Senior state champs to lead Wampus Cats tennis team
CLARK FORK — Clark Fork head tennis coach Mary Jo Lambert pulled her top two players — seniors Chelsea Macumber and Shaina Gustafson — aside recently, prepared to give the defending 3A state doubles champions a pep talk for the season.
She’d gotten as far as last year you were good, before the duo cut her off and said this year we’re going to be great.
“They took the words right out of my mouth,” laughed Lambert, who had nothing but high praise for her doubles team. “They’re very athletic, very competitive, very coachable and a lot of fun.”
The pair have been playing doubles together now for three years, and are hoping to cap a stellar senior season by claiming a second state title. After great years in both volleyball and basketball, they’re hoping the success carries over to a third variety of courts.
“We’ve both stepped up our athletics all around and know we’ll come in stronger than last year,” said Macumber, having already played in both the volleyball and basketball state tournaments during a busy year of sports. “It’s like it’s endless, with no breaks. We started volleyball in the early summer and it hasn’t stopped.”
Gustafson said last year they really didn’t think they had a shot to win a title, and after shredding through the draw, are hungrier than ever for a repeat performance. Years of playing together has honed a sort of sports ESP among the good friends.
“We know each other’s thoughts,” said Gustafson. “We push each other so hard.”
Senior Kandice Daniels and sophomores Brocklynn Thornton and Celeste Komanec also return with state experience, and help give the Wampus Cats five solid players in the girls team. Lambert says Kandice is stronger than ever, and might end up playing No. 1 singles again this year. Laura Emmi and Heather Wold will also see varsity action.
Leading the Wampus Cat boys will be the doubles team of Nate Nesbitt and Stillman Berkley. Like most players at a smaller school, they play sports year around and don’t really focus on tennis until the first day of the season.
“They’ve hardly picked up a racquet and it looked like they’ve been out for months,” described Lambert of her No. 1 boys doubles team. “They’re quick; almost too quick. They’ll do well, but they have a ways to go.”
Rounding out the five member boys team are Russian exchange student Victor Walker, Andy Gordon and Nate Christensen.
Remarkably, considering the Cats practice on just one court and face schools more than three times their size at the state tournament, they hope to grab a team trophy this year.
“We’re going against schools with more than 500 in their student body, and I’m going ‘whoa,’” laughed Lambert, who has set a team goal of finishing third at state. “You’ve got to have athletes and kids who work hard and they do that. The harder I push them, the more they respond.”
The Cats open the season on Wednesday at Coeur d’Alene Charter.