Hi-Line Athlete Profile: Tatiana Ralph, Havre High Tennis

A lot of really good high school athletes have grown up playing their sport of choice and have spent years cultivating and developing their skills. But, when it comes to Havre High tennis player Tatiana Ralph, the exact opposite is true, which is part of the reason why her ascension in the Blue Pony tennis program has been so amazing to watch.

Ralph, who had never touched a racket in her life before her freshman season on the HHS girls tennis team, is now a key member of a Pony girls team that is looking to capture its second consecutive Central A divisional championship. And not only is Ralph an important part of the team, she is its most tenured member as the only senior on the squad in a sport that she just started competing in a few, short years ago.

"I had never picked up a racket in my life before I joined the tennis team," Ralph said. "But I saw my friends that I had played other sports with doing it, so that really prepared me to try it."

Four years later that decision is looking pretty good. And it looked even better after a junior season that saw her not only qualify for the Class A state tournament as a singles player but also notch a third-place finish at divisionals, which helped her team clinch the Central A title in one of the more memorable moments in recent Havre tennis history.

Ralph, who was in the consolation final and playing for third place, had her match pushed from Friday at the 2014 divisionals to Saturday because her opponent, Anaconda's Destiny Strutzel played four matches already on the second day of the tournament and could not play any more until the next day. And by the time the match rolled around, the outcome of the match was going to decide the fate of the Central A.

Ralph won the first set, then lost the second and trailed 5-2 in the third. All looked lost and Havre appeared headed toward a second-place finish. Yet, Ralph rallied to tie the final set at 6-6, forcing a tiebreaker that she eventually won to give her third place and the team the divisional title, its first since 2010.

Now, with her tennis career reaching its peak, Ralph has new goals and wants to go even further than she did a season ago, meaning she has her sights set squarely on an individual title at divisionals and placing as an individual at state.

Yet, divisionals and state are still a ways down the road and in the meantime, Ralph and the Ponies are getting set to host their only home tournament of the season — the Havre Invitational, which will take place this Saturday. And before Ralph took part in practice Tuesday in preparation for the tournament, the Havre Daily News caught up with her for five questions.

HDN: With you being the only senior on the team, did you feel you had to take on a greater leadership role this season?

Ralph: "Yes. I was kind of resistant at first and wanted to just have someone else take on that role. But, with me being the only senior on the team, I decided I just had to step up and take that over."

HDN: What do you enjoy most about playing tennis?

Ralph: "I like the fact that it's an individual sport and you are relying on yourself and not other people really. I like that if you want to work hard and put the time in, you can be as good as you want to be without depending on somebody else."

HDN: This weekend is the one home tournament you guys have at home, how is that different from your normal tournaments?

Ralph: "It's different for me because my parents can actually make it to watch me. It's difficult with them running a business, so it's hard for them to go out of town, so I really look forward to the Havre Invite."

HDN: What are your plans after high school?

Ralph: "I want to stay here at (Montana State University-Northern) for two years to get my generals out of the way and then I want to transfer to (Carroll College) or (University of Washington) to get my degree in biology and hopefully become a dentist or dental hygienist."

HDN: What's been the most memorable thing for you about your tennis career to this point?

Ralph: "It was last year (in the final match) at divisionals. No one wanted to tell me cause I am not the best when put under pressure like that. But I was the last match to decide if we took home the first-place or second-place trophy. I had to come back in the last set and in the tiebreaker and ended up winning by two points."