Impressive Cougars netting results

CEDAR RAPIDS - Cedar Rapids Kennedy Coach Joe Benedict said his girls tennis team not be the most polished tennis players, but he'll take the results over style points any day.

The Cougars parlayed their tough, competitive natures into a near monopoly on state tournament berths, claiming five total spots at the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union's Class 2A state singles and doubles meet at Johnston Thursday and Friday. They also earned another state team tennis berth Saturday at Johnston and Des Moines Hoover High Schools.

The postseason results are products of a competitive nature that fuels them when they take the court.

"They understand staying in a match and making your opponent work hard," Benedict said. "We're not going to be the best looking tennids team with our ground strokes, but you're going to have to compete pretty hard to beat us, because we're going to give everything we have."

You can measure success in wins and losses. One of the best attributes of this squad can't be measured. The Cougars are strong in intangibles. Benedict said they just have "it" and it's hard to explain to others. he said this team compares favorably to successful Kennedy teams of the past, but might be better at maximizing their talent and depth.

"They know what their strengths are," Benedict said. "We just try to build on that. It's a partnership. They come with a cedrtain level of understanding because they are bright kids."

Many of the Cougars are multi-sport athletes. The mindset is ingrained in them, and their foes across the net are introduced to it.

"A lot of us are natural athletes and we play a lot of other sports so we've grown up with competitiveness," senior Trisha Hinke said. "It comes out on the tennis court."

Hinke is part of a group of seniors, including Laura Boenisch, Lindsey Slater and Christina Goedell, that have only experienced success. The Cougars are 50-5 over the last three seasons, including a 16-2 mark this year. During their careers, kennedy won a state team title in 2007 and placed third last year after missing the state meet losing to eventual 2008 state team champion Boone in the regional final. It's been a special class for the Cougars coach.

"They're great kids in the classroom and on the court," said Benedict, noting the team is led by a committee more than having only one in a leadership role. "It's made my first three years as head coach a lot easier when you've got quality kids to work with."

Quality is an understatement based on their postseason performances so far. The Cougars hogged all but one state berth from its regional tournament, qualifying two doubles teams and a singles players for the state meet. Hinke and junior Jackie Pedersen claimed a regional championship, beating teammates Sarah Lasecki and Goedell in the finals. Slater earned a runner-up finish to Marshalltown's Krissy Lankelma, who is the top seed in the singles meet.

"The kids played really well," Benedict said. "They had some goals and worked really hard to get there."

Pedersen and Hinke have posted a 15-1 doubles record this season and received the No. 2 seed, behind only Iowa City West's Lilli Oetting and Lola White-Baer, which handed the Cougars team their lone loss. Pedersen was ecstatic to learn of the high pre-tournament honor. It puts them in position to reach their initial goal.

"I was literally freaked out. It was a huge surprise, but a good surprise," Pedersen said. "We just really want to go out with a bang and place top four."

Benedict said the seed puts a bit of a target on their back and they will need to play sound and smart tennis. The pair has played together for the last three years and have formed a successful team. Their styles complement each opther well during play.

"We're comfortable with each other," Pedersen said. "We know how to encourage each other and know what we need to say.

"I know how to handle situations (better) than I would if I had another partner."

Even more impressive than how they qualified more players to the singles and doubles event than any other school was how they reached the state team tournament.

Kennedy survived a five-hour regional final battle against Iowa City High, claiming a 5-4 win with all three doubles matches forced into tiebreakers. The Cougars won two of the three doubles, each splitting the first two sets, and winning tiebreakers, including one team winning a super tiebreaker where they bounced back to win six of the last seven points after trailing 6-4.

It was a perfect example of their competitiveness fighting to the end and not being denied.

"They showed me they're even tougher than maybe I thought they were," Benedict said. "There were times where it looked like it wasn't going to be our night then someone would pick us up in a different spot."

The team's bond plays a key factor in performances like the regional final. The players almost live and die with one an other. Their closeness helps motivate them in competition.

"It's a very close team. We all get along very well," Pedersen said. "Whenever one of us has an impressive win it's really exciting. Even though it's not my win, it's exciting to see them get a big accomplishment. When one of us have a hard loss, it's not just one point for the other team, it's also that they're not feeling good about it so you want to reach out and help them feel better."

Kennedy opens the state team meet against Iowa City West, which won a regular season match, 5-4. That loss provides motivation and confidence entering the state semifinal.

"We have our work cut out for us," Pedersen said. "We definitely have a shot."

Whether it's singles, doubles or the team competition, getting there is fine, but the focus is to continue winning.

"Certainly getting to state, regardless of what happens, is a big accomplishment," Benedict said. "Obviously, we want to win some matches while we're there."