Loggers rich with experience; ladies tennis fighting uphill battle
<p>Libby’s tennis teams are poised to make a mark on Northwest A Conference play, despite an early loss to a “salty” Polson team.</p>
Ryan Murray
Reporter
Despite an early loss to the Polson Pirates, the Libby boys tennis team is a senior- and talent-heavy squad.
Head Coach Kyle Hannah said his boys should be competitive by the end of the season, and that Polson squad won’t have such an easy time the second go-round.
“If we aren’t challenging teams now, we will be by the end of the season,” he said. “We’re going to improve. From our top to our new players.”
The boys were a talented team last season, and sent then-junior Danny Leggins to the state A tournament in Great Falls after he finished fourth in conference. That ticket to state came at the expense of his teammate and hitting partner, then-sophomore Jason Schnackenberg.
Both Leggins and Schnackenberg return, along with the top doubles team from last year, seniors Ian Edwards-Myslicki and Lane Luscher.
“The team is looking really good,” Hannah said. “But we have to stay consistent.”
Leggins will be pulling double duty as a long-distance runner in track, so Hannah and Libby track and field Coach Jim May are doing what they can to not overwork the young man.
On the girl’s side of the court, experience is harder to come by. This isn’t made any easier by the reigning state champion Polson team in conference. Both boys and girls likely will be looking up to the Pirates come the end of the season.
As opposed to the stacked boys team, the girls will fight an uphill battle to be competitive.
“Only two are returning with varsity experience,” Hannah said of his girls.
Kaya Hardgrove and Kara Rose are the two returning upperclassmen. One thing the girls can count on is an energetic freshman group. Assistant Coach Terry Oedewaldt sees a lot of potential in the younger ranks.
“I’m excited to see all the kids play,” Oedewaldt said. “We have a really exciting crew of freshmen.”
Two of those freshmen, Kaylene Hudson and Sarah McBride, are of special interest, said Hannah.
The girls struggled in their first two matches, getting swept by Polson and losing 1-6 to Hamilton.