Pirate tennis opens belated season with inaugural wins

by John Heglie

 

At Polson, Pirate tennis teams were finally able to inaugurate their season against the visiting Yellowjackets of Stevensville as the hypothermic collusion between figurative Jack Frost with the late March roaring of the winter lion dissipated long enough to actually play some matches. The Lady Pirates swept the singles matches, while the Lady Yellowjackets countered with their own sweep of doubles duels as Polson had a player play twice in the #1 doubles match.

In #1 singles, Julia Barnard elevated her game after getting stung by her Yellowjacket opponent in the opening set to close out the match with back-to-back 6-4s.

The Pirate boys inaugurated their state title defense as they sailed through their opposition, but not without encountering some choppy seas along the way. Taegan Gage applied a bookend sandwich to win his match when his Jacket opponent captured the middle set at #2 singles. Brother Strider Gage won in two sets, but the opener extended into extras before the set could be secured.

The girls backhand bonanza carried a hint of international intrigue served with dash of  European flavor. Polson #2 singles Summer Newman competed against CeCe Franchi, an Italian foreign exchange student, while the Polson #3 doubles duo of Adamary Guerrero/Ziya Walker competed against a double dose of Deutche in German foreign exchange students Maja Masinic/Jana Puell.

 

GIRLS

Polson def. Stevensville 4-3

SINGLES – Julia Barnard (P) def. Dani Fulton 3-6,6-4,6-4; Summer Newman (P) def. CeCe Franchi 6-0,6-3; Lauren Collinge (P) def. Jackie Reed 6-0,6-1; Hinkley Moss (P) def. Tasia Rohback 6-2,6-4; (JV): Margaret Kuntz def. Amy Thoft (P) 8-0.

DOUBLES – Tanna Bailey/Nevaeh Meader forfeit over Vivian Grainey/Collinge Josie Henriksen (P) 1-6,3-6; Nika Hulling/Avery Sacry def. Maddie Huffine/Maddie Lake (P) 6-0,6-2; Maja Masinic/Jana Puell def. Adamary Guerrero/Ziya Walker (P) 6-1,6-1.

Marinic (Stuttgart, DE), Puell (Munich, DE), Cecelia Franchi (Sardinia, IT)

 

BOYS

Polson def. Stevensville 7-0

SINGLES – Torrin Ellis (P) def. Angus Trangmoe 6-0,6-0; Taegan Gage (P) def. Jeremy Madruga 6-2,1-6,6-1; Branson Moss (P) def. Jeremiah St.Germain 6-1,6-0; Strider Gage (P) def. Jason Agostino 7-6(4),6-1; (JV): Jaidon Mahkuk (P) def. opponent 8-0, opponent def. Marcus Lucas (P) 8-5.

DOUBLES – Tate Barentsen/Otto Lund (P) def. Jeremy Madruga/Angus Trangmoe 6-2,6-1; Brock Henriksen/Ruger Ellis (P) def. Jason Agostino/Jeremiah St.Germain 6-1,6-0; Max Violett/Noah Flaten (P) def. Andrew McGowan/Drake Tully 6-0,6-0.

(Sa30Mar24)

 

Accrued athletic accolade acknowledgements

Lady Pirates: Julia Barnard (TN a-c: D3rd 2023div; GBB 2x a-c: 2nd-tm 2023-22, hm 2024-23; VB 2x a-c: 1st-tm 2023, hm 2022), Katie Smith (TN 2x a-s: D5th 2023, D3rd 2022; 2x a-c: D1st 2023, D3rd 2022; SWM; XC), Summer Newman (TN a-c S4th 2023).

Pirates: Torrin Ellis (TN 3x a-s: S2nd 2023, S5th 2022, D2nd 2021; GLF a-s: t13th 2021; 2x a-c: t5th 2022, 8th 2021), Tate Barentsen (BSC a-c 2nd-tm 2023), Otto Lund (GLF 2x a-s: t11th 2023, t10th 2021; 3x a-c: Western A Divisional champion 1st 2023, t3rd 2022, 9th 2021), Brock Henriksen (FB 2x a-c 2nd-tm: DE 2023/LB 2022).