The Grind, presented by Bank of Clarendon: East Clarendon's Knowlton sets the example of a balanced student-athlete

East Clarendon senior Ann Grace Knowlton tends to keep a full plate.

She's a two-sport athlete for the Lady Wolverines, suiting up for both the tennis and the softball teams. Outside of sports, she's a strong student, taking college courses at both Central Carolina and Francis Marion as she prepares for her next steps in life. She took part in American Legion Auxiliary Palmetto Girls State over the summer and is an active participant in her church, Barrineau Pentecostal Holiness Church.

While she's an example for her younger teammates and friends, Ann Grace doesn't put herself on a pedestal. She's just trying to do her best to make the most of her time with the Lady Wolverines.

"You want to be a good role model and have a good attitude, but it's not like you're superior over anybody," she said. "Everybody's together as a team."

PASSION FOR SPORTS

Growing up in Turbeville, the diamond tends to call many young athletes. East Clarendon is known for success on the diamond, piling up state championships in softball throughout the 2000s. It was only natural for Ann Grace to fall in love with softball. Her father, George, thought it would impart the perfect life lessons as she grew with the game.

"It's kind of a heritage in that in our area where ball is so much fun and you enjoy it as a pastime. It also teaches so much about discipline and control in life and teamwork," he said. "It's just something that I grew up in and something I wanted my kids to be a part of and enjoy."

Ann Grace grew up on the rec fields in Turbeville. As she started high school, she wanted to find another activity for the fall. Her mom played a bit of tennis and thought Ann Grace should give it a shot with her younger sister, Addie.

"I didn't know the first thing about tennis when I started," Ann Grace said. "My mama took me and Addie to Academy and just picked out a couple rackets, and we'd come out here pretty often and practice. Our coaches have done a lot for us, teaching us how to play."

Ann Grace quickly learned that softball and tennis are both wildly different sports. Softball is built around the structure of the team. The dugout is loud as girls hoot and holler during their teammates' at bats. Tennis can be much more solitary. While there is a team score, you're often on an island with your opponent, focused on winning your match to help the team earn a victory.

"Softball is louder, and you're constantly encouraging one another. Which you do on the tennis court but not as verbally," Ann Grace said. "There's definitely pressure (in tennis), but I like it that it is kind of more of an individual. It's more like I'm holding myself accountable for how I'm doing. At the same time, you're trying to support your team."

Over her four years on the tennis court, Ann Grace has blossomed into an integral leader for the Lady Wolverines. As one of two seniors, she helps set the tone for the team. She's come a long way since head coach Morgan Keefe joined the coaching staff in 2022.

"When I first met Ann Grace, she was kind of quiet, reserved, kind of like she didn't want to stand out in a crowd, if that makes sense," Morgan said. "As I got to know her, she just blossomed into this very open, confident, hard-working, incredible student and athlete. She's really impressed me over the last two years. She's taken on a little bit more of a leadership role, trying to guide some of the younger players to push hard and just be successful.

"She's really taken her captain's role seriously by helping me out extra when I need a little bit of help, since I'm the only coach. She does what she can to influence all of the other players. She's just extremely hard-working and it shows when she's on the court, too."

DEVELOPING AS A PLAYER

Ann Grace went from a complete newbie as a freshman to being a key player for the Lady Wolverines over the past few seasons. She teams up with her sister as East Clarendon's top doubles pairing. In doubles, she's the No. 2, constantly battling with her sister for the top spot. Morgan has been extremely impressed with the strides Ann Grace has made within the last year, especially after putting in a ton of work during the offseason.

"Last year she really cracked down on her consistency. It's very rare when she misses a shot," Morgan said. "She hustles really hard to get to all the balls, and she does really good with just keeping the ball in play as long as she can. And honestly her consistency outruns a lot of the people that she plays. She's not really a power hitter or somebody who tries to end the points really quickly. She's in it for the long haul, she's patient, she's very consistent and that really shows in her game."

One particular area of growth has been her serve. Morgan and Ann Grace put in a lot of hours over the summer to hone her mechanics.

"I taught her a different way for her serve, and her serve has improved so much since last year," Morgan said. "It's gotten stronger, it's gotten faster, and she can move the ball around a little bit more."

It helps to have a practice partner at home. Ann Grace and Addie make their way to the EC tennis courts religiously.

"It's definitely competitive," Ann Grace said of playing with her sister. "But, at the end of the day, we just learned to be happy for each other. We cheer each other on and support each other and help each other play better."

That constant practice also leads to success in doubles. The Knowlton sisters are the top duo for the Lady Wolverines because of their natural chemistry built over hours on the court together.

