All Coppell senior Carson Kadi could do was smile after seeing all the state tennis tournament paraphernalia in his honor.
Teammates had shirts made supporting Kadi's run for a state title. In addition, a Carson Kadi Beanie Baby was in the crowd during all three of his state matches. The Beanie Baby, a bear holding a tennis racket, wore a shirt with "Carson" and a No. 1 on the back.
"I kind of laughed when I saw that. I didn't know they could make a Beanie Baby like that," Kadi said. "I didn't expect any of what they did. They really made me feel good."
Coppell coach Jane Jackson added, "That's how much he's liked around here."
Kadi didn't disappoint his following, earning a silver medal in the 5A boys singles draw. Kadi, a Samford signee, lost to Laredo United's Bryan Welnetz in the final and finished 40-2 on the season. Kadi advanced further than any Coppell boys tennis player in school history.
Kadi also will leave Coppell as a two-time 5A Region II singles champion.
"He's just a phenomenal young man, along with the fact that he's a great athlete," Jackson said. "He's so confident, but at the same time, he's so humble."
Kadi added, "I wished I could have won, but I had a great year. I think this year, I learned how to succeed and have fun doing it. I'll take that with me to Samford."
COPPELL, SR.
Notable: 5A state finalist
About Kadi: Kadi, who lived in Louisiana his freshman and sophomore years, qualified for state in all four years of high school.
Did you know? The movie The Skeleton Key was filmed at Kadi's grandmother's house, located in the Louisiana bayou.
RECENT WINNERS
| Year | Player | School | | 2003 | Andy Mack | Plano West | | 2004 | Daniel Hwang | Plano | | 2005 | Bernard Lancaster | Jesuit | | 2006 | Eric Olson | Highland Park | | 2007 | Casey Powers | Highland Park | |
Brady Bohrnstedt
ROCKWALL-HEATH, SO.
Notable: 4A state semifinalist
About Bohrnstedt: He beat Texarkana Texas High's Daniel Moser to win the 4A Region II championship and finished with a 29-2 singles record.
Did you know? He is ranked No. 10 in the latest USTA Super Champs 16s poll.
Jake Golman
GREENHILL, SO.
Notable: No. 1 player for SPC champion
About Golman: He has played tennis since he was 8 and was on last year's SPC champion team. Golman was undefeated throughout spring play prior to the SPC Championships.
Did you know? "I can eat a Chipotle burrito in less than five minutes," Golman said.
Aaron Poliak
GREENHILL, FR.
Notable: Helped team win SPC title
About Poliak: The freshman was undefeated in the SPC Championships and helped Greenhill claim its second straight conference title.
Did you know? Poliak said he enjoys going fishing with his friends.
Brandon Underwood
MESQUITE HORN, JR.
Notable: 5A state quarterfinalist
About Underwood: He qualified for state after placing second in the 5A Region II tournament and won his third consecutive district championship in April.
Did you know? Underwood became Horn's first state tennis qualifier.
Price Smith
LOVEJOY, FR.
Notable: 3A state semifinalist
About Smith: The 9-3A champion and 3A Region II runner-up was 20-2 in singles this season. He lost to eventual 3A state champion Nick Lehman of Vernon.
Did you know? He has been an airsoft participant for three years. "Airsoft is like paintball, but it's more military simulation," he said.
| Player | School | Cl. | Notable | | Manik Chhabra | Parish Episcopal | Fr. | Advanced to TAPPS 5A semifinals | | Colton Ream | Ponder | Jr. | First in school history to make state | | Will Stein | Argyle | So. | 3A state qualifier, Region II runner-up | | Taylor Thrash | Frisco Legacy Chr. | Jr. | Was the TAPPS 2A state runner-up | |
Chris Bell, Sr./Sergio Antognelli, Sr.
PLANO WEST
Notable: 5A state champions
About them: They crushed Klein Collins' Ben Chen and Andrew Sumrall, 6-1, 6-2, in the state final. The senior duo won the school's first doubles state title.
Key to their success: "We just stuck through it all and were really confident about everything. We felt like there was no way we were going to lose." – Antognelli
Rob Oberman, Jr./Franklin Davis, Sr.
HIGHLAND PARK
Notable: 4A state finalists
About them: They lost a close state championship match, 7-6 (2), 7-6 (3), to Boerne's Cameron Davis and Grant Gandy. The duo has played in tournaments the last two years.
Key to their success: "We've played together for a while, so we know each other well. We know what each other is going to do." – Oberman
| Players | School | Notable | | Ian Lucio, Jr./Cameron Malone, Jr. | Dallas Chr. | Unseeded duo won TAPPS 5A title | | Morgan Lineberry, Jr./Zac Zwerner, Fr. | Lakehill | Led team to 3A state title | |
Casey Johnson spent a week this month playing tennis in Italy, then came back to Texas to attend her school prom, attend a photo shoot and squeeze in quality time with friends and family.
Not once did she complain about her hectic schedule.
"You see some players where all they do is play tennis," Johnson said. "I just like living a normal life and doing normal things."
Part of that lifestyle includes dominating on the tennis court. Johnson, a sophomore, hasn't lost a set in TAPPS 5A play the last two years. She cruised to a 6-1, 6-0 victory over Houston Lutheran South's Denissia Gonzalez in the state final.
And after winning a state title, Johnson traveled to Rome and competed with the T Bar M Racquet Club Tennis Academy at the inaugural Prince World Cup Finals, an international event during the Italian Open. Johnson won all five of her singles matches and went 4-1 in doubles play.
"For us, it's huge to have a two-time state champion and an international star," Shelton coach Bill Lau said.
Johnson said her goal is to finish high school with four state championships. She said it would be a bonus if she can go all four years without losing a set.
