Century’s Miller-Spicer duo finishes season with 29-0 record, state championship

POCATELLO — Four years ago, when now-senior Bel Miller was a freshman, she joined the Century High School tennis team having never seriously played tennis before.

New to tennis, the only thing she was certain of was that she did not want to play doubles: “I’m a singles player,” she recalled telling anyone who would listen.

Still, Century’s coaching staff, led by head coach Sean Kane, identified her as a doubles player. Miller played doubles during her freshman and sophomore years.

While Miller was a sophomore, freshman Kate Spicer joined the Century tennis team with a similar outlook. Spicer was new to competitive tennis, and hated the idea of sharing the court with a teammate.

Fellow junior and 2026 boys’ singles state champion Tiden Lynn recalled being teamed up with Spicer on a mixed doubles team when they were freshmen, saying Spicer complained during every practice session and match.

But after sharing a practice court for two years, Miller entered her senior season having softened her anti-doubles outlook — but only if it involved one teammate.

“I feel like me and Kate have always been able to play pretty well together,” she said. “I thought I was not a doubles player and I hated playing with anyone, unless it’s Kate. I do enjoy playing with Kate.”

Now, less than a year later, the Miller-Spicer duo is fresh off an undefeated season, a state championship run that included wins over just about every one of the state’s top teams, and have been selected as East Idaho Sports girls’ tennis Co-Players of the Year.

“It’s nice to see all the hard work pay off,” Spicer said of the accomplishments.

According to Kane, there is a lot to consider when pairing two players for a doubles team. The Miller-Spicer matchup, he said, was by no means permanent when they took the court together for the first time this season. But early on, when the two took down Idaho Falls’ reigning state champions, Katie Woodhouse and Addi Westwood, the duo’s separate paths merged.

“We did the Gate City Invite and they beat the defending champs, pretty easily,” Kane recalled. “Once that happens, you’re kinda like, ‘OK, we’re gonna go with this.'”

Shortly thereafter, Miller and Spicer went to the Capital Classic invitational tournament and dominated there as well, despite it being, in the entire team’s opinion, a tougher tournament to win than state.

The road to a state title also included 29 wins without a defeat and three wins over the Woodhouse-Westwood duo, including a victory in the state championship match.

But Miller and Spicer also beat each of the four teams that placed in the 6A state tournament.

“They are the true champs of girls’ doubles,” Kane said.

Miller and Spicer realized that only when Kane said it.

“It’s a good feeling, hearing that now, like, ‘Oh dang, we did that, we beat all the (top) 6A teams and the 5A teams,” Spicer said.

“I knew we could do it,” Miller finished.

Miller goes out on top, finishing her incredible senior season with a title.

Pressure was applied at the state tournament, though, with autograph seekers and opposing coaches they’d never met before saying how excited they were to get to see the Miller-Spicer duo play for the title.

In fact, some of that pressure may have actually been relieved when Miller and Spicer were matched up against their rivals from Idaho Falls, the team that had won the event a year ago, in the championship round.

“Katie and Addi have been our rivals, but they’re also so nice — some of my favorite people to play,” Miller said.

When they scored match point, all that pressure was lifted in a champion’s embrace. Spicer, Miller recalled, dropped her racquet and screamed in joy, then the two hugged before shaking hands with the frenemies from Idaho Falls.

But, as both insisted, there were no tears. At least not from them. Coaches cried, Spicer said, so did parents. But for Miller and her, it was the ultimate culmination, the reward for hours of tireless practice and absolute commitment to each other.

“I’m a very competitive person, I don’t really like to lose,” Miller said. “But also, Sean (Kane) has always made it clear that, if you’re going to play on this team, we’re going to win — we’re going to work hard until we win.”

Spicer, who won a mixed doubles state championship last year with teammate Nate Romriell, has the rare opportunity to sweep the titles with a girls’ singles title next year. She said she is still considering her options and will likely not make a decision regarding her plans for next year until next year.

Miller will be attending Utah State University next year, where she is considering trying out for a very successful club tennis program.