St. Joseph’s Ane (pronounced Ah-nay) McPike is one of those people with enough talent to make you feel bad about yourself. The 5-foot-11 senior is an accomplished tennis and basketball player.
“She’s one of our outstanding female athletes,” said St. Joseph Athletic Director John Osborne. “Ane is also one of our best girls’ basketball players. She really will be one of the few two-sports players at a four-year university.”
And as if being queen of the court wasn’t enough, McPike is an “outstanding student,” according to Osborne. With a 3.4 GPA overall and her involvement in student government, it’s easy to see why.
McPike said she started playing when she was 8.
“Early on, I just played tennis and basketball,” she explained.
“My mom and most of my family play tennis, and that’s what got me into it.”
When asked what her favorite thing about the game is, she didn’t have to think long: “Going out there, not having to think about anything else but tennis and just competing.”
Being part of a team is a big draw for her, too.
“I enjoy being out there when all my team is out there and everyone is cheering for each other,” she said.
Part of what makes McPike such a great athlete is her ability to modify her game and use new techniques on the court.
“I like testing what I’ve been working on and applying it to the match,” she said. “I changed my serve and forehand grip this year.”
It seems like the change is working out for her—she’s the Los Padres League individual champion, and she won both sets 6-love in her first round of CIF playoffs.
Even with such a great tennis season under her belt, McPike isn’t resting on her laurels. Basketball season starts Dec. 1, and Osborne expects her to do great things on the other court.
“She’s going to have an outstanding basketball year, too,” he said.
This article appears in Nov 20-27, 2008.