Ponies shine bright at home

Bad weather is a part of spring sports. There’s no getting around that. And bad weather doomed the original date for the annual Havre Tennis Invitational back on April 12.

But what Mother Nature took from the Havre High tennis teams, she gave back to the Blue Ponies Monday, in a big way.

Under warm sunny skies and little wind, the Blue Ponies racked up win after win at the 2014 Havre Invite, which was played at both the Bill Vaughey Memorial Tennis Courts and the new courts on the campus of Montana State University-Northern. The tournament featured players from Lewistown, Cut Bank and Conrad, and while HHS head coach George Ferguson was pleased with the weather, he was even more excited about how his players competed and performed.

“I’m so excited and happy for all of our kids,” Ferguson said. “The results were great, but more than that, collectively, we played really well. And I’m happy that all of our kids did that because it is their tournament. It’s the Havre Invitational, and it’s the only one we play on our home courts. And our kids did such a great job all day long. I just couldn’t be more proud of each and every one of them.”

The Havre boys dominated the event, as sophomore Jeff Miller roared through the boys singles bracket, becoming the youngest winner of the Havre Invite boys singles bracket since 2007. Miller didn’t give up a game until his 6-1, 6-3 victory over Cut Bank standout Isaac Matt in the championship match, and the victory kept his unbeaten start to the season intact.

“It’s a pretty big deal for me,” Miller said of capturing the single’s title Monday. “There have been so many great players who have come through this program and have won this tournament. So it means a lot to me that I was able to follow it up and win it, too.”

Equally impressive was the run of seniors Brian Smith and Ned Malone in doubles. The duo fought their way to a 6-4, 6-7 (5), 10-6 win over the Cut Bank pair of Michael Kraft and Robert Jennings in the championship tilt, avenging a loss to the Wolves’ stars two weeks ago in Cut Bank. The wins in both singles and doubles were the first at the Havre Invite for the Ponies in four seasons.

“Just really proud of those three guys,” Ferguson said. “The competition was very good in both brackets, but Jeff just got better as the day went on and he wasn’t going to be beat. Ned and Brian’s run of four wins was really fun to watch. They are a first-year doubles team, and to win this tournament, I know it meant a lot to them. I think it gives them a great confidence boost going forward.”

But the HHS boys weren’t done. Senior Zach Hellegaard and sophomore Jerod Boles duked it out in the consolation match of the top singles bracket, with Hellegaard winning in a tiebreaker. Both Havre standouts beat quality players from Conrad on their way to the consolation final. Meanwhile, the junior doubles tandem of Wyatt Linbloom and Noah Landgraf beat the top Lewistown team of Zach Hould and Bryson Behl, not once, but twice, the second time giving the Havre duo a third-place finish. Junior Jamie Lieberg also placed an outstanding second in the 3-4s singles bracket at the college courts, giving the Havre boys a highly successful day at home.

“I felt like our boys teams really built up some momentum over the weekend in Cut Bank,” Ferguson said. “And our main goal when we got off the bus Saturday night was to carry that momentum over to today’s tournament. And not only did we do that, but I think we surpassed our goal as a team by a long ways. We won some big, important matches in every bracket. Our kids played extremely well, including our kids who aren’t in the varsity lineup. I thought our entire boys team, from top to bottom, made some big strides on Monday, and I’m really proud of them for that.”

On the girls side, Havre was every bit as strong.

In doubles, the Ponies marched three teams into the semifinals, with seniors Breck Don and Ellery Bresler eventually finishing second to the standout pair of Alex Kraft and Duana Gobert from Cut Bank. Don and Bresler fell 6-3, 6-2 in the championship match, following a 8-4 win over sophomore teammates Rainey Stoner and Madison Huebsch in the semifinals. Stoner and Huebsch, playing at the No. 3 spot for Havre, beat The No. 2 team from Cut Bank and the No. 1 team from Central A rival Lewistown to reach the semifinals.

Meanwhile, the senior tandem of Haley Graham and Morgan Jappe also got to the semis before falling to Kraft and Gobert. But they bounced right back and beat the top team from Conrad for the second time on the day to finish third. In the consolation semis, Graham and Jappe bested sophomore teammates Alara Vogel and Ashley Hoffland, who won twice as the No. 4 Havre team, including also beating Lewistown’s No. 1.

“We’ve had some very strong years in girls doubles,” Ferguson said. “That’s always been a strong point of our girls team. But we have never had four teams do this well at the same time in the Havre Invite before. All four of our teams had some huge wins, led by our four seniors. But our four sophomores, what they did on Monday was just outstanding. For them to be playing as our No. 3 and No. 4 teams, and to beat the quality opponents that they did, I’m just so excited for them. I think those four really came into their own Monday, and overall, it was just a great day of doubles for Havre High.”

