Bailey Schafbuch | Sports Co-Editor
Junior Buena Vista University (BVU) tennis player Cole Renken has helped contribute to the men’s tennis team record of 9-6 overall respectively, with a number four spot heading into the IIAC Team Championships this weekend May 3-4.
Renken, a native from a neighboring Iowa town Cherokee, first picked up a tennis racquet competitively as a freshman in high school. Although he had participated in week-long camps in junior high, freshman year was when he truly became a tennis athlete.
“Freshman year, I had a choice between track and tennis; I figured tennis would be more fun, so I decided to go that route instead of running. My coach showed me how to play better and made it fun so I continued with the sport,” Renken said.
Renken has continued his tennis career beyond his high school days. Though originally coming to BVU with the intention of focusing solely on Sport Management, Physical Education, and Coaching, he ended up joining the tennis team led by Head Tennis Coach Kevin McCadams.
“Cole is a very good team player. He’s competitive in a very good sportsmanship way and he gives you 100 percent, 100 percent of the time in practice and in our match play. He’s just a good student athlete to have around,” McCadams said.
Renken currently is the team’s number three singles (out of six) and number two doubles (out of three) along with junior partner Jason Ehrhardt.
“Cole always brings 100 percent effort on every point. He never gives up and hustles after every ball. A lot of times he’ll get to shots you don’t think he could possibly get to. He’s always hustling on every shot and that rubs off on other people,” Ehrhardt said.
Ehrhardt and Renken’s playing styles complement each other very well. Ehrhardt brings more power shots to the duo while Renken provides control, quickness, and consistency.
“He’s a hard guy to play against. He comes at you north to south which means he gets to the net and puts pressure on you all the time. He plays the same game style pretty much all the time and is very consistent. He’s a very mental, tenacious, hard-to-beat type of player which is great for a coach,” McCadams said.
Renken’s favorite part of the sport is being able to be around his friends, while working as a team even though many think tennis is only an individual sport. The “team-first” attitude Renken possesses matches up with the team’s goals.
“Our goal as a team this year was to make the team tournament, which we have since the first time since 1994. We’ve improved much in doubles, and that has made a big difference in where we are today,” McCadams said. “Overall, it’s one of the best records we’ve had in a long time. We’re going to the team tournament this weekend and we hope to make a strong finish to represent BVU.”
Photo by Tyson Domingo
