University of Minnesota Athletics
Players Mentioned
Summer Update: Tina Kreinis
7/23/2019 11:19:00 AM | Tennis
Tina Kreinis had a great junior season for the Golden Gophers. The Toronto, Ont., native had 13 wins last year, including nine in dual action and four in the Big Ten. Receiving her first ranking, Kreinis is looking forward to her senior season with Minnesota. Before she prepares for her final Gopher season, Kreinis has had a busy summer. Participating in the Leadership U retreat, classes and traveling, take a look at what she's been up to this summer!
Looking back at the 2018-19 season, what were some of your favorite moments from the past year?
Tina Kreinis: This past season was one of the best seasons I've had at Minnesota. I got ranked in the top 100 for the first time, and had two ranked wins which I have also never done before in college tennis. Winning the Northwestern 4-3 match was the highlight of the whole season, but it was also a phenomenal opportunity to travel to California and play UCLA. The campus is beautiful, and playing some of the best players in college tennis is not something you get to do everyday. I really look forward to getting to do it again my senior year!
Since the semester wrapped up, tell us what you've been up to this summer?
TK: Of course I had some time for a little R&R! I visited back home in Toronto for a little, in perfect timing to see the Raptors snatch up the NBA championship! I took some time off of tennis and school to spend with my family and friends, then went right back to work in June. I have been training and attending classes, trying to do other fun things along the way. I recently celebrated my birthday and a few others which was a lot of fun!
You recently were a part of the Leadership U retreat in Chicago. What were some of the things you did when you were on the retreat?
TK: We did a lot of activities specifically on effective communication and understanding the needs and personalities of other people. We did a fun Improv Comedy activity, that was something I've never done before, but it taught us to use our words wisely and maintain a positive outlook during difficult and/or frustrating tasks. We also did activities that involved catering to other personalities and understanding how different strengths can benefit everyone as a whole in achieving a task. David Plummer, Peyton Owens, Dr. Anderson, and the leadership team put together an unbelievable event that I truly hope everyone gets to experience at some point in their college careers because the value of the lessons we were taught is priceless!
What were three things you took away from that experience that you can apply either to your team or can use following your collegiate career?
TK: One thing would be effective communication because we all have a lot on our plates and don't always have the time or concentration to listen unless someone speaks effectively & efficiently. Something else is the importance of being vulnerable with people in order to understand each other's strengths and weaknesses in order to always evolve and work on yourself. The last thing is understanding that not everyone will view things in the same way that you do, so it's important to keep an open mind to really invest in others and learn how to cater to your team best.
You'll be a senior next year, what would you like to accomplish in your final year with the Gophers?
TK: I would absolutely LOVE to make it into the NCAA tournament, as we were really close this last season. It would be a once in a lifetime experience and a cool memory to take with me as I graduate.
You're scheduled to graduate in the spring of 2020, what would you like to do once you've graduated?
TK: As of now, I think I will take about a year off of school to prepare for the MCAT and look into applying to medical school or other graduate programs. I"m just really excited to relax!