It was a short season that saw the Eupora tennis team full of experience unable to finish the fight towards district and state championship crowns.
But it wasn’t all disappointing for the Eagles. The tennis team with four major contributors graduating will put at least two into college to play on the junior college level. Earlier this year, Grant Frank signed with Meridian Community College and Garrett Crimm picked East Central Community College after years of hard work.
“It is a nod to their hard work. It’s a culmination to everything that they’ve put in,” head coach Randee Jernigan said. “What they leave behind is a legacy building a program. Coaches will keep coming back to this program because of the efforts of those before. It leaves something for those behind to see that this is possible.”
Frank won the Class 2A, Region 2 boys singles championship last season and finished 10th in the state in 2A before being eliminated in the quarterfinals of the state championship. Crimm specialized in doubles and finished No. 3 in the state last year with John Thomas Frank while also taking home a district championship.
“With Grant, he is an athlete with a solid foundation. He’s been a leader here, so you expect him to be a leader there,” Jernigan said. “He’s someone that will work hard and put in a whole lot of time and effort on and off the court and be just as good in academics as he does in athletics.”
“EC is getting someone that will come out there when no one is watching and to give everything that he’s got. He’s always pushing to get better.”
While losing the seniors will be tough, Jernigan is excited about the future ahead. She returns eight of the 12 varsity players and an even more exciting group of junior high players behind them.
The Eagles finished the short season 2-1 with the lone loss coming in a hotly contested battle with rival East Webster.
