Brainerd Girls’ Tennis’ Versatility Fueling Hot Start to 2025

With high school girls tennis breaking up into the three classes for the first time this year, Brainerd girls’ tennis has transitioned to Section 8AAA and is firing on all cylinders early, with only one loss (to Alexandria) so far.

The Warriors are coming off of an exceptional 2024 campaign, finishing 19-3 overall before falling to Bemidji in the Section 8AA championship match. This year, the team features a lot of experience with 18 seniors.

“Experience is huge,” said senior captain Kamryn Kraemer. “Just having that experience already helps to just win those matches—those tough ones, those close ones, especially. It just helps the team and shows an example to the freshmen incoming.”

“Having this many upperclassmen is definitely a good thing for our team,” stated senior captain Leah Soukup. “We have a lot of leaders, so a lot of the freshmen are looking up to them.”

The team also has a lot of hungry underclassmen, such as the Warriors’ number one singles player Taryn Mithun, who is 6-4 in match play thus far.

“We’re really deep, we have a lot of girls all around,” Soukup explained. “We’re just setting ourselves up for good Warrior tennis all around for the next couple years. I just think it’s going to keep going, keep going stronger. It’s going to be good.”

Head coach Garrett Golden has experimented with a few lineups through the team’s first 10 matches. He’s switched Kraemer between no. 2 singles and no. 1 doubles while also mixing and matching doubles pairs as he continues searching for the optimal card.

“A lot of times, Garrett will just tell us, ‘We all play tennis. We’re all just tennis players and wherever you’re placed, just do the best that you can where you are,’” said senior captain Rebekah Soukup. “We’re really versatile, and anyone, honestly, on any day could just play any spot.”

8AAA playoffs are still roughly a month away, and Brainerd girls’ tennis has plenty of time to continue improving as the girls shoot for their seventh-straight Central Lakes Conference title. But the Warriors have their sights set on more, and they know the road to prosperity could run through formidable foes, such as reigning 7AA champs Elk River, reigning 8AA champs Bemidji, and Alexandria.

“There’s so many good teams in our conference and section, but we plan on being right up there with them,” Rebekah Soukup said.

“We’ve been working a lot on mentality and we know we are good, and we know we can beat a lot of these good teams, so we just have to believe in ourselves,” added Leah Soukup.

Since Coach Goeden took over the helm last year, Brainerd girls’ tennis is 28-4 overall. The Warriors will be on the road Thursday to face Sartell.