University of Minnesota Athletics
The Tale of the Thompson Twins
2/27/2019 1:56:00 PM | Tennis
How two Las Vegas natives turned into the face of college tennis coaching
Interview and feature by Meaghan Frazier, Athletics Communications Student Assistant
Minnesota head coach Catrina Thompson and her twin sister Christian share a lot in common: classes in school, college tennis careers, and stints in the pro circuit. However, for the first time in their coaching careers, the "Thompson Twins" will be on opposite sides of the court when the Gophers take on the Denver Pioneers in a neutral site match in Houston, Tex.
Starting in their younger years, the sisters often found themselves naturally drawn together no matter the circumstance. "We are pretty much inseparable, so it has been quite the journey living apart these past few years," Catrina said.
From youth tennis to leading the nationally renowned Bishop Gorman High School (Las Vegas, Nev.) tennis team—the twins were always joined at the hip. So, when it came to taking their talents to the collegiate level, it was without question that they would go as a pair. Notre Dame became home to the sisters as Catrina and Christian reigned as three-time All-America honorees as a doubles combination during their tenure with the Fighting Irish. In 2005 and 2006 the sisters were the top ranked doubles tandem in the country while securing the ITA All-America doubles championship title in 2005. It was without any doubt that the twins were becoming the face of college tennis.
However, upon graduation, the twins would find themselves going down separate paths for the first time in nearly two decades. Although both dabbled in the pro circuit for a period of time, they eventually found their calling in coaching. Catrina would go on to be the assistant coach at Boise State after a short stint as a volunteer assistant at Yale. Eventually her path would find her back in South Bend where she took over an assistant role with her alma mater. She would then take her first collegiate head coaching position with the Gophers in 2017. Across her coaching career, Catrina has been a part of three, NCAA tournament teams and countless individual accolades including the 2013 ITA Mountain Region Assistant Coach of the Year.
Conversely, Christian joined the Denver staff after a three-year run with the Yale Bulldogs as an assistant coach. She would fill in as an interim head coach for the Bulldogs in 2011 before fortifying her head coach position at Denver—a role in which she's held since 2013. As an assistant, she helped lead Yale to a pair of conference titles alongside a program-best No. 18 ranking. Entering her sixth year at the head of the Pioneers, Christian has secured three Summit League Coach of the Year (2016, 2017, & 2018) awards as well as five consecutive conference titles and NCAA tournament appearances.
On Mar. 2, 2019, the twins will go head-to-head for the first time in their careers when Minnesota and Denver face off in a neutral site dual. "We want to win, we want to get the 'W' and I know she does too," Catrina joked. "I know some of her players and don't think she's seen as many of our girls, so I think I have a few extra scouting notes. It'll be a battle, but we want to get the win at the end of the day."
Minnesota head coach Catrina Thompson and her twin sister Christian share a lot in common: classes in school, college tennis careers, and stints in the pro circuit. However, for the first time in their coaching careers, the "Thompson Twins" will be on opposite sides of the court when the Gophers take on the Denver Pioneers in a neutral site match in Houston, Tex.
Starting in their younger years, the sisters often found themselves naturally drawn together no matter the circumstance. "We are pretty much inseparable, so it has been quite the journey living apart these past few years," Catrina said.
From youth tennis to leading the nationally renowned Bishop Gorman High School (Las Vegas, Nev.) tennis team—the twins were always joined at the hip. So, when it came to taking their talents to the collegiate level, it was without question that they would go as a pair. Notre Dame became home to the sisters as Catrina and Christian reigned as three-time All-America honorees as a doubles combination during their tenure with the Fighting Irish. In 2005 and 2006 the sisters were the top ranked doubles tandem in the country while securing the ITA All-America doubles championship title in 2005. It was without any doubt that the twins were becoming the face of college tennis.
However, upon graduation, the twins would find themselves going down separate paths for the first time in nearly two decades. Although both dabbled in the pro circuit for a period of time, they eventually found their calling in coaching. Catrina would go on to be the assistant coach at Boise State after a short stint as a volunteer assistant at Yale. Eventually her path would find her back in South Bend where she took over an assistant role with her alma mater. She would then take her first collegiate head coaching position with the Gophers in 2017. Across her coaching career, Catrina has been a part of three, NCAA tournament teams and countless individual accolades including the 2013 ITA Mountain Region Assistant Coach of the Year.
Conversely, Christian joined the Denver staff after a three-year run with the Yale Bulldogs as an assistant coach. She would fill in as an interim head coach for the Bulldogs in 2011 before fortifying her head coach position at Denver—a role in which she's held since 2013. As an assistant, she helped lead Yale to a pair of conference titles alongside a program-best No. 18 ranking. Entering her sixth year at the head of the Pioneers, Christian has secured three Summit League Coach of the Year (2016, 2017, & 2018) awards as well as five consecutive conference titles and NCAA tournament appearances.
On Mar. 2, 2019, the twins will go head-to-head for the first time in their careers when Minnesota and Denver face off in a neutral site dual. "We want to win, we want to get the 'W' and I know she does too," Catrina joked. "I know some of her players and don't think she's seen as many of our girls, so I think I have a few extra scouting notes. It'll be a battle, but we want to get the win at the end of the day."
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