BILLINGS – The Hardin Bulldogs took three of four individual titles Friday at the Eastern A Tennis Divisional on the Elks Club courts in Billings.
It was a Bulldog party in the boys doubles championship. Ricky Hill and Jonathan Noteboom went head-to-head with teammates David Evans and Ben Noteboom.
Evans and Noteboom jumped out to a 5-2 first set lead and looked well on their way to an opening set win. However, Hill and Noteboom had other ideas. The Hardin duo stormed back to win the next five games and took the first set 7-5.
The two players did not let off the gas in the second set. The momentum carried over as Hill and Noteboom ran past their teammates 6-0 in the second set. The Bulldogs won the final 11 games of the match to capture the Eastern A title.
The girls championship featured the Hardin combo of Makiko Reisig and Kate Murdock. They faced Glendive’s Skyler Scarpholt and Talia Zimdars in the title match.
Glendive was up to the challenge all match. The two teams played even after two sets and the match went to a third.
Reisig and Murdock jumped out to a 5-2 third set lead, but Scarpholt and Zimdars would not go down without a fight. The Lady Red Devils won the next three games to tie it up at 5-5, but Reisig and Murdock regained their composure and took the next two games to win the set and match.
On the singles court, Gabe Passes of Hardin and Jake O’Leary of Billings Central fought for the boys title. O’Leary led early, but Passes quickly responded for the straight set victory and the third Hardin championship.
Emma Putnam of Billings Central made sure it would not be a clean sweep as she topped the Bulldogs Sharmayne Hardy in the girls championship.
The Class A state tournament is March 24-26.
