Roster:
Dan Gunderson – Second-year pharmacy
Jaden Wirrenga – Junior
Joe Janes – Freshman
Sam Mastel – Sophomore
Trevor Kleineschay – Junior
Erica Hanson – Freshman
Kristen Hanson – Freshman
Paige Adams – Sophomore
Morgan Grinsteiner – Freshman
Teams defeated this season: Gustavus Adolphus College, University of Wisconsin-Superior, University of Wisconsin-River Falls, University of North Dakota, Valley City State University, University of Minnesota-Duluth, Winona State University.
Q: How did you first hear about the Tennis on Campus program? What made you decide to actively take part and also become a leader on your campus? How do you feel about TOC and being a captain?
I first heard about the Tennis on Campus program a few years ago while I was still in High School. While looking at options for continuing my tennis career in college, I wasn’t sure how dedicated I wanted to be. Tennis on Campus turned out to be the perfect fit because it’s a club program that also provides opportunities for intense competition.
I really enjoyed my experience with the club during my first couple years at NDSU. I decided to actively take part in the organization because I wanted incoming students to receive the same positive and welcoming experience that I had. Overall, Tennis on Campus is a fantastic program. I am incredibly excited to be a captain, and must give credit to Dan Gunderson, the team’s treasurer who has also established himself as a leader of the team.
Q: How did you enjoy your National Championships experience last year?
Unfortunately, we did not make it to the National Championships last year, but I can say that we very much did not enjoy not experiencing it.
Q: What does it mean to be back? Was it a more difficult road to return to Nationals?
For just about our whole team, this is our first Nationals experience. The road to Nationals was definitely not easy. The Northern sectionals tournament is always competitive, with some very good teams. It’s a good feeling being able to say that we are one of teams representing the Northern Section at Nationals.
Q: In what ways has your team improved this year?
This year our team seems to be more committed to playing overall. We have had a very consistent turnout at practices throughout the year, and everyone’s hard work is showing.
Q: What do you tell new players about Nationals, or players that are traveling for the first time to compete for your school?
Although I’ve never been to nationals, I would say to approach Nationals with a sense of purpose. Of course, we should acknowledge the fact that we even have the opportunity to attend Nationals and that it’ll be an amazing experience. At the same time, it’s important to go in with a mindset of achieving a goal, something that we can strive for, whether it be anything from winning half our matches to winning the whole thing.
Q: Who was your toughest opponent at past Nationals and how did they challenge you to become better?
Even at sectionals we’ve had some extremely tough matches; the University of Minnesota and Carleton teams are incredibly talented. These matches help motivate us as a team because they expose our weaknesses thus letting us know what we need to work on.
Q: Does your team actively use social media to stay connected? If so, what social media platforms are your favorites? Does your team use social media in any special way that you feel sets you apart from other teams?
We use Facebook regularly to communicate with and give updates to the team. We also have a twitter account that is relatively inactive right now but we are trying to rekindle it.
Q: Do you have many seniors on your team? Do you think they know about opportunities after graduation like “Sets in the City” or young adult social leagues? Do you think anyone on your team would be interested in starting one?
We don’t have any seniors on our Nationals team, but there are a couple seniors on our club team, I don’t believe they know about these opportunities, but I’m sure they would be interested in learning more about them.
Share with us some of the ways you help out in the local and global communities in the name of tennis.
Every year we have volunteers act as court monitors at the West Fargo Invite, a high school tennis tournament that features teams from all over North Dakota.
Share with us a funny story about the 2015 team or team member(s).
Sam Mastel has set a record this year for getting hit by the most tennis balls (both accidental and intentional) by his teammates.
If a local newspaper was to write a story about your team what is the one thing you’d want to make sure they included?
I’d want them to acknowledge the amount of hard work that our team puts in while still having the capability to have fun and not take it too seriously. I also would want them to include the friendships and bonds that are created through club tennis. We are a very tight-knit group, and there always people making connections and becoming good friends from practices, which is truly one of our main goals as an organization.
