Photo courtesy NMMI Sports Press — The Bronco women's tennis team is ranked ninth nationally to start the spring season. Team members are, top row: Litia Godinet and Adalyn Hazelman. Second row: Jazmine Burt, Coach Zeljka Vidic and Karla Martinez. Bottom row: Samantha Dunn and Alyssa Hawkins.
Karen Boehler
CCSR writer/editor
If the Lady Bronco tennis team lives up to the rankings they have going into the spring season, they’re going to be a team to watch out for.
NMMI finished the fall season ranked ninth nationally, with five of the six Broncos individually ranked.
“We did good this fall,” said coach Zeljka Vidic. “We just have to keep it up. The girls are working hard.”
Leading the way for NMMI will be Karla Martinez, a sophomore from Gomez Palacio, who finished last year ranked No. 4 in doubles and starts the spring season No. 6 in singles.
“She’s our veteran,” Vidic said. “She already has experience so we hope for some good matches.”
The remaining five are all freshmen, but are already moving up the ranking ladder.
Litia Godinet, American Samoa, is No. 29, and will fill the No. 2 slot for the Broncos.
“She’s been doing well,” the coach said. “She’s a good player.”
NMMI No. 3 Adalyn Hazelman, Fiji, is No. 60 nationally, and should be a familiar name as her brother, Daneric, played for NMMI the past two years.
No. 4 Alyssa Hawkins, is 94th, and rounding out the squad are Goddard grad Samantha Dunn and Jazmine Burt, a newcomer this spring.
Martinez/Godinet are ranked No. 9 in doubles with Hazelman/Dunn are No. 28.
NMMI will get a chance to see if they can move up that ladder a bit when they open the spring season Friday and Saturday at the Collin County Tennis Bash.
The Broncos will open play Friday vs. Tyler, the No. 1-ranked team in the country.
“So it’s going to be an exciting match. Our players are playing good, training hard and we have a good group of girls. We’ll just have to see how it goes,” Vidic said. “It’s good. It’s good competition for the first match. They’re a tough team but we’ll do our best.”
The Broncos will also face host Collin County Friday, and Lee College Saturday.
NMMI also has matches against Hardin Simmons University, Temple College, Seminole State, Abilene Christian University, University of the Southwest, Our Lady of the Lake, North Central Texas and Temple College, as well as the National Dual Match Invitational Tournament and Southwest Junior College Championships.
And it’s all a lead up to the NJCAA National Championships, May 5-10 in Tucson.
“Nine in the nation? That’s the best we’ve had for women’s tennis,” Vidic said. “So we just have to keep working hard, hopefully play hard. Take care of our bodies so we don’t get injured and hope for the best. I’m excited about the upcoming season. It’s a good group.”
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