It was a real grind for Flathead’s Ellie Berreth.

The freshman singles players was forced into a survival mode for the first two rounds of the Kalispell Invitational tennis tournament on Saturday, slipping by Peyton Finch of Missoula Sentinel 6-3, 2-6, 1-0 (6) and then Tayler Johnson of Missoula Big Sky 2-6, 7-5, 1-0 (12).

“It keeps you on your toes,” she said.

Her finals match on the courts at Flathead Valley Community College, however, turned out to be a much easier affair. She easily defeated Shelby Odell of Glacier 6-0, 6-2.

“I’m very happy,” Berreth said afterwards.

“I really felt like my competitiveness kept me going.”

She also had to battle some soreness in her back to finish out the finale.

“I was very nervous,” she said of the semifinal battle with Johnson.

“Just kept playing out the point and being patient. Keeping the ball in play and not going for winners.”

That defensive strategy worked. Johnson’s mistakes gave Berreth the victory.

Berreth is now 10-1 on the season.

“My serves were on today, which was really nice,” she said.

“I double faulted a couple times, but I just shook it off and kept playing.”

Glacier’s Hunter Blalack was also a finalist, but lost at No. 1 singles to Colin Bahin of Big Sky 6-2, 1-6, 6-3.

Blalack had a first-round bye and promptly dispatched Rayce Compton of Big Sky in the semifinals 6-2, 6-2.

“It went really well,” Blalack said of the championship outing with Bahin, who finished fourth in state singles last year.

“Good points, a lot of close games.”

He said either Bahin would win “the important points or I would. It was a physical test.”

It was the first time both have faced off this season.

Blalack played Bahin at least four times last season.

“I was able to string together a couple games,” he said of his second set victory.

“The third set he broke me early.

“We’re both at the same skill level,” he added.

“That allowed us to hit some new shots and go for more shots.”

It was just the second loss of the season for Blalack. He has eight wins.

There were no team totals for this event. Five schools were in attendance, including Missoula Hellgate.

Kalispell Invitational

Boys

Singles

No. 1

First round — Spencer Johnson, G, def. Michael Hewitt, MS, 6-2, 6-2; Rayce Compton, MB, def. Daniel Olszewski, F, 6-3, 6-2.

Semifinals — Colin Bahin, MB, def. Johnson, 6-1, 6-3; Hunter Blalack, G, def. Compton, 6-2, 6-2.

Championship — Bahin def. Blalack, 6-2, 1-6, 6-3.

Third place — Johnson def. Compton, 6-0, 6-1.

Fifth place — Hewitt def. Olszewski, 6-3, 6-2.

Seventh place — None.

 No. 2

First round — Ferris Bennett, MS, def. Grant Germann, G, 6-4, 7-5; Sean Lodmeil, MH, def. Ino Caina, MB, 6-2, 6-3; Finn Mikkola, MH, def. Matt LaGrandeur, G, 6-3, 6-4; Sean Ramsbacher, MS, def. Kody Butts, F, 6-3, 2-6, 1-0 (6).

Semifinals — Lodmeil def. Bennett, 6-4, 6-1; Mikkola def. Ramsbacher, 7-5, 6-2.

Championship — Lodmeil def. Mikkola, 7-5, 6-2.

Third place — Ramsbacher def. Bennett, 6-3, 6-4.

Consolation — Caina def. Germann, 6-3, 4-6, 1-0 (12); Butts def. LaGrandeur, 6-3, 5-7, 1-0 (7).

Fifth place — Caina def. Butts, 6-3, 6-3.

Seventh place — Germann def. LaGrandeur, 6-1, 6-2.

No. 3

Round Robin

Zach, MB def. Giuseppe Vinchesi, F, 6-2, 6-2; Bush, MS, def. James Flannigan, F, 6-3, 6-2; Zach def. Bush, 6-3, 6-2; Flannigan def. Vinchesi, 3-6, 6-4, 1-0 (8), Bush def. Vinchesi, 7-6 (2), 6-3; Zach def. Flannigan, 6-4, 6-2.

