A mother/daughter tandem will once again be representing the Roncalli/Two Rivers at the state tennis meet.
The goal of every high school student-athlete is to reach the state level of their chosen sport and to be tested against the very best.
Doing it once is quite an achievement, but for four consecutive years and having your mother coach you are at quite another level all its own.
That’s the ride that Megan and mother-coach Kristin Lamers have enjoyed for four years as they represent Roncalli/Two Rivers at the WIAA State Individual Girls Tennis Championships beginning today at Nielsen Tennis Stadium on the UW-Madison campus.
Both ladies spoke to seehafernews.com before heading to our state capital, and as you can imagine, Kristin is beaming with pride as they prepare for one final ride together.
“I’m super proud of her,” she said. “She faced tremendous pressure and adversity to make it four years in a row. She did it, showing a tremendous amount of grit and desire to persevere and make it back to Madison again.”
Megan will play Division One Singles for the second consecutive year, having qualified with older sister Madison in doubles the first two years of her career.
She says there are mixed feelings as she makes this fourth and final trip to the big dance.
“Yes, because I made it all four years of my career and very few get to experience that, and no, because the first time, I qualified with my sister and that moment I will cherish for a lifetime,” she explained.
Megan and older sister Madison are very close as they speak and/ or text each other daily, which Megan adds has been invaluable getting her through the ups and downs of not only sports but life.
Megan suffered a broken collar bone during summer basketball camp before her junior year and there was doubt if she would be able to fully heal let alone play when the season began in mid-August.
Both mother and daughter called Megan’s healing a miracle.
Then Megan suffered another setback begging the question of if these setbacks helped her feel that she can deal with any adversity that life throws her way.
“I really do,” she admitted. “Last year as was fighting a knee injury so two of my four years I battled through injuries making it even more rewarding to qualify for state.”
Many also questioned whether it was a good idea for mother to coach her daughter.
Kristin says she totally understands why people would ask that question.
“There are positives and negatives,” she admitted. “But we have even grown closer by being able to experience this ride together. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
So, as they prepare for one final ride together, both Kristin and Megan admit it’s very bittersweet.
We asked Megan what she wants to get out of her fourth and final appearance at state.
“Some of my teammates are coming down to support me, so I hope I can be a good example of what it takes to get to this level on a consistent basis,” she explained. “It’s truly been a blessing to play with these girls, and I cherish the time that we had together both on and off the court.”
Megan takes a 19-10 record to the court at 10:30 this morning against senior Risa Mira (22-6), from Madison Memorial High School.
