HINSDALE SENIOR WINS DOUBLES TITLE
Kendall Schrader of Hinsdale, a senior at Benet Academy in Lisle, and her partner, Kaitlyn Lee, captured the state 1A doubles tennis title Oct. 26 in Buffalo Grove.
The two beat Isabella Kellemeier and Emilee Pak of the University of Chicago Lab School 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 to win the championship.
Schrader said she had set the goal of winning a state championship when she started playing tennis in high school.
“It was super exciting, especially being a senior,” Schrader said. “It was a great way to end my high school tennis career. It was great to have all the work Kaitlyn and I did have a tangible result.
The pair were undefeated at the state tournament, dispatching teams from Casey-Westfield, Geneseo, Johnsburg, Ottawa and Normal University high schools.
Playing through the match points as they closed in on the championship was mentally challenging, Schrader said. She and her partner worked to calm down, drown out the crowds and focus on one another.
“The last thing I said was, ‘Katilyn, it’s just me and you right here. We got it.’ Then we won. It was a super awesome memory to share that moment with Kaitlyn,” Schrader said.
The pair earned 14 points toward the team’s 31 to help Benet finish in second place behind the University of Chicago Lab School with 33 points.
Coach Michael Hand complimented the duo on the win and said the victory was a fitting conclusion to Schrader’s high school tennis career, especially given her efforts to come back from an injury.
“The championship was a great end to a wonderful season for Kendall and Kaitlyn,” he said. “It also shows what hard work and determination can do.”
A photo appears online at https://www.facebook.com/thehinsdalean.
OWENS RECEIVES GOLF SCHOLARSHIP
Hinsdale’s Grace Owens has been named the recipient of the 2019 Alice Meyer Brown Scholarship by the Illinois PGA Foundation.
Owens, a four-year member of the Hinsdale Central varsity girls’ golf team, is currently a freshman at Washington and Lee University and member of the women’s golf program. Other distinctions include serving on the junior board of the Freedom Golf Association, membership in Business Professionals of America and the National Honors Society, and being a four-time recipient of the Young Scholar Award.
“Getting involved in golf turned out to be the best thing that has ever happened to me. Golf taught me that if you are passionate about something, you can overcome obstacles and move out of your comfort zone,” Owens said upon receiving the honor.
The Alice Meyer Brown Scholarship is awarded to graduating Illinois high school women who have demonstrated commitment to excellence in the classroom, in the community and on the golf course.
