Several alumnae have returned from their US-based universities over their summer break, embracing the Sydney winter to support the coaching program at Meriden.
Meriden tennis players regularly have the opportunity to pursue tertiary pathways in the US after they graduate from Meriden. The collegiate experience offers them the next step in their tennis careers and gives them the opportunity to study alongside their training.
Many of the visiting alumnae have been involved in training sessions with the Meriden Tildesley Squad which trains twice a week. They have been supporting the coaches and offering advice and passing on their experience to the younger players.
Meriden graduates have been thriving overseas – here’s how some of our alumnae are faring in the US.
Ellen Shanahan (Class of 2019)
Ellen graduated in May from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, earning a double major in Finance and Supply Chain Management with cum laude honours. She has accepted a position as a Consultant at Ernst and Young, starting at their Manhattan office this October.
Ellen said moving to the US for college has been an amazing experience. Balancing studies with tennis has not only allowed her to travel around the country, but also to engage in valuable internships, which have helped pave the way for her upcoming role. Her journey strongly reflects the rewards of hard work and the pursuit of excellence.
Indiya McLeod (Class of 2022)
Indiya recently completed her freshman year of college studying Finance at the University of the Pacific, California. Her outstanding tennis performances earned her a place on the West Coast Conference All-Tournament team after remaining unbeaten in both the quarterfinals and semifinals.
College has so far been a transformative and rewarding experience for Indiya. “I have become more independent and confident in myself, after initially knowing no-one and having to find my own way,” she said.
Piper Freeman (Class of 2022)
Piper recently completed her first year of college at Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, as part of the Women’s Tennis team. She has decided to continue her studies and collegiate tennis career, transferring to the University of Montana.
Piper was very excited to be back in Australia with her family and friends. She recently returned from the 2024 Premier 10k Darwin Open, where she came away with the women’s Open Singles title.
When she returns to college in late August, Piper will compete in some fall individual tournaments representing the University of Montana.
Maddie Whip (Class of 2020)
‘’From the moment I accepted a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) scholarship as a college-athlete at Lake Superior State University (LSSU) to play semi-professional tennis and study Engineering over four years ago, I have been on an incredible adventure.’’
At ‘Lake State’, Maddie has developed life-long friendships and is a part of a tennis varsity team that is imbued with a strong collective spirit. In just a few years, she has won several sporting awards, including ‘Outstanding Female Athlete of the Year’ twice running. At the same time, she has gained real-world experience in space systems development and operation as part of her Engineering degree.
Nina Krecklenberg (Class of 2023)
Nina recently completed her first semester at the University of Louisiana. It has been a great experience for her both on the tennis court and in the classroom. One of the most exhilarating aspects of her season was having the chance to close out three victories for the team, with her matches being the deciding factor in the overall win.
On the academic front, Nina is pursuing a degree in Business and Marketing. She credits being a Meriden student-athlete as vital in her transition to the competitive world of NCAA Division 1 sports. Nina is excited about continuing her journey and will head back to Louisiana in August for the fall semester.
“The atmosphere of college tennis is lively, energetic and exciting. I have loved every moment of it.”
