OUTSTANDING PLAYER: GIRLS TENNIS............

WHY SHE WON:

In her first season in high school tennis as a freshman, Bentonville High School’s Brooke Killingsworth played as if she were a senior and beyond, putting up a 21-0 overall record this season on her way to the 7A and overall state titles. Brooke focused on tennis at the young age of 6. She didn’t originally get drawn into the sport because of the adoration of geometric angles and the complex strategy that comes with the game. She became interested in the sport, she said, “because at 6 years old, tennis dresses are just about as cool as you can get.” She soon learned how much fun the sport is and how good she could become at it. She said her team, her friends, her family and her faith in God have all helped her get to where she is today. “I have the best supporters in the world. My family has given up a lot to give me the chance to play tournaments and to train,” she said. “They push me and encourage me to reach for the sky. I would not be half the player I am today if I didn’t have people to catch me when I fall and to help me back up again.” Bentonville High School head tennis coach Nick Nersesian said that Brooke being named the 2017 All-Arkansas Preps Player of the Year in Girls Tennis is a testament to her commitment to the sport. “Seldom do modern high school students live up to the ideal that hard work will bring success, as former generations did, but Brooke is an exception to that rule,” Nersesian said. “I once read that dreams are only dreams until you wake up and make them real. Brooke is awake and working on her dreams.” Brooke said her dream is to play tennis at the University of Georgia, her mother’s alma mater in Brooke’s home state. Brooke is currently ranked as the No. 1 girls tennis player in the state, 13th in the Gulf states and 146th nationally on the Babolat Recruiting List. As talented as Brooke is at tennis, she also showcases humility and teamwork at Bentonville High School. “This season was incredible. Our team bonded so closely, and we had some amazingly talented girls,” she said. “The ability to go so far into the postseason with so much of our team was just exhilarating. It was a fun experience that I know the entire team will cherish forever.” With three more years of high school tennis ahead of her, it will be interesting for others to see where the future takes her.