Collegiate's Withrow takes her first shot at state tennis tournament
To understand the story of Brooke Withrow, it's important to understand the layout of the Collegiate campus.
The private school's grounds encompass an elementary school, a middle school and high school.
So there's a familiarity among the teachers. They mingle. They talk. And when a good athlete comes around, it's hard not to take notice.
Even at a young age.
"By the time Brooke was in the first or second grade, I had people coming to me, asking me if I'd seen her play," Collegiate girls tennis coach Dave Hawley said. "And I was kind of like 'Wow, that's young,' but by the time she was in the fifth or sixth grade, it was obvious what kind of gifts she had."
Withrow, a sophomore, leads the Spartans into the Class 4A tournament today and Saturday in Pratt with a 28-3 record and her focus directly on winning team and singles titles.
"A lot of kids think they're working hard, but then they see her approach and realize there's another level," Hawley said. "The way she combines running and lifting weights and playing is amazing... and then she comes in and always is putting the team over the individual. It's really something to see."
This will be Withrow's first shot at state. She spent a year and a half at the Chris Evert Tennis Academy in Boca Raton, Fla., and didn't return to Wichita until the middle of last school year.
"I was nervous because this was the first time I'd ever been a part of a team," said Withrow, who's rated as a four-star recruit by tennisrecruiting.net. "I guess I got to discover that tennis doesn't have to be such a lonely sport... when I'm out there playing singles and my team is cheering me on, that's a great feeling.
"I'm excited for state because it's an environment I've never played in before, it's something I've never been able to experience."
Hawley doesn't think any player is immune to the pressures that come with trying to win a state title, but said that Withrow is as equipped to handle it as any player he's coached.
"The natural inclination is to have some nerves (at state)," Hawley said. "You can win a bunch of tournaments during the season — big tournaments — but in the end, all anybody wants to know is how you did at state. Brooke understands that innately. Her focus is unmatched... she's so dialed in. Some players, the best players even, take some points off. She doesn't do that. She never surrenders anything."
Withrow credited her relationship with Hawley as helping her through her first season with the Spartans.
"When I was in the sixth grade, he called me into his office and told me he wanted me to play for him someday," Withrow said. "And it's built from that. When he's coaching me, we can laugh and still have a good time. I know I'll still struggle and my game will never be perfect, but the more you practice the better you'll get."
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State girls tennis
When: 11:30 a.m. today, 9 a.m. Saturday
Where: 6A at Riverside Tennis Center, 5A at Goddard High, 4A at Pratt's Blake Complex, 3-2-1A at Dodge City High