Illinois High School Tennis Coaches Association honored coach Leslie Hird recently.
Illinois High School Tennis Coaches Association honored coach Leslie Hird recently.
Rock Island Alleman High School girls' tennis coach Leslie Hird was recently named the Illinois High School Tennis Coaches Association Regional Coach of the Year.
The first-year coach has already led the 2015 Pioneers tennis players to victory in the Rock Island sectional, leading the nearest competitor by 13 points. In addition, four players qualified for the state meet. All four will return in 2016.
Hird's successful season bodes well for the Pioneers, with their first Western Big 6 Conference title. During the dual season, the Pioneers achieved a perfect 14-0 record. By the end of the conference, the team held the top two positions in doubles and a second place in singles, with 22 points overall. The Pioneers also took their third sectional championship in school history.
The team's victories during Hird's first year of coaching the Pioneers -- in addition to her being voted as Regional Coach of the Year by her peers -- make the award especially sweet for the 1987 Alleman alumna and former tennis player.
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