The RoundHouse | 4/3/2025 3:45:00 PM

By Paul Suellentrop
 
Senior Clara Whitaker often regarded tennis as an individual sport until her perspective changed at Wichita State.
 
She talked with coach Colin Foster about boosting teammates with positive energy. She watched former Shocker Natsumi Kurahashi. She pushed herself out of her comfort zone as a student leader in the athletic department. She leads a Bible study at St. Paul University Parish on campus.
 
"Colin was very adamant about being loud, being expressive," Whitaker said. "Outward. That was something I had to learn. That made me enjoy it a lot more, because I was able to share it with others."
 

Whitaker is wrapping up her college tennis career on a rising Shocker team and sharing assets earned over four years.
 
Wichita State (11-6) is No. 49 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings after breaking into the top 50 for the first time since 2019 in mid-March. Teams in the top 40 are usually considered strong at-large NCAA candidates, so a strong finish to the regular season and the American Athletic Conference Championship can boost WSU's resume.
 
 The Shockers play their final home match vs. North Texas at noon Friday at Wichita Country Club.

Sharing experience, talent and personality with others has become Whitaker's trademark.
 
"She's going to make anything she is a part of better," said Ella Anciaux, who grew up with Whitaker and is co-president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee with her. "She is such a giving and generous person. She gives her 110-percent effort into everything."
 
While Whitaker played No. 3 doubles earlier in the spring, many of her contributions come from leadership, working in practice and encouraging teammates. She is a regular on the Athletic Director's Honor Roll.
 
Hard work and reliability are always a strength for Whitaker, coach Colin Foster said. As she matured, she improved her own body language and ways of dealing with tough times. As a senior, she can hold teammates accountable because of the example she sets.
 
"She's embraced a leadership role and grown into finding the right voice," Foster said. "It was getting used to saying the right things at the right times. She's striking that right chord."
 
When not in the lineup, Whitaker's enthusiasm and voice are important.
 
"She's handled that part really well, recognizing during the team matches that 'Hey, I've got just as important a role today as I do in practices and I've got to bring that same energy,'" Foster said. 
 

Whitaker and Ella Anciaux, a senior who played women's basketball, share duties with the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee since last year. Whitaker leads the committee's community service initiatives, such as blanket and canned food drives and a coin collection to help victims of domestic violence.
 
Whitaker and Anciaux met as sixth graders and attended Kapaun Mount Carmel Catholic High School. Anciaux remembers a photo of them on a youth soccer team, the one time they paired up. At Kapaun, she earned All-Class 5A honors in basketball twice. Whitaker won four Class 5A tennis titles while compiling a 125-5 singles record.
 
Anciaux, from the perspective of friend, classmate and co-worker, watched Whitaker grow more confident at WSU. Leading the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee requires a student to work with people from other sports, ask for time and organize busy athletes.
 
"She's found her voice as a leader and that's been really cool to watch," Anciaux said. "It can be very intimidating to speak in front of a large group of people, especially if we have our administration in the room. You can see it in how she speaks and commands the attention of the room."
 
Learning those skills are not limited to her time as an athlete. Whitaker, a chemistry major, presented on broad-spectrum inhibitors and COVID at a conference in Oklahoma City as part of an independent research study in her organic chemistry class. She plans to attend physician school in the future.
 
"A lot of finding my voice was letting go of a lot of that fear and replacing it with confidence," she said.
 
Whitaker considered herself a leader in high school as she helped Kapaun to a state title and two runner-up finishes. She learned more in college. Kurahashi, a senior last season, made a big impression.
 
"She was just such a positive workhorse," Whitaker said. "She always did as much as possible. She worked so hard, which was very attractive. That helped the team a lot, want to push and work hard."
 
Building a good environment is critical in Whitaker's mind. The tennis schedule runs from September to November and resumes in January until May. Keeping teammates engaged and feeling part of a strong unit matters.
 
"It can get pretty tough and pretty draining," she said. "We're all together in this. Letting them know they're not alone in the hard."
 
No matter the team, it is easier navigating college athletics with the right voices in your head.
 
Paul Suellentrop writes about Wichita State athletics for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.