Shore Shots Finish Fourth In Nation, And Mom Is There To Catch It All On Camera

By CAROLYN MURPHY

It didn’t take long for Anne Foley’s love of photography to kick in during a recent trip to the USTA Nationals in Tucson.

Foley took the trip to Arizona primarily to support her daughter Kate McGetrick of Madison and her teammates during their bid for the National title, tucking her digital camera into her suitcase in hopes of taking some shots. But she quickly found herself immersed in her photography, training her lens on everything from coaching sessions to clinking  wine glasses at celebratory dinners at the end of each day.

By the end of her four-day trip, Foley had amassed close to 500 images of the Guilford Shore Shots on their road to their fourth-place finish in the nation in the 4.0 division. She plans to compile the images in a photo documentary that will be available for view on her website www.Annefoleyphotography.com.

A freelance photographer for about 20 years, Foley usually focuses on landscapes around her hometown of Madison and trips abroad, including Tuscany. But she said she had trouble putting down her camera during Nationals, finding herself swept up in the excitement of the event.

“It was a great gathering,” Foley said. “It was an important time for everyone and everybody was having so much fun. I tried to capture how people were feeling and all the positive energy that was coming from the players, supporters and their coach, Steve Godiksen."

A longtime tennis player herself, Foley said she believes the Guilford team went further than ever before this year because of the positive energy of all the players. She noted that many players went out to Tucson knowing that they might not play, but never complained. In the end, all of the 16 players who made the trip saw action. 

“It was a many months-long effort,” said Foley, noting the team had been gearing up for Districts, Sectionals and Nationals since May. “To get people that are totally supportive and happy for one another, whether they get a chance to play or not, is pretty unusual and extraordinary.”

Team co-captains Michele Freund and Ann Lefler, both of Madison, agreed with Foley, noting that everyone on the team contributed and the team peaked at the right time.

“It was a fantastic experience at Nationals coming in 4th in the nation,” Freund said. “It was quite an accomplishment. The fact that we had 16 players come out and everyone played shows that it was truly a team effort.”