Chelsea, MI. – Chelsea’s Carli Martin was struggling with a knee injury and it was causing her a lot of pain. She was worried that it would keep her from playing the sport she loves most, tennis. Carli was really struggling with the knee pain all winter and didn’t know if she was going to be able to play her senior season. She struggled early on in the Spring tennis season to get in a rhythm, but about halfway through the season Carli really picked it up and started on a winning streak. This culminated with a trip to the semi-finals at the state meet, a first for any singles player in the history of the Chelsea girls tennis program. She placed 3rd in the state for division 3, 4 singles flight.
Carli has been playing tennis for 5 years now when the Chelsea middle school tennis program first opened. She has always loved tennis and learned from her favorite player. Her grandfather. He taught her everything she knows about tennis and kept her focussed and motivated to better her game and to this day she still plays against him and she has yet to ever have beaten him.
Carli won regionals and SEC’s handily and went into the state meet hoping to get seeded. She didn’t however, and her coach Matt Pedlow felt this gave her the incentive she needed to beat some seeded players. She upset the #6 player from Allegan before she upset the #3 ranked Cranbrook player. She lost to eventual state champion runner-up Avneet Deol, of Ada Forest Hills Eastern, giving her 3rd place in the state.
“I’m thrilled she had this opportunity,” Chelsea coach Pedlow stated. “Carli has worked hard over the years and put in the hours on the court.”
Carli has worked hard over the years and has been very well supported by her family and friends, and of course her coach and her tennis team. Many of her teammates piled into a vehicle to go support her in the semifinals. Although still feeling pained from her injury, she battled through it and gave all she had.
“It feels really amazing to have this title and to go that far in states,” a very elated Carli stated. “But I can’t help but think that I’m a senior and this will be my last time I will play on this team and with these girls. I’m really going to miss them. I believe that is what motivated me to push me to win because I didn’t want it to end.”
Carli plans to attend Ferris State University in the fall and study physical therapy. She plans on playing on the tennis club team there because she still needs to fix her knee injuries that she struggled with all season. Carli is the daughter of Kevin and Melissa Martin.