Standings — Zach 3-0, Bush 2-1, Flannigan 1-2, Vinchesi 0-3.

Doubles

No. 1

First round — Holland Blalack/Sam Stern, G, def. Renfro/Carpio, MS, 6-3, 6-4; Tristan Dills/Eric West, F, def. Jacobson/Darko-Kelly, MS, 3-6, 6-2, 1-0 (6).

Semifinals — Blalack/Stern def. Lingscheit/Tabish, MB, 6-3, 7-5; Nord/Porter, MH, def. Dills/West, 6-3, 6-2.

Championship — Nord/Porter def. Blalack/Stern, 6-3, 7-5.

Third place — Lingscheit/Tabish def. Dills/West, 6-3, 7-5.

Fifth place — Jacobson/Darko Kelly def. Renfro/Carpio, 6-4, 6-3.

Seventh place — None.

No. 2

First round — Donahue/Koehn, MH, def. Treece/Olson, MS, 6-3, 6-3; Hunter Danz/Johnny DuFour, G, def. Caina/Lee, 6-3, 6-3; Dobrovolny/Koehn, MH, def. Ben Wright/Chazz Upton, G, 6-3, 6-4; Hall/Lindley, MB, def. Rydell Welk/Ryan Keenan, F, 6-4, 6-3.

Semifinals — Donahue/Koehn def. Danz/DeFour, 6-3, 6-3; Dobrovolny/Koehn def. Hall/Lindley, 6-2, 6-2.

Championship — Donahue/Koehn def. Dobrovolny/Koehn, 6-7 (3), 6-4, 1-0  (7).

Third place — Hall/Lindley def. Danz/DuFour, 7-6 (5), 6-2.

Consolation — Caina/Lee def. Treece/Olson 6-3, 3-6, 1-0 (7); Wright/Upton def. Welk/Keenan, 7-5, 6-2.

Fifth place — Wright/Upton def. Caina/Lee, 6-3, 6-3.

Seventh place — Treece/Olson def. Welk/Keenan, 6-4, 6-2.

No. 3

First round — Thomas/Stevens, MS, def. Manny Salazar/Ridge Lembke, F, 6-4, 7-5; Bhattacharya/Naglich, F, def. Plant/Webster, MH, 6-7, 6-4, 1-0 (8); Haller/Jourdonnais, MB, def. Nichols/Normandy, MS, 6-3, 6-2.

Semifinals — Thomas/Stevens def. Vanderbeek/Desmul, G, 4-6, 6-2, 1-0 (2); Haller/Jourdonnais def. Bhattacharya/Naglich, 3-6, 6-3, 1-0 (7).

Championship — Thomas/Stevens def. Haller/Jourdonnais, 6-4, 6-1.

Third place — Bhattacharya/Naglich def. Vanderbeek/Desmul, 6-3, 6-4.

Consolation — Plant/Webster def. Nichols/Normandy, 6-2, 6-4.

Fifth place — Plant/Webster def. Salazar/Lembke, 6-4, 6-3.

Seventh place — None.

Girls

Singles

No. 1

First round — Molly Langland, MB, def. Olivia Malchi, G, 6-2, 6-2; Jenna Jenson, F, def. Sarah Heine, MS, 7-6, 3-6 1-0 (8).

Semifinals — Sofia Panarella, MH, def. Langland, 6-3, 6-4; Jensen, bye.

Championship — Panarella def. Jensen, 6-0, 6-0.

Third place — Langland def. Heine, 6-2, 6-4.

Fifth place — Heine def. Malchi, 6-3, 5-7, 1-0 (6).

Seventh place — None.

No. 2

First round — Shelby Odell, G, def. Megan Branson, MS, 6-3, 6-2; Tayler Johnson, MB, def. McKenna Tinseth, G, 6-4, 6-3; Ellie Berreth, F, def. Peyton FInch, MS, 6-3, 2-6, 1-0  (6).

Semifinals — Odell def. Jourdyn Vander Veen, MB, 6-2, 6-3; Berreth def. Johnson, 2-6, 7-5, 1-0 (12).

Championship — Berreth def. Odell, 6-0, 6-2.

