Former GPS state champ Sarah Evans plays for Wofford in this week's SoCon Tennis Championship
photo by Mark Olencki
It seems only yesterday (four years ago) that then GPS
senior Sarah Evans steamrolled through the TSSAA state singles bracket on the
way to a state championship.
What a way to close out one’s prep tennis career with a team
title and a singles gold medal in the same week.
In beating then Baylor eighth grade twins Harper Caswell (quarters)
and Samantha Caswell (finals) sandwiched around a semis win against Maggie Leavell
(Hutchison), Evans lost a total of four - yes, four - games in six sets.
To say she played the best tennis of her career that week is
an understatement.
SoCon Tennis at Champions Club: This week Evans is back in
Chattanooga to close out her college tennis career and lead No. 9 Wofford
against No. 8 Davidson today at 3 p.m. in a Southern Conference Tennis
Championship first round match at The Champions Club.
A win by the Terriers moves them to the quarterfinals and a
match with No.1 seed Furman Thursday at 1 p.m.
“We lost to Davidson 5-2 during the season, but two of those
losses were three setters so I think we have a real good chance to win,” said
Evans who has played in the No.1 singles spot for three years.
“The biggest difference between high school and college
tennis is that every team, every individual opponent you face in college is real
tough,” Evans stated. “There are no breathers.”
While playing at the top of the Terrier lineup, she also is
near the top academically carrying a 3.8 GP in psychology and earning a spot on
the Southern Conference Honor Roll.
“GPS prepared me well for college as I learned in high
school the importance of effective time management with a full academic load
and the heavy time commitment of a varsity sport,” Evans stated.
After the SoCon tournament and graduation, Evans plans to
take a year off and then pursue a graduate assistant’s position at the college
level and eventually be a head coach.
“Tennis will always be part of life, but this is the last
week of being part of a team which has been real special.”
Asked for some college highlights, Evans points to two
important wins.
Her freshman year, her three-set win at No. 5 singles clinched
the victory against Ga. Southern.
The next year she posted her first ever win against UTC’s
Jenna Jurik at No.1 singles and also teamed with Guinn Garcia to beat Alexa
Flynn-Kaylene Chadwell at No.1 doubles in a tough 5-2 loss to the Mocs.
”I will really miss the friendships I have made here at
Wofford because of tennis, but I can reminisce on the good times later, because
I need to focus on the present and our match with Davidson.”
Wofford women's tennis coach Krissy Hall said, "Sarah has been an integral part of our team over the past four years. Her willingness to give her all every day and her competitive drive will be missed. I am so excited to see what the future holds for Sarah."
For the Wofford faithful, they hope the senior can find plenty
of that court magic she has displayed the last nine years in high school and
college and help the Terriers to at least one more win before closing out her career.
contact B.B. Branton at william.branton@comcast.net