Hi-Line Athlete Profile: Conner McKay, Havre High tennis

While the Havre High tennis teams have a new face at head coach this season, many veteran players will return to lead the program. One of those veterans is senior Conner McKay, who is looking forward to hitting the courts one last time this spring with the Blue Ponies.

"I'm looking forward to getting outside and playing in good weather," McKay said. "Just playing matches and having fun with it and going on trips. That's what I'm excited for."

McKay's journey in tennis began at a young age as his family got him into the sport early on. His older brother was a state champion for the Ponies while his mother played collegiate tennis. His grandparents also played tennis, so the sport played a huge role in McKay's life before he even joined the Ponies.

"I was always on the tennis courts," McKay said. "I always watched my brother play tennis, I always watched my mom play tennis and I always watched my grandparents and my family. Everyone just played tennis together. It was a lot of fun."

McKay has been a reliable player over the years and now heads into his final season with the Ponies. The biggest change that McKay will have to deal with this spring will be playing under new head coach Jeff Miller, who is replacing George Ferguson who had coached McKay throughout his high school career. While McKay will miss his old coach, he is excited to see what Miller can bring to the program.

"I really like Jeff. He's a very good tennis player and he just understands the game," McKay said. "I miss Ferg. He was a great tennis coach but I think Jeff is a good tennis coach and I think he can live up to Ferg and I think that the future is bright."

McKay and the Ponies have already played in a couple meets this season. At the Cut Bank Invitational, McKay and his doubles partner Gavin Hall won a match. Then at the Conrad Meet this past weekend, McKay and Hall went 2-0 in their matches.

Throughout his high school career, McKay has competed in several different sports. For Havre High School, he played golf in the fall and he competed in swimming during the winter. In the spring and summer, he also plays for the Havre Northstars American Legion baseball club. With all these sports keeping him so busy, it is no surprise that McKay is passionate for all of them.

"I like all of them pretty equally. I think they all are incredibly different in their own ways," McKay said. "At their core, all of them are a communicative sport and you're always having fun with other people."

When he wraps up his final year with the Ponies and the Northstars, McKay plans on attending Oregon State to major in computer science. He then hopes for a career involving technology. While he studies, he plans to keep himself active by participating in club sports.

For now, McKay will look to play well in his final year in HHS tennis. Before he moves forth with the rest of his senior season, the Havre Daily News got the chance to ask McKay five questions.

HDN: What is the most important thing you have learned from your time in Havre tennis?

McKay: "The most important thing I have learned from tennis is to not let the last point bother you. You might have double faulted or you might have hit a ball out, but you have to focus on the next shot."

HDN: What do you love the most about tennis?

McKay: "It's probably the people in tennis. I've had a lot of fun and made a lot of good memories. (I enjoy) when you're playing a tennis match and both sides of the court are locked in, everyone's having a good time and everyone's being competitive. I just think what's really fun about tennis is how competitive and how fun it can be."

HDN: When you play both tennis and baseball in the spring, how do you balance it?

McKay: "You just have to do it. The practices are right after each other so it's a lot of just getting up and going pretty much. It's going to be busy but you gotta keep going and keep grinding and it's a lot of fun."

HDN: What do you like to do outside of sports?

McKay: "I like to sing. I'm in several choirs in high school. I like to work out. I like to spend a lot of time doing sports and I also spend a lot of time doing academic stuff. I'm in a bunch of clubs at the high school so I try to stay involved and that gives me a lot of joy."

HDN: Why did you decide to attend Oregon State for college?

McKay: "I toured that school and I liked it. And I liked Oregon itself. I thought it was pretty and when I applied there, they gave me a scholarship."