Third place — Johnson def. Vander Veen, 6-0, 6-0.

Consolation — Finch def. Tinseth, 6-3, 3-6, 1-0 (7).

Fifth place — Finch def. Branson, 6-4, 7-5.

Seventh — Tinseth, bye.

No. 3

First Round — Cayli Mower, G, def. Presion Chiles, 6-4, 7-5; Matney Stropky, MS, def. Lauren McCarter, 6-3, 3-6, 11-9; Michaela Keast, MS, def. Sofie Hightowner, 7-5, 6-4; Mayah Vandewetering, MH, def. Noelle Sennor, F, 6-2, 6-3.

Semifinals — Stropky def. Mower, 6-3, 7-5; Vandewetering def. Keast, 6-2, 6-4.

Championship — Vanderwetering def. Stropky, 4-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10).

Third place — Keast def. Mower, 6-2, 7-6 (3).

Consolation — Chiles def. McCarter, 6-2, 6-2; Hightower def. Sennor, 6-3, 7-6 (4).

Fifth place — Hightower def. Chiles, 6-3, 6-4.

Seventh place — None.

Doubles

No. 1

First round — Madzelonka/Slown, MB, def. Kali Mathison/Anna Cecil, 6-2, 2-6, 1-0 (8); Thomas/Ramsbacher, MS, def. Claire Bradley/Bailey Bladholm, 6-2, 6-3.

Semifinals — Harrington/Veteto, MS, def. Madzelonka/Slown, 6-3, 6-3; Thomas/Ramsbacher def. Keiper/Small, MH, 6-4, 6-3.

Championship — Thomas/Ramsbacher def. Harrington/Veteto, 6-4, 6-4.

Third place — Keiper/Small def. Madzelonka/Slown, 6-4, 6-2.

Fifth place — Mathison/Cecil def. Bradley/Bladholm, 6-3, 6-3.

Seventh place — None.

No. 2

First round — Finbraaten/Bone, MS, def. Treece/Carlson, F, 6-3, 6-3; Woerlein/France, MH, def. Hamblin/Seynei, G, 6-4, 6-2; Buckingham/Johnson, G, def. Johnson/Ormesher, MB, 5-7, 7-5, 1-0 (5).

Semifinals — Woerlein/France def. Finbraaten/Bone, 6-3, 6-3; Buckingham/Johnson def. Frohlich/McCormick, MS, 2-6, 6-4, 1-0 (4).

Championship — Woerlein/France def. Buckingham/Johnson, 6-1, 6-1.

Third place — Finbraaten/Bone def. Frohlich/McCormick 4-6, 6-4, 1-0 (8).

Consolation — Treece/Carlson def. Hamblin/Seynei, 4-6, 7-5, 1-0 (6).

Fifth place — Johnson/Ormesher def. Treece/Carlson, 6-3, 6-4.

Seventh place — Hamblin, Seynie, bye.

No. 3

First round — Crispin/Schmidt, MB, def. Hangis/Mosher, MH, 6-2, 4-6, 1-0 (8); Gray/Richardson, MH, def. Courtney Rufenach/Darrow, F, 6-2, 10-8; Buchanan/Keck, MB, def. Buck-Harrington/Stone, F, 6-3, 6-2; Abby Schrade/Caitlin Ward, G, def. Levison/Nelson, MB, 6-3, 6-4.

Semifinals — Gray/Richardson def. Crispin/Schmidt, 6-3, 6-3; Schrade/Ward def. Buchanan/Keck, 6-2, 6-4.

Championship — Gray/Richardson def. Schrade/Ward, 7-5, 7-5.

Third place — Crispin/Schmidt def. Buchanan/Keck, 7-5, 6-3.

Consolation — Rufenach/Darrow def. Hangis/Mosher, 6-2, 6-4; Levison/Nelson def. Buck-Harrington/Stone, 4-6, 6-4, 1-0 (3).

Fifth place — Levison/Nelson def. Rufenach/Darrow, 7-6 (3), 6-4.

Seventh place — Hangis/Mosher won by forfeit over Buck-Harrington/Stone.