Auburn senior eliminated at IHSA state, but she leaves a legacy of tennis success
Auburn senior Amy Park accomplished her goal of reaching Day 2 at state but didn’t end her high school career quite how she wanted to.
After going 3-1 in four matches Thursday, she lost her first match Friday, losing 6-2, 6-2 to Katrine Bolanov of Lake Zurich, who also won her last two matches Friday to advance to the consolation semifinals of the Class 2A Illinois High School Association finals in suburban Chicago.
“I was disappointed that I lost,” Park said. “I just wasn’t moving well out there. I was tired from yesterday. The second day is always rough for me because I don’t have that much stamina. I have to work on that. I wasn’t moving my feet and was framing balls left and right. I wasn’t on my A game today.”
Day 1Auburn senior the only Rockford-area girls tennis player to reach Day 2 at IHSA state
“Four matches in one day: It takes its toll,” Auburn coach Tracy Palmer said. “They never do that at any other time, but they have to get the matches in. It sure does take a lot out of them. The most they have during the season is three in a day and a couple of those are easy. These are all state qualifiers, so nothing is easy.”
Park, the only local girls tennis player to reach Day 2 at state each of the last two years, did not join Nevenhoven and Boylan’s Ana Hatfield (fifth in Class 1A in 2016) as the only local girls state medalists in the last 25 years. But she leaves as a four-time sectional champion (two in singles, two in doubles) who helped Auburn win four consecutive sectional titles as a team, plus two team NIC-10 titles and two very close runner-up finishes.
“The work I put in paid off,” Park said. “I am still a little disappointed about my performance at state, and some of the invites over the year, but overall I am satisfied with how I've done.”
Park is the last of six great siblings who have a slew of conference and sectional tennis titles for Auburn. Her brother, Chris, won the NIC-10 No. 1 singles title last spring. Before them, Belen and Quinten Nevenhoven and Tytus and Brandon Metzler were all NIC-10 champions for Auburn within the last decade.
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“Amy’s a special player,” Palmer said. “I’ve had a few of them. And just just a special player, but a leader, too. You can’t replace someone like that.
“You expect other kids to step up and try to cheer them on to be the best they can. Two like that are pretty special. You don’t replace them. You just enjoy them while they are there and help them do everything they can and hope they enjoy playing.”
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Amy Park bows out at state, leaves a tennis legacy at Auburn
