If you did not know any better, you would swear seniors Katie McGaffigan and Lindsay Martin were sisters. But then again, they kind of are.
\I always used to joke about that,"" Martin said with a laugh.
While the end to the 2004-'05 tennis season means the end of two stellar careers, both McGaffigan and Martin, while surprised how quickly the last four years went by, will cherish the memories produced by their careers at Wisconsin.
""I mean, it's gone by so fast,"" Martin said. ""I know everybody says that, but looking back on it, it's gone by so fast, especially this past year. I feel like it's always those years, the most fun years, the years that you're having a lot of success as a team, that go by the fastest.""
The Badgers (5-4 Big Ten, 13-7 overall) certainly are succeeding behind their twin senior leadership. Wisconsin strung together a seven-match winning streak from the end of February to the beginning of April, pushing its national ranking to No. 33. McGaffigan is currently ranked No. 100 in the country in singles. Both were raised in tennis families, were ranked among the top 50 players while in high school and began their respective careers at Wisconsin with a bang.
As freshmen, McGaffigan and Martin were terrors on the doubles court. The two compiled a 21-5 overall doubles record in their rookie season. Sophomore year they paired with other teammates before reuniting to finish their junior year with a 26-15 overall record, a No. 42 ranking and an NCAA tournament appearance. This season, McGaffigan has held down the No. 1 singles spot, compiling a 15-18 record, while Martin has gone 12-17 at No. 3. For both, this season has not seen the individual success the two have experienced, but the team as a whole is playing well and winning.
Head coach Patti Henderson attributes some of Wisconsin's return to success to her two seniors. Should Wisconsin earn a team berth for the NCAA tournament, the Badgers would have appeared in the NCAA's three of the Martin and McGaffigan's four years at Wisconsin.
""I'm sure for both of them individually, they haven't necessarily accomplished exactly what they would've liked to accomplish their senior year, from a personal point of view,"" Henderson said. ""However, they've still had a huge impact on the team results. We're right now higher ranked than we have been in quite a while.""
Not only do the two share similar tennis family backgrounds, they lived in the same dormitory freshman year. While they were not roommates then, they have been ever since.
""Freshman year we started playing doubles ... midway through the season, and we really clicked,"" McGaffigan said. ""We were good friends off the court too, so I think that helps us on the court. We've lived together ever since then.""
As the lone seniors, McGaffigan and Martin have taken over as team leaders. McGaffigan is the quiet leader, preferring to set the example.
Martin is the more vocal of the two, filling more of a maternal role.
""I do have those 'motherly qualities.' I think everybody would agree with that and I can't stifle those, you know?"" Martin admitted. ""They just come out sometimes, but I guess there's a time and place for that.""
McGaffigan agrees, ""I would say she's definitely the mother hen of the team.""\