"It'll be hard because the competition's getting better," she said, "but I don't think there will be pressure. I'm used to the pressure from playing in other tournaments."
SHELTON, SO.
Notable: TAPPS 5A state champion
About Johnson: Johnson, 16, a Plano resident, lost only seven games in four state-tournament matches while winning the TAPPS 5A title.
Did you know? Johnson played select soccer before deciding to focus on tennis full time.
RECENT WINNERS
| Year | Player | School | | 2003 | Jessica Leitch | Highland Park | | 2004 | Stephanie Wooten | Crandall | | 2005 | Pavi Francis | FM Marcus | | 2006 | Pavi Francis | FM Marcus | | 2007 | Kristen Rafael | FW Nolan | |
Megan Horter
SOUTHLAKE CARROLL, FR.
Notable: 5A state quarterfinalist
About Horter: The 5A Region I singles champion didn't drop a set until the state tournament.
Did you know? Horter has a twin sister, Elizabeth. "She's older by two minutes, and she plays volleyball," Horter said.
Aarthi Kasilingam
IRVING NORTH HILLS, SO.
Notable: 2A state finalist
About Kasilingam: Kasilingam (pronounced KASS-uh-ling- am) earned her second state tournament appearance after picking up tennis 3 ½ years ago.
Did you know? A finger injury made Kasilingam, a Farmers Branch resident, give up her first love – basketball.
Emily Mathis
FLOWER MOUND MARCUS, JR.
Notable: 5A state quarterfinalist
About Mathis: The 6-5A champion placed second at the 5A Region II tournament. Mathis lost to the eventual state champion.
Did you know? Mathis said she has watched every episode of Hannah Montana.
Christine Molina
URSULINE, JR.
Notable: TAPPS 6A state champion
About Molina: Molina finished undefeated in singles and cruised to a 6-1, 6-2 state final win against Fort Worth Nolan's Marcelli Magday, helping Ursuline finish fourth in the team standings.
Did you know? Molina won a TAPPS 6A doubles title with Mia Lancaster last year.
Nicole Long
FRISCO LIBERTY, FR.
Notable: 3A state champion
About Long: She rallied to defeat Abilene Wylie's Brooke Dennis, 3-6, 6-0, 6-1, in the state final. Long is Liberty's first tennis state champion.
Did you know? Long beat two former state champions, Dennis and Cameron Yoe's Brittni Fausett, in her championship run.
| Player | School | Cl. | Notable | | Shelci Bowman | Greenhill | So. | Helped team win SPC title | | Brittany Harness | Gar. Christian | So. | Advanced to TAPPS 4A semifinals | | Marcelli Magday | FW Nolan | Fr. | TAPPS 6A state finalist | | Anastasia Zavgorodni | Rich. Pearce | Sr. | 4A Region II champion | |
Natalie Leitch, Sr. / Abby Stainback, So.
HIGHLAND PARK
Notable: 4A state champions
About them: They beat New Braunfels' Alexandra Adams and Samantha Adams, 6-4, 7-5, in the final. Texas Tech-bound Leitch won a state doubles title in 2006, and Stainback won doubles in 2007.
Key to their success: "We practiced a lot before going into [the state tournament], and we prepared well. I guess it was all preparation and confidence." – Leitch
Kellye McDade, Jr. / Kally Alkire, Jr.
HIGHLAND PARK
Notable: 4A state semifinalists
About them: They finished as the 4A Region II runners-up. The duo disposed of 2007 state finalists Abbie Lewis and Mirand D'Acosta of Wichita Falls in a dramatic first-round match.
Key to their success: "We just pulled together and gave everything we had." – Alkire
| Players | School | Notable | | Margaret Edwards, Sr./Kelly Rathbun, Jr. | Parish Episcopal | TAPPS 5A runner-up | | Stephanie Hunter, Sr./Laura Jacobi, Fr. | FW Nolan | TAPPS 6A semifinalists | |
Jonny Kelley, Jr. / Hannah Kelley, Jr.
RICHARDSON PEARCE
Notable: 4A state semifinalists
About them: The Kelley twins (Jonny is older by five minutes) have played mixed doubles since they were freshmen. They lost to eventual champions Matthew Dooley and Ashley Turpin of New Braunfels.
Key to their success: "We really worked well together. It was hard at the beginning of the season, but it got easier." – Hannah Kelley
Taylor Schreimann, Sr. / Ryan Collins, Jr.
HIGHLAND PARK
Notable: 4A state semifinalists
About them: Collins and Schreimann, longtime friends, excelled in their stint as mixed doubles teammates. Schreimann will attend Auburn in the fall.
Key to their success: We've known each other for so long that we understand each other. We really communicated well." – Collins
| Players | School | Notable | | Eric Katzen, Sr./Mary Bowman, Jr. | Argyle | Finished as 3A state finalists | | Alex Hanno, Sr./Haley Holt, Jr. | Grapevine | Made it to 5A state quarterfinals | |
Steve Schkade
FRISCO WAKELAND
Notable: Led two boys doubles teams to the 3A state tournament
About Schkade: He guided Wakeland to three District 9-3A titles and six Region II tournament berths in only the school's second year of existence. Schkade's freshman boys doubles team of Jordan Reed and Aaron Chaffee were 3A state semifinalists.
Did you know? Schkade was a quarterback for the Farmersville football team from 1976 to 1979. He started as a senior.
RECENT WINNERS
| Year | Player | School | | 2003 | Dan Holden | Highland Park | | 2004 | Dan Holden | Highland Park | | 2005 | Dan Holden | Highland Park | | 2006 | Dan Holden | Highland Park | | 2007 | Dan Holden | Highland Park | |
