Tennis partnership born out of friendship

Published 9:17 pm Tuesday, May 25, 2010

This week’s Class 4A state girls tennis championships will bring plenty of smiles and perhaps a few tears for Edmonds-Woodway’s Amanda Waldron and Michelle Nelson.

For Waldron and Nelson, the tournament marks the end of a very successful partnership on the courts. The partnership has produced three Western Conference South Division titles and three 4A District 1 championships, the most recent being last week.

Waldron and Nelson defeated teammates Sophia Roben and Sarah Fine 6-3, 6-1 in the finals May 20 at the Stanwood Sports Club. Both Warrior doubles teams and singles player Jane Hong, who took third, advanced to the state championships, which are May 28-29 at Kamiakin High School and the Tri-City Court Club in Kennewick.

The prospect of their final tournament together is a little bittersweet for Nelson because “this is our last one,” she said. “I’m really proud of how far we’ve come and how hard we’ve worked. … I’m super-excited for state.”

Waldron looks back on her four years on the Edmonds-Woodway tennis team with pride.

“It’s a good feeling,” she said. “Everything couldn’t have really gone better in the past four years. Michelle and I were always very successful. We made it to state three out of four years.”

Waldron and Nelson are looking to have an extended run at state after going two-and-out last season. The two appear to be playing at a high level.

“We’ve just been having a lot of positive energy between us,” Waldron said. “It’s the chemistry between Michelle and I that has been the key to our success.”

The roots of that chemistry go way back.

Waldron and Nelson first met in the first grade when the two started playing basketball together. In the fifth grade, the two decided to start taking tennis lessons together.

Both Waldron and Nelson cracked the Edmonds-Woodway varsity tennis lineup as freshmen. The two played singles during the regular season but always teamed up to play doubles in the postseason.

“We like having the other person there to keep the energy up,” Waldron said. “Doubles is a lot more fun. She’s really great at the net. I prefer to stay back. It’s just a great combination.”

The biggest asset is the friendship between Waldron and Nelson.

“It’s more about chemistry, about the partnership,” Waldron said.

“Our communication is really good,” Nelson added. “That makes us a better doubles team.”

Up until this year, Edmonds-Woodway coach Dan Crist has only known Waldron and Nelson as tennis players. But the two enrolled in his AP statistics class this year and Crist has come away even more impressed with the two.

“They’re both very bright kids,” he said.

Waldron is headed to the University of Santa Clara, where she is planning to study political science. Nelson has been accepted to business school at the University of Washington and also wants to continue her musical studies. She plays the cello.

But this week the focus is on tennis.

“I hope we can give it our all, have no regrets and just do our best,” Nelson said.