Minnetonka tennis hopes to make it official this year

Minnetonka was, hands down, the best girls' tennis team in the state last year, finishing undefeated and winning nearly every match without allowing a team point. COVID precautions cancelled the state tournament, but the overwhelming feeling in tennis circles was that Minnetonka, which had finished as runner-up in Class 2A in 2018 and 2019, was the unofficial state champion.

Many of the Skippers' top players are back, so an official state title is likely this season. Just a matter of continuity, right? Stay the course, let the talented Skippers do their thing and another successful season is in the bag?

Not by a long shot.

The unexpected death of longtime head coach Dave Stearns in December set the Skippers on their heels. Their response? Work harder, do more.

Minnetonka hired longtime tennis professional (and successful local businessman) Brent Lundell to take over. Lundell has brought a sense of urgency to the program and has cranked the energy level in practice up to 11.

"We miss Dave a lot. He was a great coach, and we all liked him," said senior captain Annika Elvestrom, who plays No. 2 singles for the Skippers. "This is a very different coaching style. It's a little bit more modern. Brent is a Lifetime [Fitness] pro. He has a little bit more energy to his drills and it's a little bit more intense. Kind of like how tennis is now. Dave was a little more old-school in his teaching."

Elvestrom said he believes that uptick in intensity is just what the Skippers need, reasoning that such a talented team can only benefit from being pushed.

"We're a very deep team. We need high-level drills and it's going to make us better and better," she said.

That's exactly what Lundell is hoping.

"We come out here every day with an agenda, very purposeful in what we're trying to do," he said. "Last year was great. However it doesn't help them out a whole lot this year. So the approach with everyone out here is that we're going after that state title this year and we're going to compete every day in practice like it was the state championship."

Junior Sarah Shahbaz plays No. 1 singles and is the highest-ranked player in the USTA national rankings in the Skippers' lineup. She's pleased with the increased pace of the practices, "which I like a lot. It's what I'm used to."

Not having an actual state tournament last year, and thus no opportunity to take home championship hardware, is never far from the Skippers' thoughts. They know how good they have been recently, but there's scant little to show for it. Finally winning a state title would be a validation of three years of excellence.

"It's really pretty important," Shahbaz said, nodding her head. "There's going to be pressure, but we're all really excited and want it really badly."

If the motivation ever lags, Lundell has a secret weapon that demands attention: smoked turkey legs.

He brought big trays of turkey legs to practice twice during the first week. He awards them to players who have had a successful practice, and by all accounts, they've been an unexpected hit.

"It took me two days to finish it," Shahbaz said, laughing.

New large-school champ ensured

The most recent Class 2A singles state champion was Eastview's Karin Young, who won the 2019 title as a sophomore. Young, considered the top player in the USTA's Northern Region, which encompasses Minnesota, the Dakotas and part of Wisconsin, will not seek another title this season. She's not playing high school tennis, focusing instead on preparing for her upcoming collegiate career at the University of Oregon.

Shabaz, who teamed with Elvestrom to win the 2019 doubles championships, and Maple Grove senior Zoe Adkins are the state championship favorites in Young's absence.