Prep of the Week: Kendall Kenis

(ABC 6 News) — When it comes to shooting the long ball, Albert Lea Girls Basketball’s Kendall Kenis has some of the fastest hands in southeast Minnesota.

It’s become a staple of her game and something teams have to account for when facing the Tigers. Ever since she was an eighth grader, Kenis has donned an Albert Lea varsity jersey, and her shot has only gotten better since. It was only a matter of time until she broke all the school records for most 3-point shots in a game and most career three-pointers.

“It’s really exciting to break records,” Kenis agreed. “But I just try to realize that every pass that I got to make that shot is from a teammate. All my teammates today and all my teammates in the past have gotten me to those records and have pushed me.”

In the win column, it hasn’t been the best of final seasons for Kenis and the Tigers. Under new head coach Dr. Jodi Schulz, it will take time to implement a new system when essentially starting from scratch. Even though Schulz won’t have Kenis moving forward, she’s grateful she has her now and for all the things she brings to the team on and off the court.

“She is just an all-around athlete, person,” Coach Schulz noted. “I believe she had a Triple-A Award. She’s the candidate for our school and she just portrays everything that embodies. Just a good person at heart. She brings the team up, she leads the team when we’re down. She’s just got a great foundation all around.”

For the next crop of Tigers up-and-comers such as sophomore Nevaeh Wacholz, she lauds Kendall’s influence and ability to make everyone around her better.

“Playing with her is a blast, but being able to play against her in practice has really made me a better player,” Wacholz expressed. “And it’s helped us to play better on the court too. She just pushes us hard and she makes me a better player and wants to see the best out of me. To know that I have a teammate that will do that at practice and make me better gives me a lot of confidence.”

As Kendall’s Albert Lea tenure nears its end, she spoke about what she’ll cherish the most after donning the cherry and blue colors these past few years.

“The culture around all of the sports I’ve been in,” Kenis concluded. “Everyone is there to help you, all of the teammates and friends that you make [are] just there to support you and it’s been really fun.”