BRAINERD — Three return from the 2023 Warrior ladies’ tennis staff that reached the state event as Part 8-2A champs.
It’s first-year head coach Garrett Goeden’s job to search out the replacements to maintain the Warriors aggressive in 2024.
Goeden, a 2019 Brainerd graduate, coached the boys’ tennis staff within the spring to an 11-8 file and an 8-3 mark within the Central Lakes Convention. He was employed in June as the ladies’ coach changing Warrior Corridor of Famer Lisa Salo.
“My beliefs as a coach and my philosophies and my tradition are the identical for the girls and boys applications,” Goeden stated. “These ladies are extraordinarily motivated and are working extraordinarily onerous in the beginning of follow. We’re pushing them onerous. We’ve taken conditioning, weight lifting, power coaching, very critically, and we’re going to proceed to do this.”
Regardless of solely three of 10 within the state lineup returning, Goeden thinks the expertise of going to state will carry over even for final yr’s junior varsity gamers.
“All of these gamers have been nonetheless part of the staff whether or not they have been junior varsity or within the prime 10,” Goeden stated. “They acquired to see how issues occurred. They acquired to see that it doesn’t simply occur in a single day. It’s earned. Not given. I really imagine that it took a variety of the gamers that weren’t within the prime 10 to push the gamers that have been within the prime 10 and make them higher.”
Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch
Senior captain Ericah Folden highlights the returners from the state lineup. She performed No. 1 doubles final season with Claire Erdal, who graduated.
Together with being the highest doubles pair for the staff, Folden and Erdal reached state as people final season.
“Ericah is a good tennis participant,” Goeden stated. “She will play singles or doubles. Her management has been phenomenal all through the summer time and all through the beginning of the season. She works very onerous and she or he’s been on the staff since eighth grade. She’s been on a variety of completely different varsity groups and a variety of sports activities as properly. I do know Ericah goes to do an awesome job. She’s going to belief that wherever we put her in a lineup, she’s there to assist the staff get a win on the finish of the day. She spent a variety of time engaged on her singles sport this summer time, so she is ready if her identify known as within the singles lineup. I’m actually enthusiastic about her and assume she’s going to have an awesome season.”
Junior Kam Kraemer is one other returner with varsity expertise. She performed No. 3 singles as a sophomore final season.
Goeden didn’t need to tip his hand to any lineups however stated Kraemer appeared spectacular through the first week of follow.
Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch
“Kam has developed a ton,” Goeden stated. “I began working along with her within the summers when she was a ninth grader and to see the expansion from then till now could be superior. She performed a variety of singles final yr and I do know that she’ll be capable of play no matter place we ask her to be in. I believe she goes to take an enormous leap from final yr to this yr. She is hitting a stronger ball and her footwork is basically good which is clearly key in tennis. She’s going to have the ability to play at a excessive stage irrespective of the place she’s at.”
The final returner from the state lineup is senior captain Brooke Mulholland. She performed No. 4 singles final season.
Goeden referred to as Mulholland one of many hardest employees in follow.
“She’s labored so onerous,” Goeden stated. “She’s extraordinarily quiet and she or he leads by instance and is all the time doing the suitable factor. Irrespective of if it’s within the weight room, on the tennis court docket, or no matter she is concerned in, she is giving it 100% on a regular basis. She’s all the time bringing her greatest and she or he’s pushing folks to be their greatest. She’s such a respectful child. I’m actually wanting ahead to having Brooke in that management position and I believe she brings a variety of dynamic to the staff. She performed within the singles lineup fairly a bit final yr.”
The third senior captain for the Warriors is Reese Glynn.
“Reese has been excellent,” Goeden stated. “She’s in a ton of management roles inside the faculty and she or he is engaged in her group and her faculty. She’s an awesome voice and a strong voice.”
The junior class provides depth for the Warriors. Samantha Sesin, Leah Soukop, Rebekah Soukop, Ava Haskell and Jessica Cole are anticipated to compete for spots Goeden stated.
Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch
“Samantha Sesin has been rock stable at follow, to this point,” Goeden stated. “She is a brand new pupil who moved in from Pequot Lakes and is a really stable tennis participant. Rebekah and Leah Soukop need to leap into the next position this yr. They each performed No. 1 doubles on JV final yr and didn’t lose a match when taking part in collectively. They’re each tremendous coachable children. Jessica Cole has accomplished an awesome job in the beginning of follow and works very onerous and may be very athletic. She simply will get tennis and has an awesome court docket sense on the market and covers the court docket properly. Ava Haskell is one other junior who’s a extremely robust, aggressive athlete. She’s a hockey participant and simply type of has that aggression on the market.”
