Cheyenne Central girls tennis aims for state title four-peat
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (BVM) — The Cheyenne Central High School girls tennis program has a tradition of success that spans four decades and includes 15 team state championships, but the four core seniors who will take the court for the Indians this fall could end up being one of the most successful groups in Central’s storied history.
The foursome of Sarah Foster, Cassadie Anderson, Emily Needham and Kaitlyn Smedley has a chance to lead the Indians to a fourth consecutive WHSAA state title.
“Being able to have that four-peat for these seniors and for this team to get another state championship would be huge,” said Needham, the team’s top singles player. “We’re working really hard towards it and I think this team is prepared.”
Needham is as prepared as anyone for the pressure of defending the championship. She took the state title in No. 1 singles as a junior last year after capturing gold in No. 2 singles as a sophomore and she’ll be favored to claim a third straight individual title this season.
“She handles the pressure very well,” Central head coach Karen Clark said of Needham. “She’s very level-headed and mentally strong. In all the tournaments she does, she even plays players who are higher up in UTR (Universal Tennis Rating) than she is and she likes to challenge herself so when she’s in the season she’s mentally strong and she’s ready for that competition.”
While Needham remains the team’s No. 1 singles player, the rest of the lineup has been shaken up a little from last season when Smedley claimed third at state in No. 2 singles and the duo of Anderson and Foster finished as runner-up in No. 1 doubles. Anderson will take over the No. 2 singles spot this season while Kaitlyn Smedley partners with her freshman sister Ashli in No. 1 doubles. But no matter the mix, it’s a group with plenty of potential to lead Central to its sixth state title in seven years.
Clark, who’s in her fourth year as the Central’s coach, attributes the sustained success to the hard work her players are consistently willing to put in.
“They’re playing all year round,” Clark said. “They’re taking lessons; they’re playing in tournaments. When we go out to practice, they don’t mess around. They’re focused and they’re good teammates. … I think in general they’re just really good kids and they’re hard workers.”
The Indians know they won’t be able to let up at all this fall. If anything, they’ll have to work harder. Needham expects the competition to be stronger than ever, with several players preparing to challenge her for the state’s top spot in singles and every team trying to remove the champs from their throne.
“I’m going to do my best to perform because it’s really important for our team,” Needham said. “I think this will be one of the best years we’ve ever seen at singles and honestly in the whole state there are going to be some really good teams, so I know on any given day I have to be on my toes, ready to go for everybody who comes out.”
