Page 4 Edina Fall Sports Preview • Thursday , August 22 , 2024 current . mnsun . com
Nine of top 10 girls tennis players return
By JOHN SHERMAN john . sherman @ apgecm . com
Edina High would be the clear-cut favorite to win the state Class AA girls tennis title this season - except for one thing .
The Hornets return nine of their top 10 varsity players from last season . However , defending state champion Rochester Mayo is expected to bring back eight of its top 10 .
“ With a year together under our belts , we are confident that we will work well together ,” second-year senior captain Zoya Hasan said after a preseason captains ’ practice .
“ We have a really deep team ,” senior captain Astrid Kerrman said . “ A big senior class will help make us strong at every position . And there is some new talent .”
Edina broke Minnetonka ’ s grip on the Lake Conference championship last season .
Senior captain Molly Bennett , also an All-State sprinter for the Edina girls track team , was primarily a doubles player last season . “ I think we will have some really good doubles teams this year ,” she said . “ We can use a bunch of different combinations .”
Traditions in the Edina tennis program date back to some of the coaches who preceded current head coach Jaime Gaard Chapman . Ted Greer was Edina ’ s first girls tennis
( SUN PHOTO BY JOHN SHERMAN )
Senior captain Astrid Kerrman of the Edina High girls tennis team tied a Section 6AA record by winning all three of her tournament singles matches 6-0 , 6-0 last season .
coach and was followed by Chuck Anderson and Steve Paulsen . Greer and Paulsen are members of the Edina High Boosters Athletic Hall of Fame along with Gaard Chapman , who was inducted for her playing career in tennis and basketball .
“ My favorite parts of the tradition are the group cheers and singing at the end of the match ,” Bennett said .
Captain Lily Santoni said , “ The traditions help us to relax before and after every match .”
Hasan said she is looking forward to the team dinners this fall . “ I love the bus rides and I am looking forward to our stay-over in Rochester .”
Many of the returning varsity players for Edina played tournament tennis during the offseason . On the tournament circuit there is no team competition . High school tennis is different with seven individual matches in each dual meet . Edina won many of its matches 7-0 last fall , and that is one reason the Hornets were ranked second in the state .
“ We know that Rochester Mayo is going to be strong again ,” Santoni said .
What about the Lake Conference ?
“ We ’ ll see ,” Kerrman said . “ Our goal is to win the title again .”
( SUN PHOTO BY JOHN SHERMAN )
Edina High ’ s girls tennis captain for 2024 are , from left to right : Molly Bennett , Astrid Kerrman , Lily Santoni and Zoya Hasan .