By Mark Ambrogi
Carmel High School tennis player Lauren Lemonds typically doesn’t display much emotion.
“She has a lot of emotion, but she doesn’t show it on the court,” CHS coach Spencer Fields said. “It’s a standing joke that she is going to cheer or pump her fist. She doesn’t need to do it, but we’d love to see it. We think it would help her some. She’s a lot more like Chris Evert or Kim Clijsters. She’s trying to get the best out of herself, and she’s not a whiner. She doesn’t complain or celebrate. It’s the next point and go back to work.”
That focus led to Lemonds completing a 33-0 season, cruising past Evansville Memorial’s Makenzie Myers 6-0, 6-2 in the state high school singles championships June 10 at Park Tudor School’s tennis courts. In the morning semifinal, Lemonds topped Fort Wayne Canterbury’s Kyra Foster 6-3, 3-6, 6-0.
“It was really exciting to play and have my teammates come and support me,” Lemonds said.
Lemonds, who will be a senior in August, was playing high school tennis for the first time this season. She helped lead CHS to a state team title June 3.
Her stiffest tests were two three-set victories over Cathedral’s Maeve Koscielski, who won the 2016 state singles championship as a sophomore. In both matches, Lemonds had to win a third-set tiebreaker.
Lemonds was homeschooled from seventh grade through her sophomore year and concentrated on junior tennis tournaments. She said she definitely plans to return to defend her state title.
“I think (the team aspect is a) good preview of what college will be like,” said Lemonds, who committed to Michigan State in September 2016.
Lemonds said she was mainly looking at Big Ten schools.
“I really liked the coaches, the campus and the team,” Lemonds said. “It seemed like a good fit.”
Lemonds lived several years in Louisville before moving to Greenwood. She then lived in Broad Ripple before moving to Carmel in the summer of 2016.
Carmel’s Julia Miller and Grace Marchese, who will be seniors, lost to Center Grove’s Isabella Schoolcraft and Cassidy Hardin, the eventual state champions, in three sets in the doubles semifinals. Miller and Marchese finished 9-1.
