As senior Lani Elder has came just shy of the record for most combined singles and doubles wins, hard work is what got her here. Elder is now number the end best tennis player in PHS history.This season so far, she has gained 22 wins and with all three of her last years playing varsity tennis, has 97 overall combined singles and doubles wins. Elder will continue to take advantage of the rest of her high school season and continue to gain more wins with each tournament.
Elder is a four time all district and two time all conference athlete in tennis.
When asked how Elder is going to achieve her goal of most career wins she said, “I am going to try my very best to achieve this goal of 100 career wins. Executing each match and giving 110 percent is the key to achieving it.”
Elder has overcome many obstacles through playing tennis. Her freshman year she had two knee surgeries and battled back even stronger than she was before.
Coach Muller, head varsity tennis coach said, “Lani’s success in the classroom and other sports shows how her work pays off. She is a great student both in and out of the classroom, and on and off the tennis court as well. Watching her work through and handle her knee injury and recovery was impressive. Most kids probably would have just stopped after the second surgery. Lani was determined to not be stopped. She returned not only to the tennis court but also to basketball and her real passion, softball. Seeing her pitch again last year was one of the coolest moments I had. That may seem odd for another sport to make me smile, but knowing she was happy and playing again was just cool to see.”
Outside of the three sports that Elder plays, she is also very dedicated to her academics, and is planning to attend Mizzou next year. She has been an asset to the tennis team since her freshman year earning the number 6 singles spot early in her career and now has made her way up to the number one Spot. Elder has played a huge role in the team since then, sending the team to district finals by defeating a senior from Saxony her freshman year and sending them to a district final.
Mueller said, “Her leadership and desire will be hard to replace. She strives to be the best at whatever she does. She is never scared of a challenge which is a quality that will make her successful in life. I will also miss it when she giggles. If my daughters can be as good of a person as Lani, then I have done my job as a father.”
Elder has a very bright future ahead of her in her upcoming years as she plans to attend Mizzou next year to continue her education.
Freshman Varsity tennis player Chloe Rowe said, “Lani has been very supportive, encouraging, and understanding. She has encouraged me to keep my head lifted and trust myself. She’s an amazing person and friend to be around.”
Despite the fact that Lani fell 3 wins short of her 100 win goal, she strives to continue to get better at every sport she plays. Now that her high school tennis season is over, she is working hard for the upcoming basketball season. However, Lani might say that softball is her favorite, and her teammates can’t wait to see her in the circle this spring.
