Mitch Rupert on tennis: Katie Savidge had remarkable career at Loyalsock
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For the first time in her high school career, Loyalsock's Katie Savidge won't be competing at the state tennis tournament. She knew it was a distinct possibility, even after qualifying three consecutive years for the singles tournament.
Before she walked down the two flights of steps to center court at the Central PA Tennis Center for her District 4 final against South Williamsport's Olivia Dorner, Savidge looked at the family and friends surrounding her and said, "It's the end of an era."
She said it for multiple reasons. First, the senior doesn't expect she's going to play tennis in college. She's planning to major in nursing wherever she decides to go and thinks the grind of playing a collegiate sport while maintaining her academics would be too much. Secondly, Dorner was the prohibitive favorite in the final, and with a COVID-19 pandemic situation minimizing the depth of the state tournament, only the champion advanced to states.
It was a disappointing end to a brilliant tennis career. And it shouldn't be lost how much of an impact Savidge had on District 4 tennis in her time at Loyalsock.
Savidge finishes her career as a four-time District 4 runner-up. When she arrived on the scene as a freshman, District 4 tennis was in the midst of its best run of success in the state tournament it has ever seen. But that success was measured by winning one match in the state tournament multiple times.
Consider this: Between 1977 and 2016, 91 players represented District 4 in the girls state tennis tournament. Only 14 of those players won a match. And none of those 91 players placed in the Top 4 at states.
When Savidge qualified for the states as a freshman by finishing runner-up to Hughesville's Rachel Thomas, she followed that second-place finish by becoming the first girl in District 4 history to win multiple matches at states. She became the first girl in District 4 history to reach the state semifinals. And she became the first girl in District 4 history to place in the tournament when she finished fourth.
What followed that fall of 2017 was a course of unfortunate circumstances. Enter Dorner, who has become the best girls tennis player in District 4 history in her three year at South Williamsport, winning three district titles and placing third and second in her first two state tournaments. Savidge was then twice matched up with Knoch's Lauren Greb in the first round of the state tournament. The first time, Greb went on to finish fourth. The second time, Greb was knocked out in the quarterfinals by the eventual state champion.
That freshman season set a high bar for Savidge to try to continually live up to. Circumstance never allowed her to reach that level of success again. But Savidge wasn't disappointed in the outcomes of each of her seasons. She played as best she could. The circumstances which led to her postseason struggles were far beyond her control.
"I went to states for three years. I placed fourth my freshman year. I made a name for myself there," Savidge said after dropping her district final to Dorner. "I hope people remember me for the stuff I've done."
She deserves to be remembered for just that. Savidge broke through a glass ceiling of success which seemed to hover over every District 4 state qualifier for the better part of 40 years. It's easy to lose sight of what Savidge accomplished in the wake of a disappointing finish to her final season.
When asked if she was disappointed to never win district gold, without hesitation she said no. And she said no because she wasn't going to take away from the ability of her opponents, instead saying it was an honor just to play against Dorner and Thomas in the final.
She played with grace. She won with class. She lost with perspective. In the minutes where the ball was flying between she and her opponent, Savidge was intently focused on what she was doing. In the moments during a changeover, she had a smile on her face and was never unwilling to talk with her opponent.
That will be Savidge's legacy as much as her results. She was a tremendous ambassador for Loyalsock and District 4 on top of being a tremendous talent. And should her final career match have been played in the last week or so, it's a career and a legacy to be proud of.
Mitch Rupert can be reached at 570-326-1551, ext. 3129, or by email at mrupert@sungazette.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Mitch_Rupert.