McKenzie Cinelli isn’t afraid to admit it — she’s nervous.
The Emporia High senior will make her first visit to the state tennis tournament today and Saturday in McPherson along with four of her teammates, and a day before the meet, Cinelli was feeling the butterflies.
“I’ve never felt like this before,” Cinelli said. “I went to state in softball, but this is completely different.”
Cinelli and junior Sarah Watkins earned their way to state as a doubles team, as did the doubles duo of seniors Rachael Bachman and Emily Chiroy and senior singles player Hallie Kretsinger.
While the five have precious little experience competing at State — only Kretsinger has been to State before — EHS coach Melinda Flohr hopes that fact that she is sending five upperclassmen to the tournament produces some positive results.
“You’re looking at four seniors and a junior, which means we’re sending some experience to this meet,” EHS coach Melinda Flohr. “I think we’re going into it hopefully with the thought in mind that this is a reward for having a great season. I hope they enjoy the experience, and hopefully we can get some wins along the way.”
As the only Spartan with a trip to State under her belt, Kretsinger is hopeful her previous trip to State has her better prepared mentally.
“Hopefully, I can keep the whole experience in perspective and maybe not be so nervous,” she said, “because I’ve been there before and I know what it’s about.”
Seeing as how she has been there before, Kretsinger will enter the State tournament with some very simple goals.
“As far as placing, I don’t really have any expectations,” she said. “I just want to go out and use the things that I’ve learned all season and just try to play my game and play the best I can.”
Kretsinger finished second at the Regional meet, which means she will face a lower seed in her first-round matchup on Friday.
The same cannot be said for Bachman and Chiroy and Cinelli and Watkins. Bachman and Chiroy finished third at Regionals and Cinelli and Watkins finished fourth, meaning both doubles teams will have to play higher-seeded duos in the first round.
“Their road is going to be a little tough,” Flohr said. “Most matches that we get to at State, we’re going to be the underdogs. I like that position. We have no reason to be terribly nervous because most of the people we’re going to be playing, especially in that first round, are going to be seeded ahead of us, and more of the pressure is going to be on them.”
Above everything else, Cinelli said the trip to State will be a nice reward for a season — and career — of hard work.
“We just want to make the most of it and have fun,” Cinelli said. “I just want to work on everything I’ve learned over the years and have fun and always keep a smile on my face no matter what. It’s going to be a pretty hard challenge, but we want to have fun.”
EHS boys soccer falls
to Shawnee Heights, 5-1
Shawnee Heights scored four second-half goals to turn a 1-0 halftime lead into a 5-1 rout over Emporia Thursday night.
Emporia’s lone goal came in the second half by Alex Guevara on an assist from Adrian Trujillo.
The loss dropped Emporia to 3-10-2 on the season.
In JV action, Shawnee Heights topped the Spartans, 3-1.