Pony netters find momentum in Lewistown, Miles City

It's been a long, winding, windy road for the Havre High boys and girls tennis teams, and on the final weekend of the regular season, it was more of the same.

Havre finished the regular season with trips to the Lewistown Invitational Friday and the Miles City Invite on Saturday, and while the conditions were tough, HHS head coach George Ferguson said his teams got exactly what they needed over the long two days.

"This weekend was a challenge," Ferguson said. "Two very long days, a lot of time on the bus, and some really tough weather conditions. It was cold and windy and sunny and hot, we saw a little bit of everything. But through it all, our kids played some of their best tennis of the year and that's all we wanted out of the trip. We want to be peaking for divisionals, and I think we are right there. So I'm really proud of how this group handled everything."

On Friday, the Ponies played Miles City, Billings Central and Lewistown. The Havre boys went 3-0, with big wins of Trenton Maloughney and Caleb Spangler at No. 1 doubles, while Collin Miller and Conner McKay stepped up at the No. 3 spot. Josh Currie was also unbeaten at No. 1 singles, while Reid Kato had a big day at the No. 4 position.

On the girls side Friday, Havre defeated Central but fell to Lewistown and Miles City. Grace Crantz and Courtney Burchard won a key match for the Ponies at No. 1 doubles, while freshman Emerald Tinsley played well at the No. 4 singles spot.

After a windy day in Lewistown, Havre traveled to Miles City for three more duals on Saturday. The Pony boys were edged by both the Cowboys and Rams, 4-3, but bounced back to beat Glendive 6-1 to end the weekend. Maloughney and Spangler were undefeated, while Carter Spangler and Theron Peterson had a big day in doubles, and Kendall Pleninger won key matches for the Ponies in singles.

"Our boys played very well," Ferguson said. "I think they're hitting their stride at the right time. We played a lot of really good, really close matches, and that's how it's going to be at divisonals. It's going to be very close all the way through, so I think this weekend really prepared us for that."

In Miles City, the Havre girls beat Central and Glendive but fell to the host Cowboys. Kate Hemmer won matches at the No. 2 singles spot for the Ponies, while Mylee Shennum and Cat Kaftan finished the day with a big win over the Red Devils.

"Our girls have come a long, long way," Ferguson said. "And it showed with how they competed in these two events. They are playing at a whole different level right now, and I think the rest of our division should really watch out for our girls because they're gonna do great next week."

And that's what comes next. Havre will travel to Glendive for the Northeast A Thursday-Friday, though bad weather could alter that.

"Just really excited about this week," Ferguson said. "Our kids have worked really hard. They've been challenged all year and this is what all that work is for, to be playing our best at divisionals. It's such an exciting week. We've been building up to this all year and now we're ready. So I just can't wait to get to Glendive and see how it all turns out."

Fergus Invite

BOYS

Havre 3, Lewistown 0

Singles

Rosgaard, HAV def. LePage, L, 6-2; Pleninger, HAV def. Ricks, L, 6-3; Kato, HAV def. Day, L, 6-2.

Havre 4, Billings Central 3

Singles

Currie, HAV def. Jagodiznki, BC, 8-1; Schreiber, BC def. Rosgaard, HAV,, 8-5; Coleman, BC def. Pleninger, HAV, 8-6; Kato, HAV def. Caputo, BC, 8-6.

Doubles

Spangler/Maloughney, HAV def. Newbury/Peterman, BC, 8-3; Puetz/Giammato, BC def. Peterson/Spangler, HAV, 8-5; Miller/McKay, HAV def. Ford/Johnson, BC, 8-5.

Havre 4, Miles City 3

Singles

Currie, HAV def. Lang, MC, 8-2; Lang, MC def. Rosgaard, HAV, 8-2; Holeman, MC def. Pleninger, HAV, 8-5; Kato, HAV def. Marsh, MC, 8-0.

Doubles

Spangler/Maloughney, HAV def. Larson/Samson, MC, 8-5; Peterson/Spangler, HAV def. Lee/Munoz, MC, 8-0; Miller/McKay, HAV, def. Schiebert/Polseski, MC, 8-3.

GIRLS

Lewistown 4, Havre 3

Singles

Rutten, L def. Johnson, HAV, 6-0; Hemmer, HAV def. Picalo, L, 6-2; Bricker, HAV def. Behl, L, 6-4; Fullbright, L def. Tinsley, HAV, 6-3.

Doubles

Breidenbach/Plagenz, L def. Burchard/Crantz, HAV, 6-4; Mecklenburg/Nelson, L def. Shennum/Kaftyan, HAV, 6-3; Preeshl/Ucin, HAV, def. Carr/Kannan, 6-4.

