Mary Conwell claimed her fourth divisional championship on Saturday at the Southwest A Divisional tournament in Corvallis. The defending state champion defeated teammate Kim Lamar, 6-0, 6-1, for the win.
The future MSU-Billings tennis player said that she’s eager to get to the state tournament but doesn’t feel any added pressure. Always calm and confident, she listed the players who she feels will be her toughest competitors, Morgan Opp of Glendive and Macy Ricketts of Livingston. Conwell met Opp in the finals last year for the state championship and said she is not going to underestimate the Glendive player at all. Ricketts was part of the state doubles championship team last year and is also a tough competitor.
Conwell is a very tough competitor whose demeanor may be misleading. Rarely without a smile on her face, she works and works and works to improve her game. It’s not just the tennis court that she’s competitive on either. She was named All-State in volleyball twice and was an anchor on the Lady Broncs basketball team as well.
Conwell’s steadfastness has been an anchor to the Hamilton tennis team which features many young players. In addition to Conwell and Lamar, freshman Hannah Peterson will make an appearance at the tournament in Great Falls. Peterson fell to Corvallis’ Annie Sangster in the consolation round.
The Hamilton doubles team of Erica Huppert and Meg McLean defeated Corvallis Sydnee Madruga and Megan Lengyel, 6-3, 6-3, for the championship. In the consolation round, Kansas Suenram and Whitney Southam of Dillon topped Brooke Heckeroth and Emma Decker of Corvallis, 6-3, 6-2.
The defending state boys champs, Corvallis, won the team championship with Butte Central taking second, Hamilton third, and Stevensville fourth. Mitchell Decker of Corvallis defeated James Enzler of Stevensville, 6-3, 603. Ethan Selig of Hamilton took the consolation championship with a 6-0, 6-0, win over Butte Central’s Colin Hollow.
In the doubles, Corvallis’ Bridger Walczynski (who was one half of the state champion team last year) and D.J. Pekoc defeatd Butte Central’s Cole Noctor and Derek Ralph, 6-1, 6-1, for the championship. Hamilton’s Reese Isherwood and Shawn Homyak defeated Garin McGrann and Josh Meier of Stevensville, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, in the consolation.