Sep. 24—MITCHELL — Winning a state championship last year for Mitchell girls tennis came as a surprise to both Elly Clement and Carsyn Weich.
For the now-seniors, the experience of winning a title, which came at No. 2 doubles as the sixth-seed at last season’s Class AA state championship, taught them how to approach the sport in a way to benefit everyone involved in the Kernels program.
“It was so unexpected,” Clement recalled. “We were playing for fun, which is not something I ever did in a state tournament before. … You just learn to have fun with (tennis) and that’s what we’ve been doing: just having fun.”
It has also served as a motivator for both girls this season to go out and try and repeat as champions, albeit in different roles. Clement carries a 14-3 match record at No. 4 singles, while Weich is 17-3 at No. 2 singles. They’ve guided the Kernels to a 15-2 dual record and a second-place finish at the Rapid City Invitational.
In addition, their contributions go beyond the court, as Clement and Weich have embraced being leaders among their teammates. Remembering the seniors who’ve led the Kernels before and being a helpful hand to the underclassmen is the ultimate goal of being in the position.
“You want to be there for anyone when they need help or have any questions,” Weich said. “Just being a role model (for others) is what seniors want to be, and to be someone you would want to look up to if you were younger.
“In order to be a good leader, you have to be likable, and (Elly and Carsyn) are likable,” girls tennis head coach Pat Moller added. “They’re pulling from their experience and they have the respect of the entire team. They’re so inviting and so accepting of everybody.”
The girls on both the middle school and junior varsity teams know Weich and Clement by name due to the amount of time they take to forge strong relationships with each other. Along with helping them improve their skills on the court, the Kernels have shown they can be there for one another in dual competition.
“It’s really special in the way that we can just come together and click instantly,” Clement said. “Everyone gets along and that’s what makes this team so successful. We can cheer for each other without any drama and our best friends are playing with us.”
They’ve also made it a goal to showcase to the girls that change is beneficial. Following a state championship win at No. 2 doubles, Weich moved to the top doubles flight for the Kernels this year, reuniting with former doubles partner Megan Mastel. They finished in fifth place at No. 2 doubles at state in 2022.
Moller noted how each player has learned from one another since they last played together during their matches and practices this season. It also presents a new path to build on previous success in order to make a run at state.
“Change is definitely a good thing,” Weich said. “Looking at the opportunities we have this year, there’s a good opportunity (to win a state title) again. I think with the experience our whole team has, it’s an option.”
Staying at No. 2 doubles, Clement admitted she was apprehensive at the beginning of the season about playing with someone other than Weich as a partner. However, playing with Matteah Graves, the duo have lost only four matches this season, having built strong chemistry and gaining confidence on what each brings to the court.
“You don’t want to play to your competition’s level,” Moller said, “You want to play to your level…Elly knew she was going to be playing somebody that was younger, and if you talked to Matteah, she’d say glowing things about the dynamic they’ve created and the relationship they have both on and off the court.”
Building on their state title, Weich and Clement have each spent the summer and practices adding new skills and improving their respective repertoires for matches.
Specifically, each has pointed to the serve as one area of improvement for their games. For Weich, it has come in first-serve pressure, using her experience of anticipating where the opponent will hit the ball to maintain a rally off the serve or go for the point.
“It has a big difference in the outcome of the point,” Weich said. “Watching other players play and seeing how they treat a point, it doesn’t have to have an amazing shot to end it. You just have to stay in it and keep motivating yourself.”
Clement has worked on her consistency with the serve, with Moller stating her second serve has improved to where it’s on par with her first. She also added different types of shots to prepare herself better for singles play.
The biggest adjustment has come mentally, as the goal this season is the same approach she had en route to the state championship. Clement also focused on not overthinking and getting down on herself after a tough match, leaving her in a better frame of mind from dual to dual.
“Maturity comes with it,” Clement said. “I used to think a lot about what I was doing, what I was doing wrong, and how to fix it…I’d blow it way out of proportion and give up. I’m really just trying to play the right way, just be mellow and just have fun on the court.”
The Eastern South Dakota Conference tournament is next on the Kernels’ radar, scheduled to begin on Monday, Sept. 30, at Highland Park in Watertown. The Class AA state girls tennis tournament begins on Monday, Oct. 10, at the Parkview Tennis Courts in Rapid City.
For now, the state tournament will be the end of both Weich’s and Clement’s competitive tennis careers. Looking back on their runs with the Kernels, the game of tennis has shown what it takes to reach their goals while hoping the impact made on the program has a lasting effect on future Mitchell tennis players.
“It teaches you nothing is given and you have to work your way through the growing pains without knowing the future,” Weich said. “You take away sportsmanship and you learn how to be a role model to others. All those important things learned over the years will help me down the line.
“I don’t want to be just a senior tennis player,” Clement said. “I want to be someone who these girls remember down the line. I want to leave this season knowing I did everything I could to make this a more enjoyable experience for everyone.”
