Guide to the 2024 Montana State AA tennis tournament (2024)

State AA Tennis

May 23-24

At Montana State (Thursday)

and Bozeman and Gallatin high schools (Friday)

2023 singles champs:Boys-Mason McCarty, Bozeman Gallatin; Girls-Elliotte Banziger, Missoula Hellgate.

2023 doubles champs:Boys-Harrison Sanders/Timothy Glanville, Kalispell Glacier; Girls-Laine Banziger/Brooke Best, Missoula Hellgate.

2024 Storylines

Who's first to two titles? That could well be on the line in the boys tournament, where 2022 champion Ryan Ashley of Helena Capital and 2023 winner Mason McCarty of Bozeman Gallatin are on another collision course barring an upset.

Ashley, who has committed to NCAA Division III Whitworth College to play tennis, was unbeaten as a sophom*ore. He ran into an undefeated buzzsaw in the freshman McCarty last spring.

McCarty defeated Ashley three times a year ago, including in straight sets in the final. They've only met once this spring: McCarty serving notice by downing Ashley, 6-2, 6-2, for the Southern AA divisional crown on Friday.

The boys team battle should provide some intrigue.

Missoula Hellgate dominated the Western AA Divisional last week, with Jacob Bishop downing teammate Jack Currie-Welch for the singles title and the Knights' Andrew Duman taking down teammate Leo Ma for third. For Gallatin, after McCarty's singles title at divisionals the Raptors received fourth place from Matt Swank.

Hellgate girls look to start own streak

On the girls side, the Missoula Hellgate girls ended Bozeman's run of 10 consecutive titles. Can the Knights get a streak of their own started? Super sophom*ore Elliotte Banziger is a solid place to start.

Banziger has been dusting off her opponents all spring as she strives to follow in the sneaker-steps of former Knight Ristine Olson, who was 96-0 in her career.

The best shot to dethroning Banziger likely will be Helena's Qayl Kujala, her 6-0, 6-1 victim in last year's final. Kujala has lost only twice this spring and she won the Southern AA championship over Bozeman's Izabell Barr on Friday, 4-6, 6-0, 6-2.

As with the McCartys, tennis is a family affair in the Banziger family. Oldest sister Laine was doubles champion with Brooke Best — whose parents once coached Montana volleyball —last year, and like Elliotte the duo has an unblemished record this season.

Notes:Last year's crown for the Hellgate girls was their first since 1992, when the Banzigers' aunt, Brette, was on the team. The girls' mother, Hallie Bornstein Banziger, also played tennis at Hellgate along with another aunt ... before the Knights won last year, they'd been runner-up six of the previous 10 seasons ... if the name McCarty seems familiar, Mason's sisters Maicy and Meg also were state champions who've played collegiately, Maicy at Hope College in Michigan and Meg as an all-conference player for Montana State out of Bozeman High ... from the Northern divisional, the dominant program this spring has been Great Falls CMR, which produced the top two boys in champion Howard Daniel and runner-up Fleming Daniel as well as the top two girls in Gabbi Molen and Grace Kaufman. The Rustlers also took the boys doubles title with Josh Stimac and Eli Crist ... though CMR dominated, the most dominant championship match in the Northern divisional was Kalispell Glacier's Haven Speer and Sarah Downs pulling a double bagel (6-0, 6-0) on the Rustlers' Ryann Walker and Olivia Buckingham ... from the Eastern AA, Billings Senior's Isabelle Rogge enters state after a convincing 6-2, 6-3 championship triumph over Billings Skyview's Leah Light. Boys winner Grant Wassmer of Billings West had to work harder for his gold, toppling teammate Ty Graham 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.

Weather update: The first day of competition will be held indoors at the MSU Indoor tennis center, starting at 8 a.m. Under the current option approved by the MHSA, the plan is to move outdoors at Bozeman and Gallatin high schools for Friday's final day.