Sweeney/Svaldi, Anaconda, 6-3, 6-3

Third and fourth place:

Richter/Jimmerson, Lewistown, def. Nelson, Scofield, Livingston, 6-4, 6-4

Boys:

Team scores:

Havre 59

Lewistown 29

Butte Central 0

Singles:

First round:

Tyler Vincent, Havre, def. Cole, Butte Central, 6-0, 6-0

Boyce, Lewistown, def. Kling, Butte Central, 7-6 (7-2), 2-6, 6-2

Quarterfinals:

Cody McLain, Havre, def. Bride, Lewistown, 6-0, 6-2

B. Ernst, Lewistown, def. Vincent, Havre, 6-0, 6-0

Kyle Baltrusch, Havre, def. Boyce, Lewistown, 6-0, 6-0

J. Ernst, Lewistown, def. Andrew McLain, Havre, 6-1, 6-1

Semifinals:

B. Ernst, Lewistown, def. Cody McLain, Havre, 6-7 (6-8), 7-6 (9-7) 6-3

Baltrusch, Havre, def. J. Ernst, Lewistown, 6-1, 6-2

Championship:

Baltrusch, Havre, def. B. Ernst, Lewistown, 1-6, 6-0, 6-0

Consolation round:

Bride, Lewistown, def. Cole, Butte Central, 6-0, 6-2

Andrew McLain, Havre, def. Kling, Butte Central, 6-2, 6-0

Bride, Lewistown, def. Vincent, Havre, 7-5, 6-0

Andrew McLain, Havre, def. Boyce, Lewistown, 6-1, 6-0

J. Ernst, Lewistown, def. Bride, Lewistown, 6-4, 6-4

Cody McLain, Havre, def. Andrew McLain, Havre, 6-3, 6-1

Third and fourth place:

J. Ernst, Lewistown, def. Cody McLain, Havre, 6-3, 7-6 (7-2)

Doubles:

Quarterfinals:

Marc Mariani/Gary Wagner, Havre, def. Byerly/Atchison, Lewistown, 7-5, 6-3

Mike Frey/Daine Solomon, Havre, def. Pollard/Flentie, Lewistown, 6-2, 6-1

Semifinals:

Jeremy Heninger/Seth Maristuen, Havre, def. Mariani/Wagner, Havre, 6-4, 6-3

Frey/Solomon, Havre, def. Bakkedahl/Sweeney, Lewistown, 6-3, 7-5

Championship:

Heninger/Maristuen, Havre, def. Frey/Solomon, Havre, 6-3, 0-6, 6-1

Consolation round:

Bakkedahl/Sweeney, Lewistown, def. Byerly/Atchison, Lewistown, 6-1, 6-2

Mariani/Wagner, Havre, def. Pollard/Flentie, Lewistown, 6-2, 6-0

Third and fourth place:

Mariani/Wagner, Havre, def. Bakkedahl/Sweeney, Lewistown, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3