Conrad Weiser tennis standout Emma Perkins
How many freshmen can say they won a state championship? Emma Perkins of Conrad Weiser High School is one. Perkins and Alex Pancu brought the PIAA-2A doubles title back to Robesonia in 2020. "It was really cool. We were really good friends so it was awesome to accomplish that, but I don't think I understood the severity of it at the moment," Perkins told SV Sports' Paul Roberts. Pancu is now playing at Albright College and Perkins is in her final season with the Scouts. The 6'1 senior is trying to win the BCIAA Flight 1 singles championship for the fourth consecutive year. "It would mean a lot to me because I've heard so much about it," replied Perkins. She's hoping to join Martha Blakely and Cara Wirth as the only Berks County girls tennis players to pull off the four-peat. Perkins has three District 3-2A doubles titles on her impressive resume. She'll be focusing on singles at the state tournament in 2023.
The USTA named Conrad Weiser the National Outstanding Educational Tennis Facility of the year. A ceremony was held for the team earlier this week at the US Open in Flushing Meadows, New York. "It was absolutely incredible. We don't really get recognition like that out here so it was really nice to see," mentioned Perkins. The Scouts' tennis facility was renovated in 2012-13 and resurfaced in 2021. The "Hits for Hope" tournament is held there every June and benefits a different charity. It's the largest annual tennis tournament in Pennsylvania with 250-300 participants. Ryan Knarr is in his eighth season as the school's head coach. "He has built it. He's been here since the beginning and he's grown up through Weiser. It's incredible to see how it's prospered," stated Perkins. Knarr was recognized by the USPTA as the National High School Coach of the Year in 2021. Perkins said her favorite part of the trip to the US Open was getting to watch Novak Djokovic. When asked who was going to win that event, she immediately answered "Djokovic, 1000 percent!" Perkins enjoys reading and all genres of music including opera. She likes going to the beach and would love the opportunity to play college tennis in Florida.