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Summer Spotlight: River Hart
6/18/2020 12:31:00 PM | Tennis
Now home for the summer, River Hart has kept herself busy. From playing tennis, to cooking with her sister, she has taken full advantage of being home with her family. Now, looking ahead to her senior year with the Gophers, we decided to take a look back on the 2019-20 season with Hart and see what she has been up to so far this summer!
GopherSports: Looking back on your junior season, what are some of your favorite memories from this past year?
River Hart: My junior year was definitely one to remember. As a team, we had some great moments that I will hold and cherish forever. Some of my favorite memories took place on and off the court. Traveling to California for the ITA kickoff was something that we all really enjoyed and bonded over. Beating Wisconsin, ranked No. 21 in the country, was also a highlight for me. We have always had a rivalry with them and so coming together as a team to defeat them felt great. We worked really hard all year, pushing ourselves to become the best team we could be, so the win was a sweet reminder that our hard work was paying off.
GS: Now that the semester is over, what are some things you have been doing this summer?
RH: I arrived home in the Bahamas mid-March, so I have been spending a lot of time with my family. I normally don't get this much time to be with my family for summer so I have been trying to take full advantage and make the most of it. I have been playing a lot of tennis and recently started coaching in my neighborhood. I have also been cooking a lot and dedicating time towards things I normally don't have time for, like reading and painting.
You and your sister started an Instagram account showcasing all of the different foods you like to cook. How did you start that and what meal has been your favorite?
RH: Cooking has always been a passion of mine and being in quarantine has given me a lot of free time. My sister and I decided it would be fun to start a food account and post our favorite recipes. However, I have to admit, we haven't been as diligent with it as we probably should be. We tend to start a recipe and forget to document it. Regardless, we have enjoyed the process and love cooking meals together. Our favorite meal (which we haven't posted yet) was a lasagna with fresh pasta, italian sausage, bechamel, and homemade marinara sauce. Hard to explain, but it was seriously delicious.
GS: Do you have any big plans over vacation?
RH: I don't have many plans for the summer as my situation here is constantly changing due to COVID-19, but my family and I may be making a trip to Spain in July if things keep improving over there.
GS: How have you been working on your tennis game?
RH: I have been working on my tennis game by trying to stay in shape as best I can and train with my sister who also plays tennis. I am lucky to have someone I can count on to play with everyday so I have been able to practice regularly.
GS: What are you looking forward to most this coming season?
RH: I look forward to just being back with my team and being able to practice with them. I've missed everyone very much so it will be nice for us all to be back together again. I am also excited to meet any new teammates and work together to produce the best results we can. I have a lot of confidence in us and have a great feeling about our upcoming season.
GS: This coming season will also be your senior season. Do you have any goals that you want to accomplish?
RH: Since it is my senior season, I would love to see our team make NCAAs and achieve the great things that I know we are capable of. I want to enjoy the journey as it is coming to an end, and take advantage of the time I have with my team and coaches.
GopherSports: Looking back on your junior season, what are some of your favorite memories from this past year?
River Hart: My junior year was definitely one to remember. As a team, we had some great moments that I will hold and cherish forever. Some of my favorite memories took place on and off the court. Traveling to California for the ITA kickoff was something that we all really enjoyed and bonded over. Beating Wisconsin, ranked No. 21 in the country, was also a highlight for me. We have always had a rivalry with them and so coming together as a team to defeat them felt great. We worked really hard all year, pushing ourselves to become the best team we could be, so the win was a sweet reminder that our hard work was paying off.
GS: Now that the semester is over, what are some things you have been doing this summer?
RH: I arrived home in the Bahamas mid-March, so I have been spending a lot of time with my family. I normally don't get this much time to be with my family for summer so I have been trying to take full advantage and make the most of it. I have been playing a lot of tennis and recently started coaching in my neighborhood. I have also been cooking a lot and dedicating time towards things I normally don't have time for, like reading and painting.
You and your sister started an Instagram account showcasing all of the different foods you like to cook. How did you start that and what meal has been your favorite?
RH: Cooking has always been a passion of mine and being in quarantine has given me a lot of free time. My sister and I decided it would be fun to start a food account and post our favorite recipes. However, I have to admit, we haven't been as diligent with it as we probably should be. We tend to start a recipe and forget to document it. Regardless, we have enjoyed the process and love cooking meals together. Our favorite meal (which we haven't posted yet) was a lasagna with fresh pasta, italian sausage, bechamel, and homemade marinara sauce. Hard to explain, but it was seriously delicious.
GS: Do you have any big plans over vacation?
RH: I don't have many plans for the summer as my situation here is constantly changing due to COVID-19, but my family and I may be making a trip to Spain in July if things keep improving over there.
GS: How have you been working on your tennis game?
RH: I have been working on my tennis game by trying to stay in shape as best I can and train with my sister who also plays tennis. I am lucky to have someone I can count on to play with everyday so I have been able to practice regularly.
GS: What are you looking forward to most this coming season?
RH: I look forward to just being back with my team and being able to practice with them. I've missed everyone very much so it will be nice for us all to be back together again. I am also excited to meet any new teammates and work together to produce the best results we can. I have a lot of confidence in us and have a great feeling about our upcoming season.
GS: This coming season will also be your senior season. Do you have any goals that you want to accomplish?
RH: Since it is my senior season, I would love to see our team make NCAAs and achieve the great things that I know we are capable of. I want to enjoy the journey as it is coming to an end, and take advantage of the time I have with my team and coaches.
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