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Steamboat Springs — There must be a strange point system going on at the Western Slope high school girls tennis tournament.

That's really the only logical way to explain how the Steamboat Springs High School girls tennis team didn't come home with a first-place trophy.

Despite having the most singles and doubles champions, and placing all the other spots in the top five, Steamboat left the final day of the Grand Junction tournament still in third place.

Chatfield finished first, and Greeley West finished second. Both teams left Saturday with one champion each.

"It didn't matter what the points said," Steamboat coach John Aragon said. "We had the most champions. The tournament talk was all about Steamboat. We sent a big message about the capability of this team."

No. 2 singles player Shelby Reed, No. 3 singles player Molly Weiss, the No. 3 doubles team of Alexis and Valerie Lezin and the No. 4 doubles team of Kaitie Breisch and Claire Parsons all finished as tournament champions, winning their final matches Saturday.

No. 1 doubles players Kylee Swiggart and Sara Bearss finished third, No. 1 singles player Lisa Floyd finished fourth and the No. 2 doubles team of Hayley Richman and Mandy Thielemann finished fifth.

Aragon said the point system at the tournament awarded a higher number of points for early-round wins as opposed to wins in the finals or semifinals. Although Aragon admitted he would have liked to come home with a first-place trophy, he said had the Sailors played like this at the regional or state tournament, Steamboat would have come home as champions.

Still, the Sailors' play even surprised their head coach.

"With this result, I would have said they would have to play out of their heads," Aragon said. "For them to come away and do what they did, coach (Don) Toy and I are extremely proud of them."

With the season almost at its halfway point, the schedule does not get any easier for Steamboat. After matches with Boulder and Ralston Valley, Steamboat travels to Denver for the April 11 and 12 Mullen Tournament.

The Mullen Tournament - much like the Western Slope Tournament - brings in some of the top teams in the state.

"Hopefully this gives these guys a little more belief to go out and compete hard and refuse to give up," Aragon said. "Hopefully we can make good things happen at regionals and state. The Mullen Tournament will be a big test. Hopefully we have the same attitude in that tournament."