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DESIRE TO INSPIRE: Usner coming out of "Little Sister" shadow
ANNA CLAIRE USNER HAS ALWAYS BEEN JACK USNER’S “LITTLE SISTER”.
She doesn’t mind, though.
“Yeah, I know I kind of grew up in his shadow, but I learned a lot from him,” she said. “When you want to be the best, you have to become obsessed with the drive to get there. He taught me how to work hard for things.”
Jack and his teammates won TAPPS State golf three consecutive years in dominating fashion, and he’s now playing college golf at Texas A&M.
While Jack has been at the top of the mountain in his sport, Anna Claire has forged her own journey and is also enjoying success.
“I started in competitive cheer but by 10-years-old I wanted to do something else,” she laughed. “My parents told me it was either golf or tennis. I was
getting tired of following Jack around with
so I started playing tennis. I got pretty good at it and it’s something I can do for the rest of my life.
“I made it to State last year, but I was the only one from TWCA. I was looking at everyone having fun with their teams. This year, I want to bring my team. I’m encouraging everyone to work hard so we can all get there.”
Usner is also a cheerleader at TWCA, hangs with her friends and shops, like most teenagers, but her true passion is kids.
“I’ve always done after-school care for kids,” she said. “When you are young, you always look up to the older kids who take time to hang out with you. I want to inspire the next generation. They will always remember you for doing that.”
Her plan is to study pediatric physical therapy at Texas A&M.
Following her brother isn’t so bad after all. He’s been her inspiration.
Goose Creek Memorial Team Tennis
TEAM TENNIS: Goose Creek Memorial Patriots seek return trip to playoffs in 2022
Ismael Dutchover is one of the originals when it comes to Goose Creek Memorial. Dutchover has been on campus since the doors opened and enters his 15th season of coaching tennis for the Patriots this fall.
“It has been nice to watch kids progress from the time they join tennis to the time that they leave us,” Dutchover said. “Nothing is more rewarding.”
Last fall, the veteran coach watched his team tennis group improve from the year prior and punch their ticket into the UIL Team Tennis Playoffs.
“It was great for the kids to see improvement within the program. Having the same teams in our district for two years and seeing us finish one spot higher than we did the year prior was good for the program,” Dutchover said. “It lets them know we’re improving and we’re hoping to keep that trend going for years to come.”
Now, what will they do for an encore, especially going into a new district in 2022? On the boys side, Harsh Agrawal will be in that No. 1 line for the Patriots - “He’s going to be taking things to the next level,” Dutchover said.
David Ramirez will be another name to remember, along with Owen Baker and Jiayi Yang.
On the girls side, Amy Chen will hold down the No. 1 spot, followed by Mariam Malhi in the No. 2 line, which could make for a potent one-two punch up top.
“The depth of our team should improve from what it has been,” Dutchover said. “[Our goal is to] stay in the playoffs. We finished fourth last year and if we can continue the trend and adapt to the new district we’re in, improve a spot, that’s a good goal for us to have.”
This story was originally published in the VYPE GCCISD Fall Magazine in August.