Entering her final season of high school tennis in high school, Independence
senior Callie Schlorholtz had one major goal – to record her 100th career win. 100 wins
is a lofty goal for anyone, but Schlorholtz eclipsed that mark on September 28th , with
over a month remaining in her season. It was time for a new goal. After making state
and placing during her first three years of high school, Callie knew exactly how she
wanted her senior season to end – on top of a podium. So, she set a new goal of
winning a state title and she and her doubles partner, junior Brooklyn Mattix, proceeded
to pursue it.

The doubles pair entered the state tournament with just four losses on the
season and with a resume that was impressive enough to earn them a number one
seed at the state tournament. “I felt that getting seeded first at state might have
presented a mental roadblock because we weren’t used to having that kind of pressure,
but we got over it and ended very strong.” That’s an understatement. Finishing “very
strong” in this case meant winning a Class 4A championship by defeating the doubles
team from traditional powerhouse Topeka-Hayden 6-1, 6-2.

The success of the duo helped to propel the Independence team to a third place
team finish. Callie and Brooklyn finished their season with a 31-4 record, and Callie
finished her career with a remarkable record of 116-23.

Schlorholtz decided that if she wanted to finish her senior year with a
championship, making a slight change to her off-season regimen was of paramount
importance, “I was really looking forward to seeing how we would do this year, and I
obviously wanted to make my last year very memorable. I felt my serve was a
weakness, so I worked very hard to make sure I had a consistent and reliable serve that
I could trust.”

Very few people ever get to say that they finished their high school career at the
pinnacle of their sport, but even if Callie had not achieved that goal and amassed all of
those wins, she leaves behind a legacy that cannot be overlooked, “I definitely see
myself as a leader and someone that our younger players can look up to. I loved
everything about my senior season, because I got to spend it with five amazing young
ladies, and I wouldn’t change that for anything.”

When she is not winning tennis matches for the Bulldogs, Callie is active in other
areas of her school’s culture. She is the lieutenant for the Independence dance team
and has been named an All-American dancer. She also stars on the diamond in the
spring for the Bulldogs’ softball team.