Web posted
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Hornet Buzz
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Photo by Alex Gambill
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Ark City tennis duo to continue careers at Division-I Emporia State
By JOEY SPRINKLE
Traveler Sports Editor
sports@arkcity.net
Arkansas City High School seniors Megan Myers and Siera Lungren have been playing tennis together for so long, they may as well be attached at the hip.
It might still seem that way.
The longtime friends and doubles partners will continue their careers together after signing national letters of intent to play tennis for head coach John Cayton at Emporia State University.
"We go there for tennis camp every year. I just got to know the area, the school and the campus, and the people that worked there," Myers said. "I liked it a lot. They were close to home and in our price range."
Both girls will receive progressive athletic and academic scholarships.
"We want to stay doubles partners and keep working on our careers together," Myers said.
Lungren likes the idea of being close to home.
"I'm really, really close to my family. Leaving all of them is going to be, definitely, the hardest part," Lungren said. "I'll probably be home every weekend for at least a couple of months."
She said having her friend along will make things easier.
"We've been partners for five years and friends for longer than that," Lungren said. "Having someone else there to know that I'm not going to be all by myself is going to be helpful."
Myers and Lungren took a 23-8 record into the KSHSAA Class 5A State Tennis Championships, where they finished 11th.
Emporia State is a Division II university. The Hornets compete in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA), which includes Kansas schools Washburn University, Pittsburg State, Fort Hays State.
"It will be nice for them to stick together through middle school, high school and now college, whether or not they remain doubles partners or just roommates and teammates," Ark City coach Aaron McDonnell said.
Along with Myers and Lungren competing at the D-II level, ACHS standout Kali Krisik competes for D-I Notre Dame.
"It speaks well (of the program at ACHS)," O'Donnell said. "They put the time in. The younger girls seem to take to the tennis camps they've gone to and some of the tournaments that they've played. It shows that they put in the time and the effort."
Above: Arkansas City High School seniors Siera Lungren, left, and Megan Myers sign national letters of intent to play tennis at Emporia State University on Monday in the ACHS Library. Lungren is flanked by her parents, Christi and Steve Lungren, along with, top left to right, ACHS tennis coach Aaron O'Donnell, little sister Sadie Lungren, and private coach Jan Krisik. Myers is flanked by parents Kevin and Sandy Myers.
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