Hi-Line Athlete Profile: Paige Nelson, Havre Tennis

The Havre High tennis teams will be heading to the Class A state tournament later this week and while there will be plenty Blue Pony boys making the trip, there will be just one girl - Paige Nelson.

Nelson, a junior at Havre High, is no stranger to the state tournament. She qualified and played at state a season ago and with that experience under her belt, she will be looking to make a much bigger splash this time around, after losing both of her matches a season ago.

However, it's not like anyone could blame Nelson, especially for losing to eventual state individual champion Barclay Fagg from Billings Central. Fagg swept through the tournament a year ago without losing a single game. In the consolation round, Nelson was defeated narrowly in three sets.

Yet, it was still great experience for Nelson, a sophomore at the time. She got to know what it's like to play the best in the state and that has thoroughly prepared her for the high level of competition she will need to navigate this week.

"The competition is a lot tougher," Nelson said of the state tournament. "Especially, Billings Central and Hardin, they are both really tough teams."

While some athletes don't pick up tennis until high school, Nelson, who had a brother that played, said she started playing in middle school and hasn't stopped. And over the past few years, her game has steadily improved. In 2016 at divisionals, she finished fourth. This past weekend, she made it to the final of the 2017 Central A Divisional tournament and wound up finishing second to Taylor Woods of Lewistown.

"Paige is defintiely one of the top players in Class A," HHS head coach George Ferguson said. "Sometimes, being our (Havre) number one singles player is really difficult because we play a really tough schedule. So there's ups and downs, and Paige has experienced those. But she's a very good player, and she's very dedicated to her tennis. She works hard at it, and her mental toughness os something that's really improving this season. She has all the shots, but she's really starting to develop a solid mental game, and that's going to help her not only in Kalispell, but for what will be a very big senior year next season."

Like many standout athletes, Nelson always excels in more than just the one sport. She has played varsity volleyball for the Ponies the past two seasons and was one of the top hitters on the team last fall. On top of that, she is also involved in student council.

But right now the focus for Nelson is attempting to make a run at state. Unfortunately, she won't be part of a team chasing a title or a trophy, but she has her own goals to pursue, which she will start doing Thursday, along with the Havre boys, who are making the trip to Kalispell after winning a ninth consecutive divisional team title.

The state tournament gets underway Thursday, but before Nelson and the Ponies depart, the Havre Daily News caught up with her for five questions.

HDN: How do you think your experience at state last year will help you this time?

Nelson: "I have a higher seed than I had last year, but it gave me good experience and a feel for how the state tournament is."

HDN: How is state different from other tournaments?

Nelson: "I think you are more nervous. I wasn't because I had to play Barclay Fagg, but normally at state you are going to be a lot more nervous."

HDN: How long have you been playing tennis?

Nelson: "I have been playing since middle school. My brother played so I kind of followed in his footsteps."

HDN: What do you think makes tennis fun?

Nelson: "I think that it's an individual sport, well at least for me, since I play singles. I like that I don't have to rely on anybody else."

HDN: Are you a fan of tennis, do you have a favorite player or one you try to model yourself after?

Nelson: Serena Williams of course. I do watch it sometimes, but I am not a really big fan of it or anything."