Usually, the discussion is focused on the girls team at Port Huron Northern High School, where she played No. 1 singles the last two years. The conversation centers around her teammates and coaches.
VanHowe expands beyond the Huskies to mention the kids she mentors at the Port Huron Tennis House.
She was selected as the Ms. Tennis nominee for Division 1 by the Michigan High School Tennis Coaches Association (MHSTeCA) last month.
Due to a tie in the voting process, VanHowe shared the nomination with Troy’s Nika Tananko. Forest Hills Central’s Lily Ohlman, the Division 2 nominee, was ultimately named Ms. Tennis.
“I’m really honored to even be considered for it,” VanHowe said. “Tennis has really shaped me as a person. So, to get this, it’s really an honor. Just because it represents how I’ve worked on and off the court — to shape myself and my game.”
Northern placed sixth out the 27 teams that participated. It also had three singles players advance to their respective semifinals — Addison Lyons (No. 2 singles), Amara Makim (No. 3 singles) and Ashlyn Kinney (No. 4 singles).
Of the countless memories created between VanHowe and her teammates, it’s the simple ones that stick out.
As for VanHowe, her favorite memory occurred during the No. 2 singles tournament of the 2022 Division 1 state finals.
VanHowe was the sixth seed, while Bloomfield Hills’ Raegan Tomina came as the third.
Despite the hostile environment, VanHowe prevailed (6-2, 4-6, 6-3).
For VanHowe, it’s always been about the team, the community and the sport.