In all, it was a great day for the Havre girls. Senior Brandy Lambourne lost a heartbreaker to Conrad’s Morgan VanDyke in the girls singles semifinals, but she rebounded to place third. Along the way, Lambourne knocked out junior teammate Tatiana Ralph, who earlier had to get past senior teammates Shannon Herring. In the 3-4s bracket, sophomore Megan Smith finished an outstanding second, losing to Cut Bank’s Paige Anderson in the championship match at the MSU-Northern courts.

“It always seems to happen to us in girls singles, that we have our own kids playing each other,” Ferguson said. “So that’s always kind of hard, but I thought they all competed hard and did a great job of handling that. I thought they all played really well. Brandy played a great match against the Conrad girl, it was just few points that didn’t go her way, but she played well, and I thought our whole girls team did the same as the boys, they capitalized on the success they had over the weekend in Cut Bank. And that’s the goal, to get better every time we step on the court, and all of our girls did that Monday.”

And overall, Monday was a great day for Blue Pony tennis. Win or lose, Havre High players showed off their program to their home fans in what was their only chance to do so this season. And Ferguson said the tournament was a great way to move into the second half of the season.

“First, I’m just really proud of every one of our players,” Ferguson said. “All of them came and played their best on Monday and they were very mindful of the pride and tradition of our program and what this tournament means to Havre High tennis. We played a lot of matches in Cut Bank, and in some tough conditions, but they came right back and were ready to compete today (Monday). So I’m very proud of each and every one of them for that, and I’m proud of all of our kids overall for the way they represented Havre tennis.

“Secondly, I’m thankful to Lewistown, Conrad and Cut Bank for being willing to reschedule so we could still host our tournament,” he continued. “That means a lot to us. And all of us in our program are thankful for all the support we got today (Monday). It means a lot to our kids and it means a lot to me personally. It was a special day for us, and with the season being half over, it was a great springboard for us to go forward.”

The Ponies jump right back into action on Saturday when they attend the Central A Duals in Lewistown.

Teams: Havre, Cut Bank, Lewistown, Conrad

(No Team Scores Kept)

BOYS

SINGLES

1-2's

Championship – Jeff Miller, HAV def. Isaac Matt, CB, 6-1, 6-3; Consolation – Zach Hellegaard, HAV def. Jerod Boles, HAV, 8-7 (7-5).

1st rd – Boles, HAV def. Trenton Francom, CB, 6-5 (8-6); 2nd rd – Miller, HAV def. Brett Peters, CON, 6-0; Boles, HAV def. Parker Phillips, LEW, 6-3; Hellegaard, HAV def. Tyler Padilla, CON, 6-3; Matt, CB def. Andrew Olson, LEW, 6-2; Semifinals – Miller, HAV def. Boles, HAV, 8-0; Matt, CB def. Hellegaard, HAV, 8-3; Consolation 1st rd – Padilla, CON def. Francom, CB, 6-4; Consolation 2nd rd – Padilla, CON def. Olson, LEW, 6-1; Peters, CON def. Phillips, LEW, 6-4; Consolation Semifinals – Boles, HAV def. Padilla, CON, 7-6 (7-5); Hellegaard, HAV def. Peters, CON< 6-2.

3-4's

Championship – Kody Neil, LEW def. Jamie Lieberg, HAV, 8-5; Consolation – Zach Burns, CB def. Josh Biegler, CB, 6-4.

1st rd – Bielger, CB def. Dustin Haas, HAV, 7-6 (7-5); 2nd rd – Lieberg, HAV def. Danyon Rice, LEW, 6-3; Neil, LEW def. James Berry, HAV, 6-1; Burns, CB def. Jeff Ralph, HAV, 6-3; Semifinals – Lieberg, HAV def. Biegler, CB, 7-6 (9-7); Neil, LEW def. Burns, CB, 8-5; Consolation 1st rd – Haas, HAV def. Berry, HAV, 6-1; Consolation 2nd rd – Haas, HAV def. Ralph, HAV, 6-4; Consolation Semifinals – Biegler, CB def. Haas, CB, 7-6 (7-5); Burns, CB def. Rice, LEW, 6-4.

DOUBLES

Championship – Ned Malone/Brian Smith, HAV def. Michael Kraft/Robert Jennings, CB, 6-5, 6-7 (5-7), 10-6; Consolation – Wyatt Lindbloom/Noah Landgraf, HAV def. Zach Hould/Bryson Behl, LEW, 8-6.

