Area teams gear up for playoffs
<p>Ally Brown vs. Bigfork's Kalia Wicklund at No. 1 singles.</p>
As the school year winds down, area sports teams are preparing for the playoff push.
Libby tennis began play in its conference tournament Thursday in Kalispell. At press time, Libby Coach Kyle Hannah said his top doubles team of senior Jason Schnackenberg and freshman Cody Wood had advanced to the semifinals, guaranteeing the team a place in the state tournament. On the singles sides, Colin Maloney remained alive heading into the second day of competition.
“This has been our best tournament of the season,” Hannah said. “It is nice to see the team ending the season on a high note.”
Libby track travels Friday to Flathead for the final duel of the season before its conference tournament.
Libby High School’s strongest spring squad has been the girls softball team. At press time, the Lady Loggers trailed conference rival Frenchtown 3-0 in the bottom of the third inning on the road. After Thursday’s game, the team will travel to Butte for a two-day weekend tournament.
The Lady Loggers must finish in the top three in the Northwest A conference to advance to the state tournament. A loss in Frenchtown would drop Libby’s conference record to 3-3, placing them one game ahead of fourth-place Columbia Falls. The Lady Loggers travel to play the Wildkats on May 22. That game could well determine who earns the third and final ticket to the state tournament. Last year, Libby finished fourth in conference. The three teams representing the Northwest A conference ended up finishing as the top three teams in the entire state.
In Troy, the boys tennis team can rest easy this week, knowing their advancement to the state tournament is guaranteed due to an overall lack of numbers. The girls, however, must finish in the top four of the two-day weekend divisional tournament to earn a spot in the state contest.
Trojan track has been Troy High School’s greatest spring success. Sophomore Sean Opland is expected to qualify for the state tournament in multiple events, including the 100-meter dash and high jump. Joining him could be seniors Nathan Olds (high jump) and Gabe Hickman (javelin, long jump) who are also contenders for the state tournament. Junior Pate Scott, who missed the middle of the season due to injury, has dominated the long jump contests recently, consistently edging Hickman. The question will not be if any Trojans qualify for the state tournament during Saturday’s district track tournament in Bigfork, but how many.
While it has not been their strongest season, the Lady Trojans (2-16) softball team will travel to Ronan for a noon contest Saturday. The team will then compete in the divisional tournament May 22-24.