It’s safe to say that the Great Bend High School girls tennis team has had an astounding season thus far. The girls are set to compete on October 13-14, 2023 in Salina Central . It’s safe to say that our tennis girls have quite busy schedules the next couple of weeks with regionals and state.

Great Bend High School’s girls tennis team has improved greatly since last season. Jacklyn (Jacky) Garcia, a junior, was asked if she has improved since last season and what she attributes her improvement to.

She replied to this question “Yes, just more experience I guess”. Garcia’s key to success in tennis is “just lots of practice, confidence, and discipline”.

Her advice for girls coming into tennis next season whether for the first time ever or who have played before in the past is “believe in yourself”. 

Two other Great Bend High School students were interviewed, one of those students being Kaylin Wahlmeier,a senior who qualified for state at regionals, was asked the same questions as Garcia.

Wahlmeier stated “Yes my record is 22 and 11 i’m doing a lot better than I was last year and playing more events and games than I did last year, this is probably because of my coaches and myself, I worked really hard all summer and put in the work to get here” when asked if she improved since last season and what she attributes her improvement to. Wahlmeiers keys to success is “a positive environment, I mean all the girls on the tennis team get along pretty well so we all encourage each other to do better”.

Finally her advice to girls coming into tennis either for the first time or who have played in the past is “that it’s not always going to be easy, it’s going to be a pretty hard challenge really in the sport and some of the girls do know that and I think some of them don’t but I think it’s something that we need to work on but they’ll eventually learn it and get up there”. We are all so proud of our senior players who are still improving even this season.

The final player interviewed was Kennedi Stalcup, a sophomore. Stalcup was asked if she has improved this season and what she attributes her success to, to which she responded with  “Yes and more practice”.

Stalcup’s key to success is that “before games I had lemon oreos and then I won so I think that has to be what it is”.

Lastly her advice to girls coming into the tennis team whether it’s their first time playing or they have played tennis before in the past is “be nice to me please and try hard”.

Tennis is not an easy sport and not everyone can play it well but these three girls definitely do and all of us at GBHS are so proud of them and the rest of the girls on the team for their outstanding season and all the hard work they’ve put in. Good luck at state ladies, let’s go panthers.