BILLINGS -- Havre edged Whitefish and Hardin in a tight team race for the Class A boys tennis state title on Friday.
The Blue Ponies scored 23 points to finish just ahead of Whitefish with 21 and Hardin with 20. Miles City scored 17 points to place fourth, while Dillon and Polson each scored 13 to tie for fifth. Team scores are unofficial, per the Montana High School Association results.
Josh Currie earned a runner-up finish for the Blue Ponies, falling to Miles City's Dalton Polesky 6-1, 6-2 in the singles final. Josh Warp and Trenton Maloughney added a third-place finish for Havre in the doubles bracket.
Hardin's duo of Ben Noteboom and Kent Swisse won the boys doubles title, defeating Michael Smith and Torrin Ellis of Polson 6-2, 6-4 in the final.
On the girls side, Polson cruised to the team title, scoring 37 points to pace the field. Whitefish was second with 19 points, followed by Corvallis with 14 and Columbia Falls with 13. Hamilton, Hardin and Stevensville each scored 10 points, according to the unofficial team scores.
Polson's teams of Berkely Ellis/Qia Harlan and Ara Mercer/Megan Rost made it all-Pirates final in the doubles bracket. Ellis and Harlan defeated their teammates 6-1, 6-1 for the title.
In the girls singles bracket, Gracie Smyley of Whitefish topped Hannah Schweikert of Columbia Falls 6-1, 6-2 in the final.
State A tennis
May 27-28 at Billings
Boys
Team scores (unofficial): Havre 23, Whitefish 21, Hardin 20, Miles City 17, Dillon 13, Polson 13, Columbia Falls 9, Hamilton 6, Corvallis 5, Glendive 3, Billings Central 1, Livingston 1.
Singles
Final: Dalton Polesky, Miles City, def. Josh Currie, Havre, 6-1, 6-2.
Third/fourth: Jayce Cripe, Whitefish, def. Niels Getts, Columbia Falls, 6-3, 6-1.
Fifth/sixth: Sam Jones, Dillon, def. Andy Purcell, Hamilton, 1-6, 6-4, 6-3.
Doubles
Final: Ben Noteboom/Kent Swisse, Hardin, def. Michael Smith/Torrin Ellis, Polson, 6-2, 6-4.
Third/fourth: Josh Warp/Trenton Maloughney, Havre, def. Highland Lee-French/Aaron Dicks, Whitefish, 6-4, 6-1
Fifth/sixth: Josh Bramlet/Jett Mosher, Dillon, def. Jace Guptill/Sean Mehling, Hardin, 6-2, 7-5
Girls
Team scores (unofficial): Polson 37, Whitefish 19, Corvallis 14, Columbia Falls 13, Hamilton 10, Hardin 10, Stevensville 10, Miles City 6, Glendive 3, Libby 3, Livingston 3, Dillon 2, Billings Central 1, Havre 1.
Singles
Final: Gracie Smyley, Whitefish, def. Hannah Schweikert, Columbia Falls, 6-1, 6-2.
Third/fourth: Eliana Foss, Hamilton, def. Maddie Weber, Stevensville, 6-4, 7-5.
Fifth/sixth: Emily Daughty, Miles City, def. Lauren Brown, Whitefish, 6-0, 7-5.
Doubles
Final: Berkely Ellis/Qia Harlan, Polson, def. Ara Mercer/Megan Rost, Polson, 6-1, 6-1.
Third/fourth: Molly Powell/Bailey Jessop, Corvallis, def. Taylor Collinge/Clara Todd, Polson, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Fifth/sixth: Macie Flamm/Rilee Green, Hardin, def. Debbie Chambers/Tess Cocotos, Livingston, 6-2, 6-2.
