Panthers compete at Western Slope Regionals in Grand Junction

Panthers compete at Western Slope Regionals in Grand Junction

October 4, 2001

STAFF REPORT

GRAND JUNCTION — The Class 4A Western Slope Region 8 Tennis Tournament got under way Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 3 and will continue through Friday, Oct. 5, at the Elliott Tennis Center on the campus of Mesa State College.

Defending regional champion Steamboat Springs has five No. 1 seeds for this year's Region 8 tournament making the Sailors, who qualified their entire team for state last year, the favorite again.

Montrose, which also qualified its entire team for state last year, has four No. 3 seeds, a one, two and six seed. The Indians' duo of Zach Brown and Aaron Delman are seeded first at No. 2 doubles.

The regional champions at each position qualifies for next week's State Tournament in Pueblo. The runner-up will play the third-place winner for second qualifying spot if they have not played in a previous round. Otherwise, the runner-up also qualifies for state.

Representing Montezuma-Cortez High School at Regionals are no. 1 singles player Billy Innis, no. 2 singles Jeff Anderson, and no. 3 singles Troy Tanner. Competing in doubles will be no. 1 team of David Wilcken-Devin Perkins, no. 2 Sean Carey and Seth Hollar, no. 3 Noah Rauscher and Mark Sturdevant, and no. 4 Kirk Archibeque and Jacob Conrads.

The Panthers lost to Durango in their final-regular season match of the season last Saturday, Sept. 28, at the Parque de Vida Tennis Courts.

The Class 5A Durango boys’ tennis team finished the season with a 6-4 record in dual matches after handing the Panthers a 7-0 defeat Saturday, Sept. 27, at the Parque de Vida Tennis Courts.

While each match lasted only two sets as Durango made short work of Cortez, MCHS head coach Jim Harkendorff was still pleased.

"We played quite a bit better than we did the last time against Durango," he said.

Durango’s top singles player Kurt Volger won 6-3, 6-3 over Innis; Patrick Minot defeated Anderson 6-4, 6-2; and Luke Wheeler beat Tanner 6-0, 6-1.

In doubles, the Panthers scored some game wins but just couldn’t win any sets in each of the four matches which were contested.

Durango’s top team of Craig McCormack and Boo Burnier won 6-2, 6-4 over Wilcken-Perkins. Taylor Hanson and Brian Ralph won 6-3, 6-3 at no. 2 doubles over Carey-Hollar; Demons Jeff Kuss and Jesse Monn won 6-3, 6-1 at no. 3 double over Rauscher-Sturdevant; and Kellen Seitz and Schyler Healy won 6-1, 6-3 over Archibeque-Conrads.

The Panthers were home against Fruita-Monument and Montrose on Sept. 21-22.

"Fruita showed why it is ranked among the top three in Class 5A," Harkendorff remarked after his team was waxed 7-0. "The most success came from the no. 1 doubles team of David Wilcken and Devin Perkins as they played one of their best matches of the year and still only picked up two games in two sets."

Against Fruita, Innis fell to Richard Johnson 0-6, 1-6. Anderson fell to Bryce Gortner 1-6, 0-6. Tanner lost to Keenan Jewkes 0-6, 1-6; Wilcken-Perkins lost to Mike Patz-Davrom Steifler 1-6, 1-6; Carey-Hollar fell to Rob Ely-Nick Rossi 0-6, 0-6; Rauscher-Hollar lost to Chase Hummel-Derek Vigil 1-6, 0-6; and Archibeque-Conrads were beaten by Ken Huston-Sam Gabin 1-6, 0-6.

Cortez matched up fairly evenly with Montrose this year, but couldn’t quite win the important points in the match against the Indians.

"Jeff Anderson had little problem with his opponent in winning easily in two sets. Troy Tanner fought back and won the second set, taking the match to a third set. His Montrose opponent, however, played an excellent third set to beat Troy. The no. 3 doubles team of Mark Sturdevant and Noah Rauscher also took their opponents to a third set before losing. This match could have gone either way," he commented.

Innis lost to Nate Balk 2-6, 0-6; Anderson defeated Tyler White 6-4, 6-1; Tanner lost to Matt Smith 2-6, 6-3, 2-6; Wilcken-Perkins fell to Taylor Day-Joe Crenshaw 4-6, 1-6; Carey-Hollar lost to Zach Brown-Aaron Delman 2-6, 2-6; Rauscher-Sturdevant lost to Nick Webb-Neal Erickson 6-4, 4-6, 4-6; and Archibeque-Conrads was beaten by Joel Wise-Billy Erickson 3-6, 1-6.