The C.M. Russell High boys’ and girls’ tennis teams emerged as the victors on Friday at the Northern AA divisional tournament hosted at the Flathead Valley Community College. Both teams secured league championships in the singles categories, with the boys also clinching the top spot in doubles. The girls’ doubles team finished as runners-up.
Individual titles in the girls’ and boys’ brackets were claimed by Gabbi Molen and Howard Daniel, while Josh Stimac and Eli Crist emerged as the victorious boys’ doubles team. Ryann Walker and Olivia Buckingham secured second place for the CMR girls.
Coach Byron Boyd’s CMR boys garnered 61 team points to claim the title, finishing 26 points ahead of second-place Kalispell Glacier. Val Scheevel’s Rustler girls tallied 57 points, finishing 15 points ahead of the runner-up Glacier.
As a result of their top-four finishes, both CMR squads will be sending three singles players and a pair of doubles units to the state meet next week in Bozeman. Unfortunately, the Great Falls High teams concluded their season without any athletes making a top-four spot.
Molen secured victory in the all-Rustler divisional finals against teammate Grace Kauffman. In the boys’ category, Howard Daniel emerged triumphant against his freshman twin brother Fleming Daniel.
Stimac and Crist dominated their opponents in the opening rounds before sealing their victory with a finals’ win over Glacier’s Rudback and Engellant. Meanwhile, Kiera Richards and Kade Haverlandt both secured fourth place in the singles category, earning the opportunity to advance to the state meet.
Buckingham and Walker put up a strong fight in their doubles matches, securing a trip to the divisional final. Quincy Weymouth and Marianne Hawley also earned their way to the state meet with a fourth-place showing in girls’ doubles.
The state meet will commence on Thursday in Bozeman and will run through Friday, with sessions beginning at 8 a.m. on both days. It will be interesting to see if the Russell High teams can maintain their winning streak at the state level after their impressive performance in the divisional tournament.