DUNLAP, Ill. (WMBD/WYZZ) — One trophy down, two more to go.
That’s how Dunlap is treating the month of October.
The Eagles girls tennis team won the Mid-Illini Conference title last weekend in Washington and this weekend, it has it’s eyes on the sectional trophy in Galesburg. In two weeks the Eagles are hoping to fly to suburban Chicago and return home with the school’s first state trophy in girls tennis.
“It would mean a lot. I’ve been playing since the sixth grade putting in a lot of work, a lot of hours, all that practice,” said senior Sophie Muir. “It would be something, a big reward, especially in my last year of high school.”
That’s seems to be a theme around the team.
“It’s my last year, I’m hoping this is the year we do it,” said senior Sheika Agarwal, the team’s No.1 singles player. “I think we can. We’ve trained all through the summer. This is the year we can bring it home.”
Agarwal, Muir and fellow senior Emily Klemens have all earned their 100th career varsity wins this season.
Muir teams with Alassea Michel to form Dunlap’s No. 1 tennis tandem while Klemens and Isabella Gusso are the eagles’ No. 2 doubles team. All won conference titles last week.
Their coach believes having three 100-win players on the same roster is an amazing feat for a team in central Illinois.
“I’ve been coaching here for well over a decade, 16 years,” said Dunlap tennis coach pat Gornik. “To have that happen, you have to have three or four years, not just playing varsity but playing well.”
That competitive spirit spills over into practice, which is why the Eagles say they are so sharp in matches. Practice on this team is competitive.
“We all play off each other at practice,” said Klemens. “We can be competitive which not everyone at other schools get to do.”
And not everyone gets to bring home a state trophy, which is the big goal of this team.
