Senior Emily Wittmer will be hitting the state courts for her third time October 19. Wittmer has had an extremely successful DGN tennis career, playing number one varsity singles all three years of high school (excluding her freshman season cut short by Covid-19). Wittmer, alongside her athletic achievements, is also a leader on the team, being a varsity captain.
“Emily is very intense when she’s focused on her game, but once she opens up she is very fun to be around. She helps the team as a whole stay focused on improving their skills,” varsity member Meghan Southworth said.
Wittmer’s success is due to her work ethic and focus while on the team. The mentality she maintains helps her to be a successful athlete and role model.
“I trained for state by practicing with my coaches and strength training twice a week. I expected to have a decent chance at qualifying, however state qualification was never for certain,” Wittmer said.
Wittmer helped her team to many victories this season, and head girls varsity tennis coach Dana Graczyk feels confident that she’ll do well in the IHSA state tournament.
“Emily has won the Waubonsie Invite at the number one singles spot, and she has individual wins over many top players who have qualified for state. She helped contribute to team wins over Naperville Central, Timothy Christian, St. Charles North and Glenbard South to name a few, and the best team win that she helped contribute to was the Trojan Invite. Emily is fast, confident, smart and has the hard work ethic needed to have an amazing state tournament,” Graczyk said.
Alongside being a fierce competitor on the court, Wittmer also has close bonds with her teammates that will carry on beyond the tennis season.
“As a team captain, she is always a steady person to go to for advice or help with tennis or school. She stands as a role model on the team and is very reliable,” Southworth said.
As Wittmer takes the courts this year, she plans on staying focused and maintaining her composure.
“My goal for state this year is to go as far as I can in the main draw, and really focus on perfecting my strategy on court.” Wittmer said.
