CMR tennis teams riding high heading into state tournament
Postseason success has become the norm for the C.M. Russell High tennis teams, and this year’s squads are right on track to keeping that ball rolling.
The Rustlers not only boasted Northern AA singles tournament champions last week in Kalispell, they earned all-CMR finalists for both girls’ and boys’ brackets while earning the divisional boys’ doubles title.
The Northern AA girls’ and boys’ champions will be looking to put an exclamation point on the season on Thursday and Friday in Bozeman at the Class AA state meet. Sessions begin at 8 a.m. both days with matches spread across Montana State University, Bozeman High and Gallatin High. A full schedule of events and results can be found at mhsa.org/postseaontennis.
The CMR boys, co-state champions in 2022 and runner-up last season, bring three singles players to the state meet on Thursday and Friday in Bozeman as well as a pair of doubles tandems, while the Rustler girls will take the same numbers.
Leading the CMR boys is senior Josh Stimac and doubles partner sophomore Eli Crist. The duo took both its first two matches last week at divisionals 6-0, 6-0 before two more straight-set victories to win including a 6-3, 6-3 triumph over Kalispell Glacier’s Will Rudbach and Sam Engellant in the finals.
Stimac has been a part of All-State doubles teams the past two seasons, earning second in 2022 and third last season. Crist, a state-qualifier in singles last season as a freshman, is Stimac’s fourth doubles partner in four years. However, the tandem worked together throughout the offseason and quickly bonded on and off the court.
“I expect a lot from this team, and especially from me and Eli after that win (at the divisional),” said Stimac, a four-time state-qualifier. “It’s something special to go to state and especially four times in a row. It’s been hard every season especially at the beginning trying to work with somebody new. It’s a different vibe each year and every year we’ve grown as teammates, my partners and I, especially this year. Eli and I have grown a lot since our first couple of matches.”
Crist agreed.
“Towards the end of last season Josh and I started to become really good friends and hitting together over the summer,” Crist said. “And as we started to generate that connection between us, we decided we should run doubles this year. And I’m just really glad it’s been paying off. We’ve been able to push each other and use each other to get as far as we can go.”
Freshman twins Howard Daniel and Fleming Daniel battled it out for the divisional championship in Kalispell, with the former taking the crown in a 6-4, 6-2 win. Teammate Kade Haverlandt fell in the semifinals in a three-set tilt with Fleming Daniel but battled back to advance with a berth in the consolation finals to take fourth.
“It was great, being able to play my brother in the finals was like a once-in-a-lifetime experience and it’s great we both made it that far as freshman and getting prepared for state,” Howard Daniel said. “We’ve just got to put in that work.”
Aeden Bingham and Conner Sherman were consolation champions for CMR to earn a No. 3 seed at state, the second straight year Bingham will represent the Rustlers in doubles in the tourney.
“We’re very proud of the kids,” CMR boys’ said coach Byron Boyd, the Rustlers’ coach along with Val Scheevel. “This is the most kids we’ve qualified for state (combined boys and girls). To have the twins (Howard and Fleming) play each other in the final was pretty fun. We just couldn’t be prouder of the kids. They did a really good job.”
Gabi Molen was victorious for the CMR girls at the Northern AA, taking her first three matches in straight sets before a default win over teammate Grace Kauffman in the final. Kauffman likewise advanced to the finals with three two-set victories to earn another state berth.
“My goal was to make it to state but to win divisionals was really cool,” Molen said. “I thought it was going to be a little rough going in because I didn’t have a lot of match experience. But the more I played, the easier it got and it just got better.”
Kauffman, who makes her second straight trip to state as a junior, said she’s played through back issues through the season but is looking to continue to fight through it for a good run this week.
“I think I can push through it and be tough,” Kauffman said. “I don’t want that to hold me back, so I’m just going to let what I want to affect me and not have other factors dictate how we play. Team-wise, I think we’re going to do well, we have a strong, well-built team and we have a lot of spirit that helps us get to the points we want to.”
Ryann Walker, a state-qualifier two years ago in doubles, is back in the dance with partner Olivia Buckingham following a second-place showing last week with three straight set wins to move on to the championship round.
Keira Richards, who worked her way back to competition this season following a pair of knee injuries, fought her way into the state tourney following a quarterfinal loss to earn fourth place at the divisional.
“It’s pretty incredible,” Scheevel said. “I wasn’t sure what she was going to be able to do coming off of two knee surgeries. But she is a trooper and she fights every match. We’re really excited to have her back, especially being her senior year.”
Quincy Weymouth is likewise a returning-state meet athlete for CMR, as she and partner Marianne Hawley battled back through the consolation bracket at divisionals to take fourth.
Stimac said he’s heartened to see the fast success of the younger CMR athletes and what it means for the future of the program.
“It’s really nice to know that CMR tennis is in great hands,” Stimac said. “We were still growing when I was a freshman and to look at how far we’ve come in my four years and lots of potential going upwards now. It’s going to be really good in the next couple of years and still be growing.”
File photo provided by Matt Ehnes of Jared's Detours.
This article originally appeared on Great Falls Tribune: CMR tennis teams to play in Montana state tournament May 23 and 24
