McGregor High twins become first female tennis UIL state qualifiers in school’s history
Duo coached by their own dad, who is in his 16th year as head tennis coach at the school
McGREGOR, Texas (KWTX) - Twin sisters have become the first female tennis UIL state qualifiers in school history, and they’ve done it all under the direction of their head coach who happens to be their dad.
McGregor High School Juniors Makenzie and Madilynn Hamilton, 17, qualified for the UIL state tennis meet in the 3A singles division in San Antonio last week.
Makenzie made it to the quarterfinals round before getting beat while Madilynn lost in the semi-finals.
Madilynn’s performance earned her the bronze medal which also made her the first tennis player, male or female from McGregor, to finish in the top three.
The twins’ dad, Darrell Hamilton, is in his 16th year as head tennis coach at the school.
“I’m extremely proud, extremely proud,” Coach Hamilton said. “I know the time and the years. They started picking up tennis balls after practice and watching the kids practice and then they went and watched as fifth graders, the first boys that qualified for state in McGregor. So, for them to accomplish that themselves is very fulfilling.”
Makenzie and Madilynn have had a racket in their hands as long as they can remember.
As young girls, they enjoyed watching their dad coach others, and when they entered junior high, he officially became their coach.
“It’s the like the pinnacle of a long journey,” Hamilton said. “They started so early.”
While it didn’t happen at state, Makenzie and Madilynn have faced off many times on the court.
The girls admit, like many twins, they can finish each other’s sentences and thoughts, but they also joke that their competitive spirit is one.
They root for each other, that is, until they go head-to-head, which happened this year at both district and regionals.
“When we played each other in regionals, she wasn’t just giving me the win,” Madilynn laughed. “She was genuinely trying, and I was like, ‘I need to win this so we both qualify.’”
“We’ve played each other plenty of times. She knows my greatest weakness. I’m not going to say it, but she uses it a lot.”
The sisters say making history together as a family was something they’ll never forget.
“I think it’s motivating and encouraging while you’re playing because you want do it together,” Makenzie said.
“It was kind of laid back because we’re used to going to tournaments as a family, and like the summer, and on weekends. So, it almost didn’t feel like a state tournament. It felt like I was going with my family to have fun,” Madilynn added.
Hamilton says being both coach and dad comes with its unusual moments.
“It feels a lot different sometimes. They know when they need me and when they don’t need me. In tennis, sometimes you have to be your own coach on the court and sometimes they want me far away,” he laughed.
The twins say they’re proud of their success this season and have big plans for their senior year.
“My goal is to make it to state again and to be a medalist,” Makenzie said.
“I want to do better than I did this year and hopefully encourage others to come out and do tennis,” Madilynn added. “And I want to lead our team to take more than just us, but this year was really special.”
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