Bulldog compete in state tennis tournament

NAMPA — Take some intense sun and heat, throw in the intensity of state tennis and add in a bevy of three-set matches and you'll get an idea of how Sandpoint's day went on the first day of the 4A state tennis tournament in Nampa Friday.

"The kids are beat, they've put 100 percent in today," said Jane Rockwell, while watching the third set over 13 hours after the tournament began.

Del Armstrong lost his first match, won his second, and then played his best tennis of the year, losing a three-set match to a kid from Caldwell as he was eliminated.

"I've never seen him play that well," said Rockwell of her senior. "He hustled like I've never seen before and just put up a dogfight."

Nothing comes easy at state, and emblamatic of the Bulldogs' day was the plight of Dusty Aunan and Matt Lindenberg, who won two matches and lost one, all going three sets. That's nine sets of tennis in the blazing sun, and they play bright and early against Caldwell in the consolation round today.

Cody Helander was eliminated in girls singles, splitting three set matches before running out of gas and getting eliminated in her third match of the day.

Not to be out-done, the mixed doubles tandem of Victoria Johnson and Jesse Petty are still alive, winning two of their three matches in, you guessed it, three intense sets.

All three doubles teams are still alive????????

BOYS SINGLES — Richner, Vallivue, d. Del Armstrong, Spt, 6-2, 6-4. Armstrong d. Delehanty, Century, 6-2, 6-0. Hopkins, Caldwell, d. Armstrong 1-6, 6-4, 6-4.

GIRLS SINGLES — Gingrich, Nampa, d. Cody Helander, Spt, 2-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-2. Helander d. Westin, Madison, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 6-1. Chrysykopolous, Wood River, d. Helander 7-5, 6-0.

BOYS DOUBLES — Dusty Aunan-Matt Lindenberg, Spt, d. Fisher-Whiting, Kuna, 6-7 (6-8), 6-1, 6-2. Snoderly-Jahn, Vallivue, d. Aunan-Lindenberg 2-6, 6-2, 6-2. Aunan-Lindenberg d. Bogan-Bair, Vallivue, 0-6, 6-2, 6-4.

MIXED DOUBLES — Jesse Petty-Victoria Johnson, Spt, d. Purser-SantoSe, Bonneville, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2. Peterson-Whitt, Bishop Kelly, d. Petty-Johnson 6-7 (2-7), 7-6 (7-5), 6-3. Petty-Johnson d. Ashton-Adams, Burley, 3-6, 6-0, 6-2.

GIRLS DOUBLES — Abby Helander-Jessie Novak, Spt, d. Lewin-Lehman, Vallivue, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1. Quigley-Ritter, Hillcrest, d. Helander-Novak 6-0, 6-2. ????