Their roads to Iowa State

Three members of the ISU women’s tennis team will complete their four years of eligibility at the end of the spring season.

Kristin Gyaki, Courtney Leese and Tara Goedjen have been on the Cyclone tennis team since their freshman years.

The women had different reasons for wanting to come to Iowa State.

Gyaki was recruited from National Sports School in Calgary, Canada.

“I decided to come to Iowa State because of the great athletic department and the great support that all the teams receive from the athletic department,” Gyaki said.

Leese’s older sister inspired her to attend Iowa State and play tennis.

“I knew about the school and about the program and the great experience she had,” Leese said.

“I knew it would be a lot of fun based on my sister’s experience and all the exciting things they got to do.”

Leese said she loved Iowa State, the girls on the team and the coach.

“I was recruited early on and hadn’t taken any other recruiting trips,” she said. “After coming to Iowa State, I knew that that’s where I wanted to be, so I didn’t have to keep looking anywhere else.”

Goedjen knew she wanted to play Division I tennis and get a scholarship to a school that had good academics.

“I had a great time on my recruiting trip,” she said. “The team was really friendly and the environment was something that I wanted to be a part of.”

Wouldn’t change a thing

Goedjen said that for the most part, her experience at Iowa State has met her expectations.

“I was definitely used to practicing a lot,” she said.

“I started playing competitively kind of late, my junior year in high school, and when I came to college I wanted to make sure that I was pushed.”

Gyaki said her expectations for being a part of the team were to improve her tennis game and have tough competition year-round.

“I think both of those things happened,” she said. “I also had a great time and learned a lot.”

Leese said her best memory was when the team beat Colorado two years ago in a huge upset.

“It was a really close match. The match was tied 3-3 and I was the last one on the court and ended up winning,” Leese said. “That was such an exciting time for the team. It was a success for the program to have an upset like that.”

“I think going to Hawaii for spring break would probably top the charts,” Gyaki said. “It was a really great time. We played well down there and the weather was awesome.”

Being a part of a team allows an athlete to learn a lot about how to get along with people and how to adapt to situations, Leese said.

“I’ve learned a lot from my teammates,” Gyaki said.

“Being with people when they are competitive, angry, upset or fired up teaches you how to deal with those different emotions and how each person handles those emotions.”

Leese and Gyaki said these skills have carried over into their lives.

“Even if you’re tired, you need to keep on pushing,” Goedjen said. “Knowing when to keep on working at something is something you can take with you in all aspects of life.”

At the tennis team’s annual banquet last Saturday, Goedjen, Gyaki and Leese were recognized for their four years of dedication to the tennis program. Goedjen was named the hardest worker by her teammates for the fourth straight year.

Leese and Gyaki received the Cyclone Spirit Award for the second year in a row for their team spirit, and Leese was honored for having the best attitude on and off the court.

“Tennis has allowed me to be competitive,” Gyaki said. “I’ve done a lot of traveling to a lot of places and have been able to get a lot out of the university.”

Gyaki and Leese said they wouldn’t change a thing about their collegiate tennis careers.

“It would have been nice to win more, but I don’t think I have any regrets because I’ve always tried to put in more than 100 percent in all of our matches and practices,” Leese said. “I’ve had a lot of great memories.”

The three women will continue as ISU students next year and plan to travel together to Australia for the spring semester on a study abroad program.

Through competing together for four years and sharing many experiences, Goedjen, Leese and Gyaki have become close friends.

“I think right from the beginning we got along really well,” Leese said. “We’ve been living together nonstop for four years.”

Goedjen said when people talk about the three athletes, they usually refer to them in a group.

“It’s been phenomenal,” she said. “We clicked right away. These are definitely friendships that we will have for the rest of our lives.”