Smolder and Limanen Earn Gamer of the Week Honors
Teays Physical Therapy Center, Inc. and The Putnam Herald are pleased to present this week’s Female Gamer of the Week to Lexi Smolder and Katy Limanen of the Hurricane high school tennis team.
The Hurricane girl’s tennis team is led by No. 1 Lexi Smolder and No. 2 Katy Limanen. They have been sweeping the competition this season. Lexi’s singles record is 6-1 and Katy’s singles record is 7-0. Their doubles record is 7-0. Most recently they defeated Huntington High which won the state championship last year and George Washington which finished fourth last season. This was a huge accomplishment for the pair. They have been playing together since they were in sixth grade. It is their goal this season to win the No.1 doubles state title again this season.
They attribute their success to their good chemistry, and they know how to push each other through the bad days. They are both grateful for all their coaches’ Kendra White and Laurie Mercer, their family, and the tennis community for being so supportive. “They encourage one another and are much more comfortable with the fast-paced environment of the doubles game,” said coach Kendra White, “They both have amazing strokes but also possess a great ability to adapt to all the different situations we are exposed to throughout the season. Being their coach has been very rewarding. They work hard, lead others, and best of all have fun doing what they love.”
Lexi will be going to play tennis next year at Radford University and plans to study to become a dentist. Outside of tennis, Lexi is a member of the National Honor Society and Link Crew. Katy will be going to play tennis next year at Marshall University and plans to study to become a pediatric dentist. When not playing tennis, Katy is a member of the school’s swim team, National Honor Society, Link Crew, Leo club, Yearbook club, and Backpack Buddies.
Please look for other local high school athletes to be named next week’s female Gamer of the Week Sponsored by Teays Physical Therapy Center, Inc. and The Putnam Herald.