Elen R. & Maddie H. Earn Tennis Sportsmanship Award

12/16/2022

Jamie Lavigueur

SFHS tennis players and #1 Doubles Elen R. and Maddie H. had a fantastic senior year season. They made it to the IHSA State Tournament and were named the All-State Team for the third time by the Illinois High School Tennis Coaches Association (IHSTCA), outstanding accomplishments on their own. This winter, the celebrations continued as they were named finalists for the Tom Pitchford Memorial Award for Sportsmanship for their demonstration of character, integrity, and sportsmanship during both the IHSA State and Sectional tournaments and regular season.

SFHS tennis players and #1 Doubles Elen R. and Maddie H. had a fantastic senior year season. They made it to the IHSA State Tournament and were named the All-State Team for the third time by the Illinois High School Tennis Coaches Association (IHSTCA), outstanding accomplishments on their own. This winter, the celebrations continued as they were named finalists for the Tom Pitchford Memorial Award for Sportsmanship for their demonstration of character, integrity, and sportsmanship during both the IHSA State and Sectional tournaments and regular season.

Coach Tom Castronovo wrote in his nomination letter, “I am always impressed by the character these two possess both on and off court.” He cited the following as examples:

They have never been penalized.
They routinely applaud a great shot by the opposing team.
They always give the benefit of the doubt to the opponents on line calls.
They frequently make friends at the net with the opponents and comment after the match how nice their opponents were.
They have a very even and humble demeanor even in the heat of the matches. You'll often see them smiling even in the face of a loss, as they truly enjoy the privilege of competing and representing their school.
They are superlative students and well-liked by their teammates.
They see the positive in almost everything. The glass is always half full. They are great role models, a joy to coach, and fun to be around.

Congratulations, Elen and Maddie - we are Spartan Proud of you!