Grace Arnold may just break the school record for career wins in girls tennis. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

BY SHERI TRUSTY

PORT CLINTON – By the time Grace Arnold finishes her senior tennis season at Port Clinton High School, she may have reached a new milestone for her and the school. Grace is close to beating the career wins record in Port Clinton girls tennis that was set by Chelsea Beck in 2010. Beck walked off the court for the last time with a new school record of 121 career wins. As of Aug. 15, Arnold had reached 99 wins.

Port Clinton’s Grace Arnold competes in an Aug. 11 game against Cincinnati Seton. (Photo by Brayden Spencer)

Grace normally pulls in 30 wins a season, so she has a good shot at setting a new record.

“I’m not surprised that she might beat the record,” said Coach Joe Miller. “She is an aggressive player with a great backhand. She loves to get to the net and has a very smooth, controlled groundstroke.”

Grace has had her eye on the record since last season.

“At the beginning of my junior year, Coach Miller told me I had a shot at breaking the record,” she said. “I didn’t believe it at first. It’s kind of crazy how close I am.”

Grace has been a state tournament qualifier since her freshman year, and her achievements are hard-earned. She has been playing tennis since she was a young girl.

“I attended tennis camps when I was in elementary school, and I started getting serious about tennis in seventh grade,” she said. “I would go to Court 1 in Sandusky for clinics and lessons.”

Throughout the years, Grace built her skills by practicing as much as possible, even in the offseason.

“I go to Court 1 a lot, especially in the winter. I’m sometimes there five days a week,” she said.

Grace is grateful for the consistent support of her parents, Steve and Holly Arnold.

“I’m really appreciative of my parents. They’ve been super supportive,” she said. “My mom would drive me to Sandusky every time before I had my license and often sit there for the two-hour practice.”

As a freshman, Grace played doubles with the team’s top player, which further fueled her skills. Today, she is in the #1 singles spot and is surrounded by a strong team.

“We have a lot of good players on our team. Nora Pixler is the second singles. I play with her a lot,” she said.

Coach Joe Miller said he isn’t surprised that Grace Arnold may break the girls tennis record for career wins. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

One of the biggest challenges tennis players face is controlling their mindset in a game.

“I’m trying to work on my mindset and not get too down if I’m losing a match so I can come back and win,” Grace said. “Tennis is a mental game. It’s hard to not get down on yourself if you lose a point, but you have to forget about it. Otherwise, it’s all downhill.”

Grace has an advocate on the sidelines when her thoughts start rolling downhill during a game.

“Mr. Miller is a good coach. He’s very supportive,” she said. “He tries to help you a lot. If you’re in your head, he tries to cheer you up and get you out of your head.”

Grace is facing a lot this season. As a senior, she is enjoying her very last weeks on the Port Clinton court before she walks away forever. In the mix of her normal drive to succeed is the added pressure to win enough games to beat the school record.

But Grace is keeping her perspective.

“I’ve tried to take in my senior year and not stress about it,” she said. “I just want to enjoy my senior year.”