WADENA — The accolades keep coming for Wadena-Deer Creek’s Anna Fiemeyer.
The senior, along with doubles partner Kaylee Endres, won their second straight Section 8-1A doubles championship with a 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 marathon win over Braylee Wienen and Piper Greene of Thief River Falls Oct. 11. For Fiemeyer, the victory was extra special as she established a career wins record with her 123rd victory.
“I’m just so excited,” Fiemeyer said. “It’s something I have worked for since seventh grade.”
Fiemeyer’s career record sits at 123-22 heading into the Class 1A Doubles Tournament Thursday, Oct. 23, at the Reed-Sweatt Tennis Center in Minneapolis. She broke the mark held by Michaela Schmitt, a 2000 WDC grad, who finished her career with a fourth-place individual finish at state and a 122-26-1 record.
The road hasn’t been easy for Fiemeyer this year. Both she and Endres battled injuries that kept them off the courts at various times. A knee injury in the latter portion of the season put Fiemeyer’s pursuit of a second state tournament bid and school record in jeopardy.
“(The injury) motivated me and made me excited to get back,” Fiemeyer said. “It just made me work harder to get back.”
Fiemeyer’s career has primarily been spent in the doubles ranks and with two partners; sister Katie first, followed by Endres the last two seasons. Katie and Anna lost a heartbreaker in a true-second match three years ago after leading the state in wins. The Fiemeyer-Endres duo finished fifth in the Class 1A Tournament last season.
“Playing doubles means you have to be okay with making mistakes sometimes,” Fiemeyer said. “You have to be OK with someone else’s mistakes, too. That’s why so many people don’t enjoy it. You have to be there for each other, encourage each other to work hard and work hard for someone else.
“It means a lot to me that I got to spend most of my career next to my sister Katie and my best friend Kaylee,” Fiemeyer said. “Spending the last 4-5 years teaming up with them has meant a lot to me.”
Fiemeyer plans to use the valuable experience she and Endres gained last year for this year’s tournament. They face a familiar foe in Nikki Crocker and Emme Sullivan of Pequot Lakes. The Pequot team is the only team to defeat the WDC duo this season. Fiemeyer knows they have to be ready to go.
“Both Kaylee and I are excited to play indoors and we like to play indoors,” Fiemeyer said. “We are looking forward to playing in front of a crowd, which the first time down there, is a little nerve-racking. Now, we have been there and we know what to expect.”
The state tournament starts at 10 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 23, for the Class 1A doubles players. There will be a send-off and school run-through for the girls at WDC MS/HS at 8:20 a.m. and at the elementary school at about 8:45 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 22.