Havre 4, Billings Central 3

Singles

Nelson, HAV def. Johnson, BC, 8-1; Hemmer, HAV def. Schaak, BC, 8-5; Bricker, HAV def. Herald, BC, 8-2; Tinsley, HAV def. Bergen, BC, 8-2.

Doubles

Leeman/Mase, BC def. Crantz/Burchard, HAV, 8-7 (2), McIntyre/Newbury, BC def. Shennum/Kaftan, HAV, 8-7 (2); Preeshl/Ucin, HAV def. Michlitti/Baselam, BC, 8-3.

Miles City 6, Havre 1

Singles

Ponessa, MC def. Johnson, HAV, 8-2; Coffin, MC def. Hemmer, HAV, 8-1; Rapson, MC def. Bricker, HAV, 8-2 (2); Watts, MC def. Tinsley, HAV, 8-3.

Doubles

Burchard/Crantz, HAV def. Smith/Borlag, MC, 8-7 (6); Williams/Dickman, MC def. Shennum/Kaftan. HAV, 8-6; Braymer/Doren, MC def. Preeshl/Ucin, HAV, 8-3.

Miles City Invite

BOYS

Havre 5, Glendive 2

Singles

Currie, HAV def. Satger, G, 6-4, 6-4; Li, G def. Rosgaard, HAV, 6-4, 6-7 (3), 10-3; Pleninger, HAV def. Ward, G, 6-2, 6-2; Ryan, G def. Kato, HAV, 3-6, 6-4, 10-8.

Doubles

Maloughney/Spnagler, HAV def. DESaye/Jarvis, G, 6-2, 6-3; Peterson/Spangler, HAV def. Bogar/Jariffe, G, 6-3, 6-2; Miller/McKay, HAV def. Bogar/Fornall, G, 6-2, 6-2.

Singles

Polesky, MC def. Currie, HAV, 7-6 (2), 6-2; Lang, MC def. Rosgaard, HAV, 6-3, 6-2; Lang, MC def. Pleninger, HAV, 6-2, 6-2; Holmen, MC def. Kato, HAV, 6-4, 2-6, 10-4.

Doubles

Spangler/Peterson, HAV def. Larson/Samson, MC, 7-5, 2-6, 12-10; Malouhgney/Spangler, HAV def. Lee/Munoz, MC, 7-6 (10), 6-3; Miller/McKay, HAV def. Schieffert/Marsh, MC, 6-3, 6-2.

Billings Central 4, Havre 3

Singles

Currie, HAV def. Schreiber, BC, 6-3, 6-3; Coleman, BC def. Rosgaard, HAV, 6-5, 6-2; Pleninger, HAV def. Capariso, BC, 6-2, 2-6, 10-4; Sorenson, BC def. Kato, HAV, 6-2, 3-6, 10-8.

Doubles

Maloughney/Spangler, HAV def. PuetZ/Giamotto, BC, 7-4, 6-4; Newbury/Peterman, BC def. Spangler/Peterson, HAV, 6-3, 3-6, 10-2; Jagodiznki/JOhnson, BC def. Miller/McKay, HAV, 6-4, 6-4.

GIRLS

Havre 4, Glendive 3

Singles

Prioli, G def. Johnson, HAV, 6-2, 6-4; Hemmer, HAV def. Coon, G, 6-3, 6-2; Lucido, G def. Bricker, HAV, 6-4, 7-6 (3); Tinsely, HAV def. Zuids, G, 7-5, 4-6, 10-3.

Miles City 7, Havre 0

Singles

Coffin, MC def. Johnson, HAV, 6-3, 6-2; Ponessa, MC def. Hemmer, HAV, 6-2, 6-2; Watts, MC def. Bricker, HAV,6-4, 6-4; Rapson, MC def. Tinsley, HAV, 6-4, 6-3.

Doubles

Barlog/Smith, MC def. Crantz/Burchard, HAV, 6-4, 6-4; Dickerson/Williams, MC ded. Kaftan/Shennum, HAV, 6-4, 7-6 (6); Dorna/Brimmer, MC def. Preeshl/Ucin, HAV, 7-5, 6-4.

Havre 6, Billings Central 1

Singles

Nelson, BC def. Johnson, HAV, 6-4, 6-2; Hemmer, HAV def. Schaak, BC, 6-2, 7-5; Bricker, HAV def. Morris, BC, 6-2, 6-2; Tinsley, HAV def. Chappell, BC, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (3).

Doubles

Burchard/Crantz, HAV def. MacIntyre/Newbury, BC, 6-3, 6-2; Kaftan/Shennum, HAV def. Herdd/Urselmann, BC, 6-3, 6-3; Preeshl/Ucin, HAV def. Nergo/Michalski, BC, 6-2, 7-5.