Freshman Taryn Mithun is a younger participant, who will see varsity time.
“She was on the staff final yr and noticed a variety of JV,” Goeden stated. “She is a extremely rock-solid participant. She’s a lefty and she or he has impressed the coaches very a lot through the first couple of days.”
Different ladies who will contribute are sophomore Piper Grillo, senior Lily Knoepke, senior Nola Doty and sophomore Abby Isaacson.
“All of these ladies are very stable,” Goeden stated. “From eight to 16, there’s a variety of gamers which can be actually shut. We’re actually searching for these gamers who do the additional issues proper and who actually give their most effort. That’s the way you separate your self when you’ve gotten a extremely aggressive staff.”
Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch
The Warriors are five-time reigning Central Lakes Convention champions heading into 2024. Goeden thinks the St. Cloud Crush would be the greatest risk within the convention. The Warriors host the Crush 2 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 29.
“I do know the Crush goes to be very robust,” Goeden stated. “Alexandria appears to be like to be very stable as properly.”
Brainerd opens the season at residence in opposition to Minneapolis Southwest at 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 19.
Goeden stated the purpose is to play nice tennis and hopefully repeat as Part 8-2A champs.
“Bemidji is all the time robust. St. Cloud is all the time robust. Annandale is all the time robust. Becker has been very robust. There’s a variety of groups within the part which can be within the hunt,” Goeden stated. “It’s actually going to be as soon as the season begins and we begin seeing outcomes coming in the place groups are going to separate themselves as favorites. Our purpose as a staff and as a program is to construct a practice of excellence and we need to win matches. We’re hungry for one more part championship and we’d like to go back-to-back.”
Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch
CONRAD ENGSTROM could also be reached at 218-855-5861 or conrad.engstrom@brainerddispatch.com. Comply with on Twitter at www.twitter.com/the_rad34.
Warriors roster
Seniors: Ericah Folden, Brooke Mulholland, Lily Knoepke, Reese Glynn, Nola Doty, Kaya Anderson, Sophie Schamber, Josie Rust, Audrey Breen
Juniors: Kam Kraemer, Samantha Sesin, Leah Soukop, Rebekah Soukop, Jessica Cole, Ava Haskell, Isabell Bednark, Maureen Paulus, Taylor Manecke, Callista Anderson, Ava Capelle, Dana Skaaland, Stella Lundberg, Ann-Marie Cady, Annie Foss, Fern French, Savannah Mendel, Ana Kotsmith, Isabella Simota, Aya Tanaka
Sophomores: Abby Isaacson, Piper Grillo, Annie Stimac, Hailey Borg, Conner Holcomb-Smith, Zoe Howard, Kaylee Ranweiler, Jaida Schmolke
Freshmen: Taryn Mithun, Violet Anderson, Elli Salo, Mason Mendel, April Hyatt
Warriors schedule
Monday, Aug. 19: hosts Minneapolis Southwest, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 20: hosts Foley, Grand Rapids, 9 a.m.
Thursday, Aug. 22: at Delano Quad, 8 a.m.
Aug. 27: hosts Alexandria, 4:30 p.m.
Aug. 29: hosts St. Cloud Crush, 2 p.m.
Sept. 5: at Sauk Rapids, 4:30 p.m.
Sept. 7: hosts Mighty Moose Match, 9 a.m.
Sept. 10: at Fergus Falls, 4:30 p.m.
Sept. 12: hosts Detroit Lakes, 4:30 p.m.
Sept. 16: at Moorhead, 4:30 p.m.
Sept. 17: hosts Sartell, 4:30 p.m.
Sept. 19: hosts Willmar, 4:30 p.m.
Sept. 21: hosts Duluth East, Monticello, St. Michael-Albertville, 9 a.m.
Sept. 23: at St. Cloud Crush, 4:30 p.m.
Sept. 24: hosts Rocori, 4:30 p.m.
Sept. 26: at Bemidji, 2 p.m.
Oct. 3-5: Part 8-2A North Subsection Match, TBA
Oct. 11-12: Part 8-2A Match, TBA
Oct. 22-25: Class 2A State Match, TBA
Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch
Warriors ladies tennis
Head coach: Garrett Goeden, 1st season
2023 end: 8-0 in CLC, general 20-6, Part 8-2A champs
Assistant coaches: Ellen Fussy, Kayla Huether, Jacob Mitchell
Captains: Ericah Folden, Brooke Mulholland, Reese Glynn
State Returners: Ericah Folden, Kam Kraemer, Brooke Mulholland