"They can talk to each other kind of like nobody else can, just because they have that sisterly aspect, and they have that bond," Morgan said. "They play together so much, they know exactly how each other plays. They know where to be when the ball's coming. They back each other up like nobody's business. They're a really useful doubles team for our group."

Of course, there's a little smack talk between sisters, but it's all in good fun.

"We'll say stuff to each other that we wouldn't say to somebody else, but it's enjoyable," Ann Grace said. "I enjoy playing back, and she's good at the net. We'll fuss at each other if one of us makes a mistake, but by the end of the night, we're back to being sisters."

While Ann Grace and Addie enjoy playing together, their parents might get a little more out of the experience. George is savoring every minute his daughters get to share the court this year.

"Time's kind of snuck up on me where she's a senior this year, but it's a unique situation where they're able to play together and be on the court together," he said. "Obviously, me and her mother are trying to soak all that in and take it in, as this will be her last year. It's been a lot of fun and something that I would advise any siblings to take part in together if they could."

PROGRAM RESURGENCE

The tennis program at East Clarendon was a powerhouse when Morgan was a player in the mid-2010s. They won a lower state title with Morgan as their No. 1 in 2013. After then-head coach Catherine Kirby retired, the tennis program had a revolving door of head coaches.

But the current crop has found a spark of success, and Ann Grace has been at the forefront. They made it back to the playoffs last season, winning their first round matchup with McBee before a second-round exit.

"Honestly, it's a full circle moment being able to come back and see the girls invested like we used to be," Morgan said. "I have really high hopes that they're going to go farther this year than the first or second round of playoffs, like we did last year. And last year was actually the first time they've made playoffs in a while, so that was really exciting for us."

Part of the reason for their success is the commitment level of the entire team, Ann Grace included. Their closeness as a team is what kept bringing Ann Grace back to the tennis courts every fall.

"Just the people," Ann Grace said. "I enjoy playing with my friends. I just enjoy playing tennis, it's fun.

"We've gone to church together and been in school together for so long, it's just like a sisterhood."

When Morgan came through East Clarendon as a player, her teams shared a similar bond. She is overjoyed to see that same enthusiasm back in the program.

"I was very shocked when I came into this to see how close this group girls was. I don't think they've had that in quite some time here at EC. Honestly, I don't know if they've had that kind of closeness since I've been here," she said. "They're really close. They all hang out together outside of tennis. And I really think that builds a camaraderie on the team as a whole.

"They build each other up, they're always cheering each other on in the courts, and it really shows when they're playing."

BALANCE

But Ann Grace doesn't just shine on the court, she's an excellent student. Those two things go hand in hand for the senior. She has the same mindset on the tennis court as she does in the classroom.

"There's nobody putting pressure on you but yourself to do good, so it's just the standards you set for yourself," Ann Grace said of her mentality with both her education and tennis.

Morgan feels blessed to have a senior that sets that example.

"I tell them at the beginning of our yearly meeting that they're a student-athlete and name it that way for a specific reason. You're a student first and then you're an athlete. I tell them that I watch all of their grades, I look at their GPAs, I do all of the things to make sure that there is success in the classroom as well as on the court," Morgan said. "My seniors do a really good job of pushing, "Hey, if you need to stay, stay after school and get your work done first because that's the most important aspect." And with Ann Grace having the grades that she does and how hard she studies with everything, it really rubs off on the other players."

Ann Grace doesn't spend all of her time on school and sports. She's an active participant in her church and an avid hunter. She knows the importance of a work-life balance.

"Obviously, grades are important, but I don't want my whole life to be school," she said. "I like to try to balance school and sports and just what I enjoy, while still holding myself accountable to do my best in everything."

Both of the Knowltons are wired to give everything their best shot, literally and figuratively. George says that comes from having a wide scope when looking at the bigger picture.

"Being the older one, she's always really kind of had her head screwed on straight. She sees the big picture that way, and that's always been a real blessing to me and her mother," George said of Ann Grace. "It's a learning process, but she's done very well managing her time and learning how to balance her time for study, her time for fun, her time for tennis, her time to go hunt and fish and just making time for everything. It's all a process, but she's done very well developing into a very good time manager, and I hope to see her increasing that as she goes on through her college days."

That perspective also means that Ann Grace can find the joy in each moment she spends doing what she loves.

"They don't take themselves too seriously, but they kind of keep a broad perspective of it," George said of his daughters. "As much as they like to compete, as much as they like to win, it's all about just taking it all in and enjoying it and themselves while they're out there. I think both of them have a really good feel for what it really means to just take it one minute at a time, always encourage each other to do better, and drive each other to do better."