1st rd – Malone/Smith, HAV def. Jordan Castle/Brandon Ostby, CB, 6-4; Austin Padilla/Cordelle Wittmeir, CON def. Patrick Leeds/Kyle Kirkpatrick, HAV, 6-0; Lindbloom/Landgraf, HAV def. Brandon Malinak/Grant Malinak, CON, 6-0; Kraft/Jennings, CB def. Jake Sedahl/Nate Korb, HAV, 6-4; 2nd rd – Malone/Smith, HAV def. Preston Kynette/Alex Irish, LEW, 6-2; Spencer Czech/Che' Little Dog, CB def. Padilla/Wittmeir, CON, 6-1; Lindbloom/Landgraf, HAV def. Hould/Behl, LEW, 6-3; Kraft/Jennings, CB def. Logan Wilcox/McKye McCarthy, LEW, 6-0; Semifinals – Malone/Smith, HAV def. Czech/Little Dog, CB, 8-4; Kraft/Jennings, CB def. Lindbloom/Landgraf, HAV, 8-6; Consolation 1st rd – Wilxcox/McCarthy, LEW def. VCastle/Ostby, 6-3; Hould/Behl, LEW def. Leeds/Kirkpatrick, HAV, 6-0; Padilla/Wittmeir, CON def. Malinak/Malinak, CON, 6-2; Kynette/Irish, LEW def. Sedahl/Korb, HAV, 6-0; Consolation 2nd rd – Hould/Behl, LEW def. Wilcox/McCarthy, LEW, 6-1; Kynette/Irish, LEW, 6-1 def. Padilla/Wittmeir, CON, 6-2; Consolation Semifinals – Hould/Behl, LEW def. Czech/Little Dog, CB, 6-4; ; Lindbloom/Landgraf, HAV def. Kynette/Irish, LEW, 6-1.

GIRLS

SINGLES

1-2's

Championship – Paige Larson, CB def. Morgan VanDyke, CON, 6-2, 6-1; Consolation – Brandy Lambourne, HAV def. Dakota Dosch, CB, 8-3.

1st rd – Larson, CB def. Shannon Herring, HAV, 6-0; Beth Olson, LEW def. Tatiana Ralph, HAV, 6-3; VanDyke, CON def. Rita Campano, LEW, 6-1; Lambourne, HAV def. Dosch, CB, 6-1; Semifinals – Larson, CB def. Olson, LEW, 8-0; VanDyke, CON def. Lambourne, HAV, 8-6; Consolation 1st rd – Ralph, HAV def. Herring, HAV, 6-0; Dosch, CB def. Campano, LEW, 6-3; Consolation Semifinals – Lambourne, HAV def. Ralph, HAV, 6-2; Dosch, CB def. Olson, LEW, 6-0.

3-4's

Championship – Paige Johnson, CB def. Megan Smith, 8-0; Consolation – Taylor Woods, LEW def. Summer, LEW, 6-3;

1st rd – Johnson, CB def. Kaylee Nash, HAV, 6-0; Woods, LEW def. Corttney Gobin, HAV, 7-6 (7-4); Semifinals – Johnson, CB def. Woods, LEW (7-6 (7-4); Smith, HAV def. Summer, LEW, 6-3; Consolation 1st rd – Gobin, HAV def. Nash, HAV, 6-0.

DOUBLES

Championship – Alex Kraft/Duana Gobert, CB def. Ellery Bresler/Breck Don, HAV, 6-3, 6-2; Consolation – Morgan Jappe/Haley Graham, HAV def. Ally Wakinnen/Jenna Rodriguez, CON, 8-3.

1st rd – Kraft/Gobert, CB def. Alara Vogel/Ashley Hoffland, HAV, 6-0; Madison Huebsch/Rainey Stoner, HAV def. Kodi Hoffman/Allie Anderson, CB, 6-5 (7-5); Bresler/Don, HAV def. Lanae Salway/Katrina Sandoval, CB 6-3; 2nd rd – Kraft/Gobert, CB def. Kodi Myhre/Aubrey Godbey, LEW, 6-0; Jappe/Graham, HAV def. Wakkinen/Rodriguez, CON, 6-1; Huebsch/Stoner, HAV def. Ciara Backer/Josie Allen, LEW, 6-3; Bresler/Don, HAV def. Ziolkowski/Irish, LEW, 6-0; Semifinals – Kraft/Gobert, CB def. Jappe/Graham, HAV, 8-2; Bresler/Don, HAV def. Huebsch/Stoner, HAV, 8-4; Consolation 1st rd – Vogel/Hoffland, HAV def. Ziolkowski/Irish, LEW, 6-4; Wakinnen/Rodriguez, CON def. Lanae Salway/Katrina Sandoval, CB, 6-4; Myhre/Godbey, LEW def. Hoffman/Anderson, CB, 6-5 (7-2); Consolation 2nd rd – Hoffland/Vogel, HAV def. Backer/Allen, LEW, 6-2; Wakinnen/Rodriguez, CON def. Myhre/Godbey, LEW, 6-5 (7-2); Consolation Semifinals – Jappe/Graham, HAV def. Hoffland/Vogel, HAV, 6-0; Wakinnen/Rodriguez, CON def. Huebsch/Stoner, HAV, 6-3.