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FHSU freshmen duo natural leaders on, off court
4/27/2009
By CONOR NICHOLL
cnicholl@dailynews.net
Freshmen Kelsey Bigando and Amanda Henkel didn't meet in person until tennis practice started with the Fort Hays State University squad last fall. The two Nebraska natives, though, quickly became close and multiple people thought they had known each other for years. The duo has similar sayings, TV shows and interests.
"We feel like we should have been best friends a long time ago," Bigando said with a laugh.
"There are so many similar things about us that it's like we are twins," Henkel added.
The two even picked up tennis in the same season -- freshman year of high school -- and held the same role for a young and surprising Tiger tennis team that completed its season Saturday at the postseason MIAA conference tournament.
"They hit it off right away," Flax said. "I don't know if it was that Nebraska connection, but just always saw them together, even before school, they are both just so outgoing and easy to become friends with each other and everybody else. They have just been close all year long."
Henkel and Bigando were named the captains for a close-knit Fort Hays ateam nd helped the Tigers go 8-12 overall record, 2-6 in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, Fort Hays' best conference mark since the Tigers switched leagues three seasons ago. Head coach Brian Flax calls the duo "natural leaders" and didn't even have the team vote on captains at the start of the season. Flax bounces suggestions off Bigando and Henkel and even talks about off-the-court situations with the women.
Bigando, the No. 2 singles player, finished with a 6-13 singles record, while Henkel went 6-15 at No. 3. They tied with the second-most singles victories for Fort Hays. In doubles, the two often combined to play No. 2 and finished 2-13, 1-4 in the conference for a team with six freshman and a sophomore. Flax called the season "outstanding."
Flax first saw Bigando, an Omaha, Neb. native, on tape and invited her for a visit. "The first thing that stood out to me was her maturity," Flax said. "I was like, this girl cannot be 18 years old. She is so mature and obviously her game, I was definitely after her to get her to come here."
Flax saw Henkel, a Scottsbluff native, play as a junior and went to the Nebraska state tournament in Lincoln on a hot day. Henkel played the No. 5 seed in the round of 16 and won a close third set, Then she had about 45 minutes off, came back and beat the No. 4 seed in the third set.
"Seeing how hard she played and the determination," Flax said. "She never quit. It would have been easy to quit on that day, as hot as it was. After that, I thought I have to have these two kids."
The two were matched up in doubles from the start of the season. Bigando called the connection "weird" and "some of the things she likes, I like." When asked if the pair lives in the residence halls together, Henkel laughed and said, "we wish."
The friends are big Grey's Anatomy and Desperate Housewives fans. Every Sunday, they get Chinese food and watch Desperate Housewives.
"It's been a blast to play together," Bigando said.
The pair, who didn't know anyone before they started to click during a preseason team building activity on the Fort Hays climbing wall.
"People were like, 'How did you guys just meet?" Bigando added.
Flax asked the pair if they would like to be captains and the players agreed. They helped the Tigers earn key wins against Colorado State-Pueblo, Colorado Christian, Hastings (Neb.) College, Missouri Western State University and Missouri Southern State University.
"We are kind of a voice for the girls," Bigando said. "If they want something, if we want to change something, they can come to us and we can communicate that to coach."
Bigando won a critical match versus Hastings 5-7, 7-6, 10-8, while Henkel earned a 6-7, 7-5, 7-5 victory against Southern. The two have also made trips to Nebraska and formed a friendship that's built a successful season for Fort Hays tennis.
"A lot of people thought that we had been friends forever because we connected so well," Henkel said. "We were like attached at the hip."
| Scoreboard | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sport | Date | Opponent | Score |
| TS | 04/06 | Emporia State | L 8-1 |
| SB | 03/30 | Panhandle State | W 10-2 (5 inn.) |
| SB | 03/30 | Panhandle State | W 13-3 (5 inn.) |
| BB | 03/30 | Washburn | W 3-1 |
| BB | 03/30 | Washburn | W 3-1 |
| TS | 03/23 | Kansas Wesleyan | L 6-3 |
| BB | 03/23 | Metro State | W 20-8 |
| BB | 03/23 | Metro State | W 6-5 |
| SB | 03/19 | Nebraska-Omaha | L 4-2 |
| SB | 03/19 | Truman State | W 4-1 |
| SB | 03/18 | Mo. Western | L 6-2 |
| BB | 03/17 | Missouri S&T | W 2-1 (10) |
| SB | 03/17 | Bethany | W 6-1 |
| SB | 03/17 | Bethany | W 8-1 |
| BB | 03/16 | Misosuri S&T | L 13-4 |
| MB | 03/14 | Central Missouri | L 80-73 |
| BB | 3/13 | NW Missouri | W 13-10 |
| BB | 03/13 | NW Missouri | W 4-3 |
| MB | 03/13 | Central Oklahoma | W 80-64 |
| SB | 03/08 | Fort Lewis | W 5-4 |