HOBAN HIGHLIGHT REEL
GIRLS TENNIS MAKES HOBAN HISTORY Coming off one of the most successful seasons in Hoban history, the girls tennis team is carving out their legacy at Hoban. Gary Innes, head coach, has worked hard to instill a team culture of constant improvement. His extensive background in the sport comes from his playing at a high collegiate level and coaching experience all over the country, ranging from academies to country clubs. In his second year as the Knights boys and girls tennis head coach, Innes credits the girls team’s success to hard work, helping them to continually improve despite having a more difficult and competitive schedule than last year. The addition of Claudia Behrens ’13 to the coaching staff also made a huge difference to the team environment. "Claudia graduated from Hoban and knows the culture of the school and created a positive environment for the girls to learn," Innes said. With personal improvement as a constant goal, the team saw results and also strengthened friendships among the team in the process. Sophomore Campbell Miller, who was injured this season, continued to attend every practice and match, without requirement, to support her team. 22 \
FALL-WINTER 2022
“I wanted to see how my teammates grew throughout the season,” Miller said. “We are very supportive of each other. We push each other to be the best we can be, and we don’t want any potential to go to waste.” Team captain, Angela Thompson, who is in her junior year, also emphasizes the importance of camaraderie to strengthen the bond between teammates. “This year, we were close,” Thompson said. “Last year, with COVID, it was difficult for the team to get together. We emphasized team bonding and had a cohesive team experience.” The team’s successful season led to four student-athletes – freshman Haley Slay, sophomore Kate Wenzlik and juniors Elizabeth Savitski and Angela Thompson – making it to the OHSAA Div. II district tournament. Slay also qualified for the state tournament – the first freshman in Hoban history to do so. Through their training and constant strive for improvement, the team was able to reap their victories. Innes credits the Hoban strength and conditioning team as an asset to the team through strength training and team bonding.
