BILLINGS — Butte’s Brett Badovinac and former Butte resident Tom Morris claimed state titles at the Montana State Singles Handball Championships today.
Badovinac avenged last year’s title-game loss to Moe Johnson by beating the Missoula player 21-19, 21-3 in the championship match of the 40-plus masters division.
The title is the first in singles for Badovinac, the three-time defending Butte champion. Last month, he teamed with Don Foley to win the state masters doubles title in Missoula.
Morris, who now lives in Billings, won his eighth state title, beating Missoula’s Wally Page in the championship match of the 70-plus diamond masters. Morris also won four golden masters crowns, two super golden masters titles and one masters championship.
Dan Bersanti of Butte advanced to the championship match of the 50-plus golden masters division. There, he fell by injury default to Dan Scilley of Luther.
In the open division, Bozeman’s Jeremy Morton beat former Montana Tech defensive back Justin Balkenbush, an eight-time champion, in the title match.
The state title was the second for Morton, who claimed the crown in 2004.
Open
Quarterfinals: Chance Wachholz (Kalispell) d. Conor Salo (Butte); Jeremy Morton (Bozeman) d. Jared Wierson (Missoula) 21-9, 21-8; Justin Balkenbush (Billings) d. EJ Panetta (Sheridan, WY) 21-12, 21-6; Pete Svennungsen (Spokane, WA) d. Todd Williamson (Bozeman) 21-3, 21-10
Semifinals: Morton d. Wachholz 21-14, 21-13; Balkenbush d. Svennungsen 21-14, 21-6
Third: Svennugsen d. Wahholz by forfeit
Finals: Morton d. Balkenbush
Masters (40+)
Quarterfinals: Moe Johnson (Missoula) d. Todd Williamson (Bozeman) 21-6, 21-2; Brian Hamilton (Sheridan, WY) d. Steve Maier (Missoula) 21-11, 21-12; Don Foley (Butte) d. Alex Fox (Bozeman) 10-21, 21-7, 11-3; Brett Badovinac (Butte) d. Nick White (Bozeman) 21-13, 21-5
Semifinals: Johnson d. Hamilton 12-21, 21-16, 11-7; Badovinac d. Foley 21-16, 21-8
Third: Hamilton d. Foley 21-9, 21-13
Final: Badovinac d. Johnson 21-19, 21-3
Golden Masters (50+)
First Round: Craig Canfield (Billings) d. Scott Salo (Butte) 21-9, 11-21, 11-6; Jay Stender (Sheridan, WY) d. Bob Meyer (Billings) 21-11, 21-11; Dan Bersanti (Butte) d. Steve Birrell (Bozeman) 21-8, 21-12; Dan Scilley (Luther) d. Jessie Egan (Missoula) 21-2, 21-3; Mike Hitchcock (Butte) d. Nick White (Bozeman) 21-10, 21-9; Frank Cikan (Bozeman) d. Wayne Moller (Billings) 21-18, 21-7; Steve Maier (Missoula) d. Mike Starcevich (Powell, WY) 21-2, 21-2
Quarterfinals: David Montelius (Missoula) d. Canfield 21-20, 21-3; Bersanti d. Stender 14-21, 21-18, 11-9; Scilley d. Hitchcock 21-19, 21-3; Cikan d. Maier 3-21, 21-18, 11-8
Semifinals: Bersanti d. Montelius 13-21, 21-20, 11-5; Scilley d. Cikan 21-11, 21-8
Third: Montelius d. Cikan by forfeit
Final: Scilley d. Bersanti by injury default
Super Golden Masters (60+)
Quarterfinals: Garth Kallevig (Sidney) d. John Larson (Helena) 12-21, 21-6, 11-8; Rick Harrington (Missoula) d. Frank Cikan (Bozeman); Rock Svennungsen (Shelby) d. Dick Fox (Billings) 21-16, 21-14; Mike Meyer (Billings) d. Kendal Kallevig (Sidney) 21-4, 21-6
Semifinals: Kallevig d. Harrington 12-21, 21-11, 11-2; Meyer d. Svennungsen 21-6, 21-16
Third: Rock Svennungsen d. Harrington by injury default
Finals: Meyer d. Kallevig
Diamond Masters (70+)
Quarterfinals: Wally Page (Missoula) d. Phil Kulbeck (Missoula) 11-21, 21-13, 11-2; Russ Whitten (Red Lodge) d. Emil Erhardt (Billings) 16-21, 21-15, 11-0; Sandy Gagnon (Bozeman) d. Tom Kelly (Billings) 21-2, 21-8; Tom Morris (Billings) d. Mike Mosolf (Dillon) 21-2, 21-12
Semifinals: Page d. Whitten 21-10, 21-9; Morris d. Gagnon 21-5, 21-4
Third: Gagnon d. Whitten 21-11, 21-10
Finals: Morris d. Page
B Division
Round Robin: Brad Chumrau (Missoula) d. Brandon Penrose (Billings) 21-5, 21-12; Penrose d. Skylar Criscuolo (Butte) 16-21, 21-16, 11-7; Chumrau d. Criscuolo 21-5, 21-5; Jessie Eagen (Missoula) d. Penrose 21-15, 21-15; Eagen d. Criscuolo 21-16, 9-21, 11-4; Chumrau d. Eagen
1st– Chumrau
2nd– Eagen
3rd– Penrose
A Division
Semifinals: Jared Wierson (Missoula) d. Conor Salo (Butte) 21-17, 21-12; EJ Panetta (Sheridan) d. Todd Williamson 21-2, 21-2
Third: Williamson d. Salo
Final: Panetta d. Wierson
Masters Consolation
Semifinals: Maier d. Williamson 21-6, 21-5; Fox d. White 16-21, 21-8, 11-9
Third: White d. Williamson
Final: Fox d. Maier
Golden Masters Consolation 1
Quarterfinals: Meyer d. Birrell 21-14, 21-18; White d. Eagen forfeit; Moller d. Starcevich
Semifinals: Salo d. Meyer 21-10, 21-10; White d. Moller 21-14, 21-12Final: Salo d. White
Golden Masters Consolation 2
Semifinal: Starcevich d. Eagen
Final: Birrell d. Starcevich
Golden Masters Consolation 3
Semifinals: Stender d. Canfield 8-21, 21-14, 11-7; Maier d. Hithcock 21-6, 21-16
Final: Maier d. Stender
Super Golden Consolation
Semifinals: Larson d. Cikan 21-12, 21-16; Fox d. Kallevig 21-8, 21-9
Third: Kalevig d. Cikan by forfeit
Final: Larson d. Fox
Diamond Masters Consolation
Semifinals: Erhardt d. Kulbeck 21-6, 21-7; Kelly d. Mosolf 21-11, 21-8
Third: Kulbeck d. MosolfFinal: Erhardt d. Kelly
