Pony netters win in Glendive

In their first chance to see the entire Eastern A Division this season, the Havre High tennis teams trekked to Glendive for the Elks Invitational over the weekend. And while weather once again played a factor in the meet, the Blue Ponies got plenty out of the long trip east.

“We played a lot of tennis in a short amount of time, and that’s what we went to Glendive to do,” HHS head coach George Ferguson said. “We got to play a lot of really good competition and I thought our kids did a great job. We played really well on Friday, I thought we played a lot of really good tennis that first day. Saturday, I don’t think we played as well as we could have, and that will be a good learning experience for us, because with divisionals so close now, we have to learn that we’ve got to be able to be at our best under any circumstance,

“But overall, our kids did a great job,” Ferguson added. “It’s a long trip, it’s a grind because we play a lot of matches in a pretty short amount of time, and our kids battled hard. It was a very good weekend.”

The Havre girls dropped just one dual over the weekend, as Ferguson said the Ponies continue to progress. Friday, the Pony girls beat Glendive 5-1, Miles City 4-2 and tied Billings Central 3-3. Saturday, HHS took care of Baker 4-2 before falling to Hardin 6-0.

Highlights for the Havre girls included Kassidy Compton going 4-1 at No. 2 singles, McKenzie Tommerup knocking off a top player from Glendive to open the weekend, and the Havre doubles tandems of Kadyn and Cassidy Acor, Marcee Murphy and Devyn Solomon, Teagan Fee and Tiffany Ralph and Tamera O’Leary and Sylvia Wilting combining to win 12 matches.

“Our girls have been getting better and better every week,” Ferguson said. “And it showed on Friday. Glendive, Miles City and especially Billings Central, are all very tough teams, they were all really strong opponents, and we played really good against all three of them. I was really pleased with how our girls played. They all had some great matches, and played really good tennis, and that’s what we wanted to see them do most — just play well, and they did that.”

The Havre boys went 2-1 on the first day, beating Miles City 4-2, Billings Central 5-1 and falling to Glendive 4-2. Saturday, the Ponies lost to Hardin 6-0 and tied Miles City 3-3. Reese Bulkley and Jake Huston went 4-1 at No. 1 doubles for the Ponies, while Trenton Maloughney and Mick Chagnon were outstanding at the No. 2 spot. Tommy Brown and Josh Warp also combined to go 6-4 at the top two singles spots for the Ponies.

“It was an interesting weekend for our boys,” Ferguson said. “We won plenty of matches, but I also don’t think we played our best tennis, especially on Saturday. I thought we really took a couple of steps back on Saturday. But, we also have a pretty inexperienced boys team, and so days like that can happen. So that’s something we need to work on going forward, just being able to stay focused and mentally tough at all times.

“That’s something I think we learned that we need to do a better job of going forward,” Ferguson said, adding, “On the other hand, our boys did play plenty of really good matches against tough opponents, and the effort is always there. Our guys always give 100 percent when they’re on the court. So this weekend was really good for them. I think we did a lot of really good things, and also learned a lot about ourselves at the same time.”

And learning is something Ferguson said was big in Glendive, especially with divisionals now just three weeks away.

“Glendive is always a great measuring stick for us, and it was again this year,” Ferguson said. “Our kids did a great job of standing up to really good competition and battling the weather, once again. And at the same time, they saw exactly what we need to work on and where we need to be as we go forward. The clock is ticking away on our season, and what we went through in Glendive this weekend, it was exactly what we needed.”

Havre will see many of the same teams again this weekend when the Ponies head to Billings for the Mayfair Invitational. Normally, the Ponies play in the prestigious Helena Invite this weekend, but, that meet no longer exists.

BOYS

Havre 4, Miles City 2

Singles

Brown, HAV def. Poleski, MC, 3-6, 6-4, 7-4; Warp, HAV def. Morris, MC, 6-4, 6-3.

Doubles

Huston/Bulkley, HAV def. Mitchell/Ramirez, MC, 6-2, 7-5; Chagnon/Maloughney, HAV def. Smith/Evins, MC, 6-4, 7-6 (9); Watts/Leighchner, MC def. Johnsrud/South, HAV, 6-2, 6-4; Rene/Tredt, MC def. Peterson/Powell, HAV, 6-2, 6-2.

Havre 5, Billings Central 1

Singles

Brown, HAV def. MacIntyre, BC, 6-3, 6-2; Warp, HAV def. Coleman, BC, 6-2, 6-4.

Doubles

Huston/Bulkley, HAV def. Parkan/Longing, BC, 6-2, 6-3; Chagnon/Maloughney, HAV def. Adkis/Jermanson, BC, 6-2, 6-2; Beiy/Jiang, BC def. Johnsrud/South, HAV, 6-4, 4-6, 8-6; Peterson/Powell, HAV def. Bolkenburg/Baudreau, BC, 6-2, 6-4.

