Ok, so this is no surprise since they had the honor wrapped up in September by winning the Northwest Fall ITA regional, but it is still super cool to see their names up on the ITA website. Congratulations to our first NCAA All-American's since 1988!
Link to ITA site: http://www.itatennis.com/AwardsAndRankings/AllAmerica/2009_ITA_Division_III_Women_s_All-American_Team.htm
More about these great student athletes:
Katie: Aka "Toast", Katie did not grow up with a racket in her hand. She started at age 15 and is just a phenomenal athlete and outstanding tennis player. With half our team gone for the fall studying abroad, Toastie stepped up to the top doubles spot and did not dissapoint. In just our few short weeks of tournament preparation last fall, she went from, "I never serve and volley" to charging the net on almost every point. I'm so glad such a hard working and fun player earned this honor.
Elise: Aka "Twitch", what to say about Twitchy, she's talented, intense, silly. When I got the job at Whitman, Elise gave me a 6 month grace period because she "likes new people". As a coach I think we made the most of it with a singles and doubles win in our first tournament followed by a trip to Alabama where she impressed coaches around the country with her ability while keeping every west coast player and coach entertained with her tennis IQ, skill with the disc, ability to climb battleships, and penchant for late night waffles. It is tremendously gratifying as a coach to work with a player who has such a well developed game but is open to learning more and is willing to constantly strive to be better; that is Elise.
News from Coach John Hein
Summer Tennis Camps and Events:
Team Photo's on Flickr!
Coaching Philosophy
To me, being a college student is about opportunity and growth. As a coach, I consider myself lucky to spend 4 years providing opportunity while nurturing growth. We use common goals, hard work, open communication, respect and accountability as means to building meaningful relationships and improving each player’s skill set on and off the court. This means embodying championship virtues to inspire athletic, academic and personal growth that not only happens while you are at Whitman, but becomes a part of who you are throughout life.