Among the five Cleveland girls on the Tri-City United JV tennis team, Miah Bauer (above) is an anomaly.
While MacKenzie Borer, Emma Kopischke, Olivia Kopischke and Emma Steinborn are all eighth graders, Bauer is a senior.
Ironically, however, she was the last among them to pick up a tennis racket. This is her first year on the team, and she didn’t even get started until three meets into the season.
“I wanted to try something new before heading off to college,” explained Bauer, who also competes on the Loyola/Cleveland track team.
But the Titans are glad to have her, said Cory Beisel, who, along with head coach Sarah Adams (daughter of the late Dave Krenik, for whom the Cleveland football field is named), coaches the Titans.
“She has a bubbly attitude. She’s always positive. Nothing gets her down, and she wants to learn. She’s quick too. It’s sad we didn’t have her last year and the year before, but it’s been a pleasure to have her on the team this year.”
Love, ad-in, deuce, let…While Bauer said she is a fast learner, tennis language still baffles her a bit as does the game’s scoring system. Occasionally she needs help when calling out the tally before a serve.
As far as her game goes, she is working to improve her aim.
“I am fast. I can get to the ball, but I am trying to get it to go where I need it. The first time I hit it in my first match, it flew over the fence and into the stands, a home run. I thought I was going to hurt someone.”
As half of a doubles team, Bauer had a 2-2 record coming into a meet against Worthington on the New Ulm courts on Tuesday. She and her partner fought hard against the Trojans but ultimately fell 1-4, 0-4.
Borer and Olivia Kopischke, who were paired together for the match, got off to a good start against Worthington, coming back from love-40 to take the first game. But the Cleveland tandem ended up on the short end, losing 3-4, 1-4.
This is Olivia Kopischke’s first year out for tennis. She has played all doubles and has racked up three wins. Borer was also a Titan as a seventh grader. She doesn’t know her record.
Competing against the Trojan’s third-best varsity doubles team, Emma Kopischke and her partner fell 1-4, 1-4. As a doubles player in her first season, she has three victories on her resume
Steinborn and her doubles partner lost 2-4, 1-4. This is the second year Steinborn has competed in tennis. She has only played doubles so far and doesn’t know her record.
Overall, Beisel is grateful for the entire Cleveland five.
“They bring a passion to learn this game. They come to practice every day with a good attitude. It’s been good to have them. They want to get better, so they’re fun to coach.”
And they have all come a long way, Beisel said, even though their first match this season took place less than a month ago.
“We’re so young. We don’t have a junior high program, so on the JV team that I have, we’re playing against a lot of seniors. But it’s good experience. We will make tennis players out of them if they continue to put the time in.”
With the condition of the TCU tennis courts in Le Center making them unusable, at least for varsity matches, the Titans' home games this year take place at other schools, typically in Le Sueur, but the Titans agreed to meet Worthington at a more-or-less halfway location.
But next year, Le Center will have a brand new eight-court tennis complex, which was made possible through a grant and a local donation, Adams said. The new courts will make for a better experience not only for the Cleveland participants but the Titans as a whole.
The Cleveland quintet and the rest of the JV Titans return to action on October 1, when they close out their season at Fairmont.
MacKenzie Borer sends the ball over to the Worthington side of the court.
Olivia Kopischke chases down a Worthington return.
Emma Kopischke coils for return from near the webbing.
Emma Steinborn cranks up on a return.