Glendive 4, Havre 2

Singles

Carney, GLE def. Brown, HAV, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5; Warp, HAV def. Steiger, GLE, 7-6 (4), 6-4.

Doubles

Huston/Bulkley, HAV def. Scapholt/Reinhart, GLE, 6-3, 6-2; Lighter/Heilan, GLE def. Chagnon/Maloughney, HAV, 6-2, 6-4; Gentry/Cricket, GLE def. Johnsrud/South, HAV, 6-2, 6-4; Jacobsen/Valasquez, GLE def. Peterson/Powell, HAV, 6-4, 7-5.

Hardin 6, Havre 0

Singles

Noteboom, HAR def. Brown, HAV, 6-3, 4-6, 7-3; Lefthand, HAR def. Warp, HAV, 6-4, 2-6, 7-3.

Doubles

Old Crow/Swisse, HAR def. Huston/Bulkley, HAV, 6-4, 7-5; Yarlott/Dawes, HAR def. Maloughney/Chagnon, HAV, 7-6 (5), 6-3; Elk Shoulder/Chavez, HAR def. Johnsrud/South, HAV, 6-4, 6-4; Cummins/Stevens, HAR def. Peterson/Powell, HAV, 6-2, 6-7 (5), 7-2.

Havre 3, Miles City 3

Singles

Polesky, MC def. Warp, HAV, 6-3, 6-4; Brown, HAV def. Morris, MC, 6-2, 6-3.

Doubles

Bulkley/Huston, HAV def. Smith/Evins, MC, 6-2, 6-3; Maloughney/Chagnon, MC def. Rameriz/Mitchell, MC, 7-5, 6-2; Tredt/Rene, MC def. Johnsrud/South, HAV, 6-4, 6-3; Watts/Kichner, MC def. Peterson/Powell, HAV, 6-2, 7-6 (3).

GIRLS

Havre 5, Glendive 1

Singles

Tommerup, HAV def. Sickler, GLE, 6-3, 7-5; Compton, HAV def. Fornal, GLE, 3-6, 6-4, 7-4.

Doubles

Acor/Acor, HAV def. Mires/Marx, GLE, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5; Murphy/Solomon, HAV def. Koutman/Litwiller, GLE, 6-4, 6-3; Carney/Maher, GLE def. Fee/Ralph, HAV, 6-4, 7-5, 12-10; O'Leary/Wilting, HAV def. Franks/Undem, GLE, 6-2, 6-3.

Havre 4, Miles City 2

Singles

Toennis, MC def. Tommerup, HAV, 6-3, 6-4; Compton, HAV def. Karch, MC, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5.

Doubles

Acor/Acor, HAV def. Fleming/Moore, MC; Solomon/Murphy. HAV def. Gundlach/Doughty, MC; Fee/Ralph, HAV def. Bonte/Bulock, MC; Lewis/Ponessa, MC def. Wiltiing/O'Leary, HAV.

Havre 3, Billings Central 3

Singles

Meyer, BC def. Tommerup, HAV, 6-3, 6-3; Compton, HAV def. Jennings, BC, 6-2, 7-5.

Doubles

Putnam/Sass, BC def. Acor/Acor, HAV, 7-5, 6-7 (2); 7-2; Pankratz/Morton, BC def. Murphy/Solomon, HAV, 6-2, 6-3; Fee/Ralph, HAV def. Nelson/Volstad, BC, 6-4, 6-4; O'Leary/Wilting, HAV def. Pankratz/Petermann, BC, 6-3, 6-3.

Havre 4, Baker 2

Singles

Erickson, BAK def. Tommerup, HAV, 6-2, 6-3; Compton, HAV def. Kennel, BAK, 6-2, 6-3.

Doubles

Moore/Miller, BAK def. Acor/Acor, HAV, 6-3, 6-4; Solomon/Murphy, HAV def. Harison/Graham, BAK, 6-4, 6-3; Fee/Ralph, HAV def. Shlehamer/Barkley, BAK, 6-3, 6-2; O'Leary/Wilting, HAV def. Janz/Stenic, BAK, 6-4, 6-3.

Hardin 6, Havre 0

Singles

Noteboom, HAR def. Tommerup, HAV, 6-2, 7-6 (4); Lind, HAR def. Compton, HAV, 6-2, 6-7 (3), 7-5.

Doubles

Reisig/Murdock, HAR def. Acor/Acor, HAV, 6-2, 6-2; Don't Mix/Cummins, HAR def. Solomon/Murphy, HAV, 6-4, 7-6; Green/Flamm, HAR def. Fee/Ralph, HAV, 6-4, 6-2; Apichartwiat/Black Eagle, HAR def. O'Leary/Wilting, HAV, 6-4, 6-3.