Five Broncos qualify for second round of District tennis

The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Broncos tennis team competed in the first day of the District Tournament on May 7. The LRS team now has five athletes moving on to compete in the second day of the tournament on May 14.

Head Coach Liz Melville said all of the LRS athletes performed extremely well at Districts. The LRS girls No. 1 doubles team did not qualify for the second round of Districts, but Coach Melville said the duo faced tough opponents and truly played competitive matches throughout the tournament.

The Broncos had two athletes remain undefeated during the first day of competition, which guarantees them a trip to the Regional Tournament. Both Rose Melville and Travis Ste. Marie have had flawless seasons in the No. 1 singles role, and both are looking to continue their success during the second day of Districts and into Regionals.

In the No. 1 singles matches, Melville swept the competition earning three consecutive wins.

She first defeated Olivia Schaefer from St. George’s 6-1, 6-0. Then, she matched up against Dani Tebow from Odessa-Harrington where she earned her second win of the day, 6-0, 6-0.

Melville’s final match of the day helped determine the match she would play the following week. After defeating Stephanie Forthomme 6-1, 6-0, Melville earned a trip to Regionals.

She will play for first or second place out of Districts on May 14.

In the girls No. 1 doubles competition, Megan Buriak and Emily Boutain started out strong in the beginning matches. The Broncos duo earned the first match win following a forfeit by the Kettle Falls team.

In the second round, Buriak and Boutain matched up against a strong St. George’s team. The Broncos team lost to Manisha Sinha and Isabelle Nachtsheim 6-0, 6-0.

The Broncos team had an opportunity to stay in the competition and defeated the Kettle Falls team of Madeline Nyens and Calista McCune. The two teams battled against each other, but Buriak and Boutain eventually earned the 6-1, 6-2 victory.

The fourth round determined if the duo would be able to move on to compete at the second day of the District Tournament. Though they battled against their opponents, Boutain and Buriak were knocked out of the tournament following a 7-5, 6-0 loss.

For the boys’ team, Ste. Marie had an outstanding performance amid tough opponents.

Ste. Marie started his day battling against a St. George’s opponent. After a back-and-forth match, Ste. Marie earned the 6-2, 6-2 win.

The first win moved Ste. Marie into the second round against Patrick Hasdorff from St. George’s. Ste. Marie earned the 6-2, 6-0 victory and the win guaranteed him a trip to the second round of Districts, as well as a trip to Regionals.

Ste. Marie will compete for first or second place at the District Tournament on May 14.

In the No. 2 singles contest, Josh Yow represented the Broncos and earned two wins, allowing him with an opportunity to compete for third or fourth place on May 14. Yow also has a guaranteed trip to the Regional Tournament based on his District performance.

Yow started his day by defeating Wilbur-Creston opponent Daniel Harms 6-1, 6-1. The win moved Yow into a tough battle against a St. George’s opponent.

The second match proved to be the toughest of the day, as both Yow and Andrew Jauhiainen remained locked in battle. After three evenly matched sets, Jauhiainen earned the 7-6, 3-6, 6-2 win over Yow.

In the third match of the day, Yow matched up against another St. George’s opponent and earned a 6-2, 6-4 win.

For the boys’ No. 1 double, Zane Swanger and Tre’ Schalk competed for the Broncos. The duo lost the first match of the day against St. George’s, 6-1, 6-2, before bouncing back to earn a second round win.

Swanger and Schalk defeated Luke Erickson and Zach Wright from Davenport 6-3, 6-4.

The third match of the day did not occur because the teams ran out of time. This moves Swanger and Schalk into a match against LaCrosse-Washtucna/Kahlotus’ doubles team of Derek McKeen and Garrett Correll. The winner of this match plays for third and fourth place out of Districts.

Coach Melville said all of the athletes played great and represented the Broncos well. The Broncos are now focused on the second day of Districts on Saturday, before setting their sights on Regionals.