By Bob Nuse, Sports Editor
For four years the McGowen triplets have been making opponents do a double-take, or in their case a triple-take, during lineup introductions for the Stuart Country Day School tennis team.
“When we all line up to do introductions we get a lot of comments asking if we’re all sisters,” said Pam McGowen, one of three triplets and four sisters who are part of the varsity lineup for the Tartans.
For the last three years, Pam, Natalie and Juliet McGowen have been fixtures in the varsity lineup for Stuart. Last week they played their final match together, a 5-0 win over Pennington that helped the Tartans finish the season with an 8-5 record.
“The McGowens are the backbone to our team, especially as they make up more than half of our team,” said Stuart coach Katherine Stoltenberg, whose lineup also includes Ally McGowen, the younger sister of the triplets. “Juliet, Pam and Natalie lead our team on and off the court and add so much enthusiasm and positivity to the team.”
Pam and Natalie have played doubles together for Stuart for the last three seasons. After playing the last two years at doubles, Juliet moved into the singles lineup this year. Younger sister Ally also plays doubles.
“We started when we were 7 or 8 because our mom got really into it so we all started together,” Natalie said. “We weren’t really good at it right away but it was something we all decided we wanted to work on. I love playing with my sisters and playing on the team. I like the strategy involved in tennis. It’s difficult with the challenges that you have.”
While Juliet enjoys the independence of playing singles, Natalie and Pam couldn’t imagine not being able to play doubles together.
“We’ve played doubles together on the varsity since sophomore year,” Pam said. “Our freshman year we played JV and played a little singles and a little doubles. I really like playing with Natalie because we can work together outside of school really easily on developing skills and strategies.”
The girls all work on their game on the weekends with lessons at the Nassau Tennis Club in their hometown of Montgomery. The triplets capped off their careers at Stuart by helping the team to a successful eight win season.
“I really liked playing on the team,” Juliet said. “It’s great that I got to play with my sisters and this year I got to play singles. I enjoy tennis. I liked that it was an individual sport in the sense you focus on your own game. But it is also a team sport in the sense the team wins or losses. I would finish my game and then go cheer my sisters and the rest of the team on.”
The triplets play volleyball in the winter and run track in the spring. Ally also runs track in the spring. The girls have two more seasons together at Stuart before they head off to college. They were glad to have the last four years together on the tennis court.
“It’s been awesome,” Natalie said. “I love playing on the Stuart team. Last year we had two seniors who were awesome, Mia (Austria) and Maya (Kuang). This year being a senior is kind of surreal and fun at the same time. We’re all really good friends.
“I don’t know if we’ll play varsity tennis when we go to college but I think we all want to go to the same school and continue to play. We want to stay together.”
With the tennis season over the girls are now preparing for the volleyball season. And beyond that there will be a track season that also includes their younger sister on the team.
“This year the season has flown by,” Pam said. “It just went so quickly I didn’t even realize it has been three years.”
When the sisters head to college next year they’ll bring their rackets with them and find a court to play on whether they are on the school team or not.
“I think we’ll try to play in college,” Juliet said. “If not at the college then just together for fun.”
