Minot North seniors Addy Clark (left) and Kate Weishaar exchange smiles as they switch ends of the court after winning one of their games at No. 1 doubles against Bismarck High’s Kendra Haider and Brekley Schettler during Senior Day at Hammond Park on Tuesday, May 12. Mike Kraft/MDN

The Minot North girls tennis team has observed its fair share of Senior Days as the road team during its three years as a varsity program, but had yet to conduct one itself with a lack of seniors on the roster.

On Tuesday, May 12, the Sentinels finally got the chance, honoring its first senior class, which has been with the program since its inception. Addy Clark, Kate Weishaar, Emersyn Kopp and Abby Maerk had the spotlight on them in their final regular season home match of their careers at Hammond Park.

“It’s definitely a first for us,” Minot North coach Gwen Erickson said. “It comes with a lot of emotions when I look back at it, I think about how it feels like it was just yesterday when we started the program. Our program doesn’t know anything without this group of seniors. Not just me, but the team built this program to where it is today.”

The Sentinels sent the seniors out on top on their special day, defeating Bismarck High, 6-3, to guarantee their first overall winning record in program history. Minot North won four of six singles matches and two of three doubles matches. Clark was the lone senior to win both her singles and doubles matches. She defeated Kendra Haider in No. 1 singles, 1-6, 7-5, 6-4. Her and Weishaar knocked off Haider and Berkley Schettler at No. 1 doubles, 6-2, 7-6 (10).

The senior class has experienced it all, from practicing the basic fundamentals of the sport, to competing at the varsity level for the first time, to qualifying its first athlete for the state tournament and presently rewriting the program’s record books with its most successful season to date.

“Freshman year when Coach Gwen told us we were going to split, it was a very chaotic day,” Kopp said. “We were all very concerned and definitely doubted ourselves playing on the varsity level. And the first year was a rough experience, but now we’re ready for the competition and we compete against teams and proven our own over these four years.”

The Sentinels (7-5, overall, 4-4 WDA) inevitably went through their fair share of growing pains in the first two years as they familiarized themselves with the competition at the varsity level. After playing a JV schedule when the senior class were freshmen, the Sentinels finished 2-12 overall and 1-8 in the WDA in their inaugural varsity season. Minot North won its first match in program history on April 23, 2024, against Jamestown in a non-conference match and claimed its first WDA win over the same Blue Jays team on May 13, 2024. The season ended in a WDA play-in match to Bismarck High.

Minot North finished with the same win total both overall and in conference play last year when the senior class were juniors. The Sentinels again bested Jamestown during the regular season and beat the Blue Jays in a WDA play-in match to advance to their first WDA Tournament. Clark won the team’s only WDA Tournament match to date, defeating Bismarck Legacy’s Caylin Kraft, 7-6 (3), 4-6, 10-6, at No. 1 singles. Clark also became the first member of the program to qualify for the state individual tournament after placing sixth at the WDA Tournament last year.

The Sentinels took a giant leap forward in Year 3 thanks in large part to their four seniors. They set a new program record for both overall wins in a season and conference wins in a season. They posted their first victory over Williston, St. Mary’s and now Bismarck High, and bested teams from the East Region in West Fargo Horace and Fargo South.

“I think back to our first day and we’re teaching them every basic of tennis – all the different types of shots and serves,” Erickson said. “Just seeing the confidence they’ve gained over the years is really rewarding to see and shows all the hard work they’ve put in, not just this season, but the offseason and all the hours they put in.”

The four seniors have nine combined singles victories this season and nine doubles wins.

“It has been so special,” Erickson said. “They all bring something to the table. Addy has an extreme work ethic. Kate is definitely the one that will keep us laughing and hardworking as well. They all are. Emersyn is so well-minded for her age. She is always positive, working hard and has a lot of determination and grit. Abby has really put in a lot of work this past year as well and she is another one that keeps us smiling and I have really loved getting to know all four of them over the years. It’s been really special.”

While the wins are nice, they are simply an added bonus, as the real fun for the senior class has been the journey together.

“I feel like it’s just been really fun,” Weishaar said. “Our coaches have been a big help. They have been supportive throughout all our years of tennis. We all started very new and we’ve put in a lot of work. That’s the best part is just being the same girls throughout the whole journey.”

Said Kopp: “My favorite part about being on this team is how much fun we have together. Obviously, tennis is the first priority, but our coaches really respect us and they allow us to enjoy coming to practice and tournaments. We just really have fun together.”

Even in defeat, the signs of growth are present. Over the first two seasons, the Sentinels were swept in 13 matches. This season, that has happened only once, as they have managed to win at least one individual or double match in 11 of 12 contests.

“We’ve gotten way closer in our matches even from last year, even a lot of matches we could have won,” Weishaar said. “That’s been rewarding to see our hard work pay off. Seeing the scores, our numbers go up every time we’ve played a team.”

It was the underclassmen that helped guide the Sentinels to the win on Senior Day. Sophomores Braxtyn Bennett and Alyviah Kopp, and freshman Julia Stoner won their respective singles matches. Bennett topped Alexandra Koch, 6-4, 6-4. Alyviah Kopp defeated Mataya Thompson, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, and Stoner bested Maya Haider, 6-3, 6-2. Stoner and Bennett delivered a victory at No. 2 doubles, defeating Sophia Koch and Maya Haider, 7-5, 6-3.

Minot North closes out the regular season at Bismarck Century on Thursday, May 14, with a 4:15 p.m. match.