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Ronning wins 1,000th tennis match as a head coach
Randy Ronning has coached the Elk River girls tennis team since 2016
ERIK NELSON Sports Reporter
Tennis has played a significant part in Elk River head coach Randy Ronning’ s life for more than 50 years.
Ronning has been the coach of the Elk River girls tennis team since 2016. He’ s been involved with Elk River tennis for decades and has been the boys head coach since the 2008 season. On Saturday, Aug. 29, he achieved a milestone: He won his 1,000th career match as a head coach.
“ It’ s awesome,” Ronning said.“ No coach does it by themself. You’ ve got to have great players [ who ] put in the time, you’ ve got to have dedicated coaches, and you’ ve got to have parents who help out. That’ s what makes it happen. Once they see that you’ re serious, you’ ll attract the good ones.
“ I never put the pressure on myself to get to 1,000 wins. I thought it’ d be cool. I didn’ t tell anybody about it, so I haven’ t been advertising it. People found out; they knew, and they came up with a special day for me. It was nice that they did that. It wasn’ t expected. Even now, that’ s not what it’ s about for me. It’ s about always trying to do my best to help these kids play their best and be the best people they can be.”
Ronning’ s tennis journey began in the spring of 1970, when he joined the Parkers Prairie High School boys tennis team. He also played for the Panthers in 1971, the year he graduated from high school. Parkers Prairie is a small city in Otter Tail County, Minnesota, north of Alexandria. He then played four years for the University of Minnesota Morris Cougars men’ s tennis team from 1972-75.
After he finished college, St. Francis High School hired Ronning as its boys and girls tennis coach in 1975. He coached both Saints teams from 1975-80 and finished with a combined record of 169 wins and 54 losses.
After his time with St. Francis ended, Ronning spent decades as a volunteer and assistant coach for the Elk River boys and girls teams. He has 317 wins as an assistant coach with the Elks and 187 as a volunteer coach. He was the co-head coach of the Elks girls tennis team from 2005-08.
In 2008, he became the head coach of the Elk River boys tennis team, a position he has held to this day. The 2026 spring season marked his 18th season with the boys program. In 2012, the Elks won the Class 2A state championship, the program’ s only title.
In 2013, Princeton High School hired Ronning as its girls tennis coach. He coached the Tigers from 2013-15. Over the course of three seasons, his record was 65 wins and 12 losses.
JIM BOYLE
Elk River head coach Randy Ronning checks out his new T-shirt emblazoned with No. 1,000 as Lizzie Simon, Brielle Hawkinson and Leighton Wisniewski look on.
In 2016, Ronning returned to the Elk River girls varsity program as its head coach. The 2026 season marks his 11th season with the program. The Elks most recently made the Class 2A state tournament in 2024.
According to a biography of Ronning published in an Elk River girls tennis program, he is a man who likes to be clean. He also loves ice cream and frozen custard and, according to the program, is the only person in the Elk River program with a Culver’ s platinum card. Ronning isn’ t just invested in the success of
See ELKS TENNIS | PAGE 32
SUBMITTED PHOTO
The Elk River girls’ tennis team won its 16th conference title since the 2001 season after defeating Blaine 4-3 for the NWSC championship on Sept. 25, 2025, in Elk River.
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