GREAT FALLS — It was quite the spring season for Great Falls CMR tennis.
On the boys side, the Rustlers claimed a third-straight team state championship, while the girls boasted singles winner Georgia Pike and placed third as a collective.
"It's a lot of pressure," boys coach Byron Boyd said with a laugh on Monday at the CMR High School tennis courts. "Right after, you know, we hung the last (state championship rug), we started in on this goal and told the kids the first day of practice and, you know, it's one thing to say it, but it's another thing to achieve it."
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Achieve it, the Rustlers did.
Senior Eli Crist recalls exactly what was going on when he found out they sealed the title. He said it was right after teammate Fleming Daniel won a singles match to propel him in to the third-place contest.
"That was the amount of points we needed to completely seal the deal," Crist — who finished as a runner-up in doubles — said. "So (Daniel) walks off the court, he was the one on the court across from us and he gives us the good ol' thumbs up, and I just ran back to (Crist's doubles partner, Howard Daniel) and gave him a hug because I was like, we just did it. We just got the state title and I was so happy."
Crist and fellow senior Conner Sherman have both been part of the three-peat.
"I have a lot of really cool memories on these courts and all over the state," Crist said. "To be able to end on a three-peat just really puts a highlight on my carrer."
"Super fun experience," Sherman said. "I'm really grateful that I've had the opportunity. It's a really great team. Great players, great friends and great coaches. I'm just glad I was able to be a part of it."
Sherman said it's meaningful to look up in the CMR Fieldhouse and know he was a piece of the last three state championship rugs that are hung up.
"It's really special every time," Sherman said. "It doesn't get old, it's crazy each time. Everything you work for in the summer and in season, when that rug finally comes out and you get to see it, it's definitely worth it."
As previously stated, the boys weren't the only team that left Kalispell with hardware.
"The goal of this program is to stay at the top," Boyd said. "Georgia (Pike) winning it was just amazing."
Pike, a freshman, took down three-time defending state single champion Eliotte Banziger 6-4, 6-1 to win the title. It was Banziger's first career loss. Girls coach Val Scheevel said she knew before the season started Pike would have a chance at first place in the state.
"The amount of time she puts it in is pretty incredible," Scheevel said. "To capture that in her freshman year was a really great accomplishment. We had a game plan to target some weaknesses, which she executed very well and was able to come away with a pretty dominant performance."
What a spring it was for both Rustler tennis teams.
