Grad Stories 2019: Alex Horton and Shannon McEachern

Traditions Never Graduate.

Shannon McEachern and I have been friends since 7th grade. We met on a club basketball team even though we went to different grade schools. Continuing on to high school, we both attended Aurora Central Catholic (ACC).

As high school freshmen, we played on the same basketball team and I joined the tennis team. Shannon actually tried out for the volleyball team and did not make it. In the end, Shannon said "it was the best thing that could have ever happened" since she ended up joining the ACC tennis team. We played together for four years in high school, Shannon played number one doubles and I played number one singles. Shannon is originally from Sandwich, IL and I am from Aurora, IL. High school graduation came around the corner, Shannon and I both had to make the final decision of where we would attend college.

Shannon decided St. Ambrose University to be a history, political science major and minor in pre-law/criminal justice and tennis athlete. She knew the university well because her brother was in the Physical Therapy program and is now an alum.

My heart was set on going to Ball State University for college and playing on a club team for tennis. Before I made my decision, my mom insisted that I visit St. Ambrose University because we had a family friend graduate from there. I ended up falling in love with the feel of the university and the fact that I could play collegiate tennis. I signed within a few weeks later to major in business management and marketing with a minor in art.

Shannon and I found out that we would be playing once again on the same team and it definitely helped calm the nerves going out on the court for the first practice. We were welcomed by nine other girls on the team that year and still have friendships with most. Our college tennis careers have made us closer than we were in high school. Shannon is one of my best friends and we have made so many memories here at Ambrose.

We have been to social events on campus together like late night movies put on by CAB, homecoming football games, basketball games, concerts, trivia, and mass at Christ the King Chapel. We have visited local coffee shops, been shopping at the mall by campus and visited many restaurants/bars surrounding the area. Our tradition since freshman year is to eat at Azteca on Brady Street because of the great Mexican food.

Over the years, we have played almost every position in college. This spring season, I played number one doubles and singles and Shannon played number two doubles and four singles. The women's team played against Indiana South Bend this spring. I was playing singles and I had just lost my first set. Shannon was on the court next to me and she had just won her singles match. She came over and talked to me in between switch-overs. Shannon knows my style of play better than anyone else on the team and knows I get easily frustrated. Shannon was able to calm me down, saying to not play tight, to compete, not care about the first set just start over now. Well, I owe that second set to Shannon because I beat my opponent 6-1 to then win in a tiebreaker, 10-5. It's moments like that where I know Shannon will always have my back no matter what. 

Shannon and I have gotten to know Coach Richard Blomgren well and he has stayed as head coach to finish out our journey together with us. Every match we play for Coach Blomgren. He has so much confidence in our team and believes in us so much, that when we lose, we feel bad because we want to prove to Coach how good we can be. This year the women's tennis team is doing well, we are 5-2 in the conference and ended up 3rd in the conference tournament. The last time Shannon and I made it with the team to the conference tournament was our freshman year. It is very exciting to be able to start and end with competing in the conference tournament. 

Shannon and I have made a name for ourselves at St. Ambrose University and we hope our names live on even after we graduate. Our last match of the conference season was on April 20th, we won against Roosevelt but emotions rose high that meet with all of the support from parents and team members. We both know the end is coming, after playing tennis for eight years together and it will be sad but we are ready to move on in the world to make a new name for ourselves.  

Shannon is going to law school at Northern Illinois University after graduation and I secured a job with Molex, LLC as a junior brand manager. Luckily, after graduation the two of us won't be too far from each other. We have already made plans to catch up and play tennis when it's nice out over the summer and fall. Even though the team won't keep us together anymore, our friendship will last long after Ambrose. If you are on the Ambrose tennis team, you are family forever. 

- Alex Horton '19