State Qualifier, New Coach Lead an Experienced Worthington Christian Team
Three years of varsity tennis couldn’t prepare Worthington Christian senior Elise Bourgeois for the Division II state tournament last fall.
Bourgeois, the school’s first state qualifier since Meghan Mayotte made it in singles in 2022, lost to Gilmour Academy’s Abigail Lynch 6-0, 6-0 in the first round at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason.
“It definitely had a different intensity to it. There was a whole different atmosphere. Everyone was determined, everyone was focused,” said Bourgeois whose team opened the year Aug. 10 at Worthington Kilbourne. “It felt like I was representing WC in a way I hadn’t done before. And it was cool stepping into the center court where Novak Djokovic played.”
First-year coach Suzie Winfree is hoping Bourgeois’ experience will carry over to the rest of the team this year. The Warriors, who finished 14-3 overall last year, return five seniors.
Team Bourgeois (senior triplets Elise, Tori, and Evie, and their cousin Alaina Bourgeois) all return with classmate Brianna Woodruff. Additionally, the team returns juniors Charis Bohler, Sophie Cooper, and Sophie Gullion. Senior Juliette Piper, a Division II sectional champion and district semifinalist, chose not to return to the team.
Last year, the Warriors advanced five of their seven players to the district tournament. Elise Bourgeois advanced to the state by placing second in singles after losing to Columbus School for Girls’ Iva Karagirova 7-6 (7-3), 6-1. Piper lost to Karagirova 6-3, 6-3 in the semifinals, and Woodruff lost to the Wellington School’s Paige Thompson 6-2, 6-1 in the first round. In doubles, graduate Avi Gullion and Tori Bourgeois lost to CSG’s Priya Mehta and Victoria Dizon 6-1, 6-3 in the first round.
Winfree is anticipating a strong group of freshmen and sophomores to emerge during the preseason workouts. The coach joked she might be the most inexperienced member on the team. Winfree replaced Angela Flanigan, who guided Worthington Christian to a 30-5 record in her two-year tenure.
Still, most of the seniors are familiar with Winfree, whose daughter Brooke (WC ‘25) played tennis for the Warriors. She served as an assistant coach under former coach Dino Tsibouris during the 2023 season.
“I was in more of a spiritual role when they were all freshmen,” she said. “They’ve grown so much. Back then, Elise had to be more of the leader as the freshmen were getting their feet wet. But now the tables have turned, and it’s their senior year. They’re not going to have that nervousness of ‘Oh my gosh, we’re playing Academy.’”
“I remember her being very encouraging,” Elise Bourgeois said. “She would consistently cheer everyone on and make sure that we focused on Christ above everything. She adds an upbeat element to the team and also reminds us to focus on what matters, especially spiritually.”
Depth and experience should help the Warriors in the uber-competitive Central Buckeye League. Last year, Worthington Christian placed third with a 6-2 record. Academy (8-0) edged Columbus School for Girls (7-1) for the title.
Last year marked the first time in three years someone from the league didn’t win a girls’ tennis state title. The CBL has claimed every Division II state tournament berth from central Ohio over the past three seasons.
“It absolutely helps us. We know those matches are going to be our hardest,” Winfree said. “We want to be mentally prepared and in great shape for those. (That type of competition) prepares us so well for sectional and district tournaments.”
To compete in the CBL and the postseason, the Warriors need strong unity and successful doubles team alignment. The Warriors have chosen Proverbs 27:17 – As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another – as their team verse for this season. Winfree stressed the importance of team unity as the team prepares for the season.
“Finding the right doubles teams and having players support each other is going to be a key,” Winfree said. “We need that more now than ever. That will determine the success. In my high school years, when the teams got along well and cared for each other, that carried over into athletic performance. But having disagreements or being petty is so destructive.”
“I’m going to be having the girls focus on teamwork in what is sometimes viewed as an individual sport. I want to help them learn from each other and help one another. I don’t want them to see each other as competition but help make each other better.”
“We know each other’s different playing styles and strengths,” Elise Bourgeois said. “Everyone has their own traits to respond in situations; we don’t have to spend the first couple of practices learning about each other. We came together on the first day, and it gives us that much more of a time advantage.”