Wingate, N.C.----Wingate University women’s tennis seniors Kelli Ferguson (Concord, N.C.) and Helen Goreski (Oakville, Ontario) play their last South Atlantic Conference weekend home matches Friday and Saturday (live statistics). They leave a legacy of championships, hard work and determination.
 
“Kelli has been a key figure in the women’s tennis team and its success over the past few seasons,” Wingate head coach Michael Cabana says. “She has a great work ethic and attitude. Kelli has been responsible for many clinching victories for this team in pressure situations.” 
 
Cabana believes Ferguson’s influence reaches beyond athletics. “Kelli has proven herself on and off the court as a winner,” Cabana says. “She has been accepted into the Wingate Pharmacy program and I am sure will continue her successful ways. I am very proud of Kelli and I look forward to watching her become a successful young professional.”
 
“Helen has given so much to this program over her four years,” Cabana says. “She has battled through nagging injuries over her career and has come out on top. She has been instrumental in our success this season as she has captured some key victories over conference opponents.”
 
Cabana feels Goreski is determined to succeed. “Helen has worked hard on and off the tennis court,” Cabana says. “She will be furthering her education after her Wingate graduation. It is a great feeling…when you have a young lady who has so much in front of them when they graduate. Helen will be successful in anything she attempts. I look forward to watching her succeed.”
 
As they conclude their intercollegiate tennis careers, the two seniors took time to share a glimpse into their Wingate lives with the Bulldog sports information department.
 
Describe your road to Wingate University…
 
Ferguson: Before I found Wingate, I was like any other high school student-athlete...keeping up my grades and training hard in the hopes I would have the opportunity to play college sports. I was playing in a tennis tournament when Coach Cabana approached me and shared his interest in recruiting me for the tennis team at Wingate. Wingate was the first university from which I received interest. I will be honest when I say even though I live in Charlotte, I was not familiar with the school or even its location; however, after staying in contact with coach and attending a visit to campus, I was immediately sold. I loved the atmosphere of the campus and the people, not to mention there was a pharmacy program (which I will now be attending next year). Above all else, I was given the opportunity to continue playing tennis at the collegiate level. I’m happy Wingate found me, because it has been a great experience!
 
Goreski: My journey to Wingate was a winding path, to say the least. I quit playing tennis my senior year of high school and was quite content to live the life of a ‘normal’ teenager. I completed a year at Ryerson University and was well on my way to getting a Bachelor of Social Work when my plans changed. The summer after my first year, I was convinced by my two good friends and now-alumni teammates Braeden Patchell and Louis Villarroel to give tennis a second chance. I came down to visit the campus in early August and immediately knew it was where I wanted to be. All the pieces fit together…within three weeks I had uprooted my life, packed it into a car and was heading down to North Carolina. For the first few months, I still woke up disoriented and had to remind myself where I was.
 
To date, what is your favorite Wingate Tennis memory?

Ferguson: I would have to say my favorite Wingate tennis memory was winning conference with my team sophomore year. After having a tough season my freshman year, I will never forget going undefeated in the conference as a team and individually in singles. The moment we clinched the conference win was the best feeling in the world. I will never forget winning on our home courts and rushing the courts as a team, jumping up and down together and screaming in excitement. At this moment, we were number one!
 
Of course, we had to celebrate by dumping water all over coach. That’s probably the only time we can get away with this and avoid sprints, hill runs or the dreaded Andersons (named after one of our main arch-rivals)! It was even sweeter when we took the conference tournament title as well the same season, receiving a bid to the NCAA regional tournament in the process. Our small team was finally able to experience the luxury of showing up in style in a big charter bus…the best part...no sharing seats! The 2011 season greatly boosted our confidence; we went on to win once again last year. I hope we can continue the success this year for a third time in a row. Our team works hard and there is no greater feeling than winning a title and achieving success with my teammates!
 
Goreski: This one took me a while because there are so many...One particular match my sophomore year…when we dropped to a 0-4 deficit before we really knew what hit us. The other team only needed one more match to win; one could tell they were feeling pretty confident. We were all screaming and cheering for each other (to the point of being obnoxious). We ended up coming back to win the match, winning a couple close sets and cheering ourselves hoarse. I was so proud of how we all came together to support each other and our passion to always keep fighting, even in the face of adversity.
 
Family is a term used frequently at Wingate University. How is this tennis team a family to you?
 
Ferguson: The girls I practice with every day are more than my teammates, they are my family. We are there for each other on and off the tennis court and I do not know what I would do without them. They are there for me through the good times and the struggles. Over the years, we have shared many laughs and memorable moments. I am thankful for tennis because this sport has led me to a group of girls who will remain my friends for a lifetime. From my freshman year until now, my teammates have helped me to grow into the more confident, laughable, motivated, and goofy individual I am today. To simply put it...my teammates are Gucci! (I always say this to them, so I figure when they read this article, they will understand.)
 
Goreski: For the last four years, the tennis team has been home-away-from-home. Being so far away from my biological family has a few advantages (like getting spoiled when they are around!), but mostly disadvantages. Whenever I’m sick, my team is there bringing me food and Kleenex. When I’m sad or homesick, my team is there to cheer me up or tell me when I need to toughen up. It’s not only when I’m down, but they’re here for the good times, too. Cheering each other on, on and off the court, has always been a huge part of our team. I’m eternally grateful for this support. Without my team, my second family, I would have never survived the last four years.
 
WINGATE UNIVERSITY

Wingate University, ranked as the 6th “best value” in the South by U.S. News & World Report, serves nearly 2,700 students on three campuses in Wingate, Matthews and Hendersonville, N.C. Founded in 1896, the University offers 35 undergraduate majors, 37 minors and career concentrations, numerous pre-professional programs, graduate degrees in business, accounting, education, physician assistant studies and sport administration, and doctorates in pharmacy, physical therapy and education.
 
With a 14 to 1 student/teacher ratio, Wingate students gain the tools and support needed to excel in academics and apply that learning toward an extraordinary career and life. To view current news, video and story ideas, visit www.youtube.com/wingateuniversity. 
 
In addition to a robust intramural athletics program, Wingate student athletes compete in 22 NCAA Division II sports. The University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past six years.
 
Wingate is first among NCAA Division II Academic All-America®-producing private colleges in the 2000’s with 52 selections. Among North Carolina’s colleges and universities, Wingate’s 52 Academic All-America® honorees is second (to Duke University) during this millennium. Wingate’s 61 lifetime Academic All-America® picks are tops among all SAC schools. For more information, go to www.wingatebulldogs.com.