CMR boys second at State AA tennis
KALISPELL – The C.M. Russell High boys’ tennis team earned its second straight state trophy Friday, earning second place at the Flathead Valley Community College Courts.
The doubles tandem of Josh Stimac and Brady Pike rebounded from a three-set setback in the semifinals for the defending state champion Rustlers, taking their final two matches 6-4, 6-4 and 6-3, 6-4 to take third.
Senior Carson Rich likewise placed for CMR and head coach Byron Boyd, taking three of his final four matches following a defeat to defending state champion Ryan Ashley of Helena Capital in Thursday’s quarterfinals, earning fourth.
The Rustler boys, which finished the regular season undefeated in team duals, tied with Kalispell Glacier for second place with 23 points, behind state champion Bozeman Gallatin.
Freshman Eli Crist also won a pair of matches for CMR, while Brady Corn and Aeden Bingham contributed a first-round victory.
Great Falls High’s Lilly Langbein fell in the state semis in girls’ singles but battled her way into the consolation finals, falling to Hazel Demaray of Billings Skyview to take fourth. Missoula Hellgate won the girls’ team title with 32 points.
Becca Sherman and Olivia Martello finished fourth in girls’ doubles for the CMR girls, winning three straight matches in the consolation bracket in two sets before falling to Olivia and Sophia Mansour of Gallatin in the third-place contest. The Rustler girls finished sixth as a team.
Title winners included Elliotte Banziger of champion Hellgate in girls’ singles and Mason McCarthy for first-place Gallatin on the boys’ side.
Brooke Best and Laine Banziger took the girls’ doubles championship for Hellgate, and Harrison Sanders and Timothy Glanville took the boys’ duo title for Glacier.
Full results from the Class AA state tournament can be viewed here.
This article originally appeared on Great Falls Tribune: CMR boys second at Montana Class AA state tennis tournament
