BILLINGS — Defending boys singles champion Ryan Beagle of Libby had a strong showing on the first day of the Class A state tennis tournament on Thursday.
Beagle won his first three sets without dropping a game on his way to the semifinals, which will be played on Friday. Carden Nelson of Hamilton took two games from Beagle in second set of their quarterfinal match, but it wasn’t nearly enough to topple the defending champ.
Playing Beagle in the semifinals will be Florenz Keller of Miles City. He won both his Thursday matches in straight sets. The other semifinal features Jack Oehlerich of Whitefish and Angus Trangmoe of Stevensville, who also advanced with straight-set victories.
Glendive’s Carter Amsler and Dylan Joliffe needed three sets to win a first-round match before winning in straight sets in the quarterfinals of the boys doubles, while the tandems of Corvallis’ Emmett Allsop and Brannon Fehr, Havre’s Max Spangler and Carter Chagnon, and Stevenville’s Jake Gavlak and Silas Siebert all advanced with straight-set wins.
Amsler/Joliffe will meet Allsop/Fehr in the semifinals, and Spangler/Chagnon will take on Gavlak/Siebert.
Hamilton placed two girls into Friday’s singles semifinals. Ciara Hanley, last year’s runner-up, advanced to the semis with two straight-set wins, as did Tallulah Pinjuv, who lost just one game during the first and second rounds.
Hanley will take on Corvallis’ Ava Wilcox, while Pinjuv battles Miles City’s Kinzie Brimmer, who also lost just one game on Thursday.
In doubles, Hardin’s Taiya Guptill and Johanna Limberhand are making a repeat showing in the semifinals. They’ll take on Janelle Taylor and Abby Hauer of East Helena. Miles City’s Brylee Hager and Clea Rapson plays against Whitefish’s Maggie Mercer and Camry Kelch in the other semifinal.
