Emily Getts, a 17-year-old tennis star for Columbia Falls High School, has a happy-go-lucky attitude when it comes to her net game.

“I really like tennis, so it’s more like we’ll see where it goes,” she said.

“It’s never been like I’m going to win state.”

That carefree approach has allowed her to be comfortable with the success she’s had and with the progress she has made.

But, it could happen — winning state.

The last Columbia Falls athlete to claim a state singles title was current Columbia Falls assistant coach Michelle (Ramage) Colliander. She accomplished that task in 1997.

“One of her biggest strengths is that she has a real good control of her emotions,” Columbia Falls coach Gene Marcille said of Getts.

“She’s confident, stays focused.

“The one thing I admire about her is she’s always respectful of her opponent, whether it’s a girl she’s easily beating or a girl giving her challenge. She treats them with respect.

“Another thing that makes her a good athlete is she goes into every match knowing what she wants to accomplish. She’s confident in what she’s trying to do.”

So there is no argument that she has the talent and is always focused on the task at hand. So it’s safe to say a state championship is well within her reach and that would also be the ideal way for the senior to close out her prep career.

“My biggest hope for the season is I don’t want to get caught up in the competition,” she said.

“I want to have fun.”

But when pressured on what she would hopes to accomplish, the truth finally comes out.

“I want to win,” she continued.

“Mostly, my goal is to place higher than fourth at state and repeat my divisionals. It’s a lot of pressure from me (to do that) and from the people around me.”

Getts is a two-time divisional singles champion and has placed fourth at state the last two years. She has not dropped a divisional match the last two seasons.

“She’s already accomplished so much, had success in tennis,” Marcille said.

“She has mastered of a lot of shots — can hit it strong, is fundamentally strong and has a lot of shots in her arsenal, weapons she can turn to which makes her successful. She has a lot of different ways to hit a tennis ball, which is why she’s a tough girl to beat.”

This marks Getts’ fourth season on the Wildkats varsity.

She advanced to state her freshman season, but was eliminated after two matches.

Billings Central’s Barclay Fagg, the state runner-up in 2013, beat Getts 6-1, 6-4 in the state semifinals in 2014. In the third/fourth place match, Getts lost to Brandy Lambourne of Havre, 6-4, 6-4.

Last year, Getts was beaten by Emilee Coleman of Livingston in the third/fourth place match 6-3, 6-3 and by Fagg, again, in the semifinals, 6-2. 6-2.

Fagg and Coleman are both back.

“I really like the competition,” she said of tennis.

“It’s mostly about being consistent. Not going for the power shots or winners, but hitting everything back. It’s something you are not really good at right off the bat, but something you have to work on over the years.”

And Getts has done just that.

She started swinging a tennis racket when she was 4-years-old. That’s when her family moved from Utah to Columbia Falls.

“Our house was a block from the tennis courts,” she said.

“I’d walk over there all the time and play.”

She would stand across the net from her older brother Grant, her sisters, or whoever wanted to volley with her.

“My mom was great to play with,” Emily said.

“She taught us the basics.”

Emily said her father also joined in.

“The whole family got into it,” she said.

“I played a lot in the summers (after that). I tried to sneak into the high school practice with (coach) Mr. (Jerry) Smalley.”

Getts’ passion for tennis caught the eye of Marcille, who also lives near the tennis courts.

“I watched Emily playing tennis with her dad hour after hour after hour when she was a little girl,” he said.

“Hitting ball after ball after ball. It surprised me how long she could hang in there. Not a lot of fifth graders would think it’s fun playing tennis with dad, but I was already thinking she was so much fun to watch.”

Getts tried to expand her prep sporting experience by running cross country for two seasons.

“I’m glad I did it,” she said.

“It was one of things I had to do, but I’m not a runner.”

She also tried out for soccer her freshman year, but did not make the team.

That hurt, she said, “but it ended up being a good thing.”

Getts already has enough on her daily plate. In addition to school, she’s a member of the Student Council and National Honor Society, is a Student Body secretary and is on the Yearbook staff.

Academically, she had a 3.95 grade point average. She has straight As in her school classes and two Bs in online course work (Latin II and pre-calculus).

And there’s more.

She plays the string bass and will compete in the district music festival this spring. In February, she was the Class A state expository speaking champion, helping Columbia Falls capture its 11th straight state championship.

And photography, specializing in portraits, takes up the remainder of what little free time she has.

“It’s crazy,” she said of her daily schedule.

“It’s so much stress.”

But on the positive side ...

“I’m glad I’ve done all those things in high school,” she said, “and have gotten to experience all the different aspects of it.

“I”m going to be very ready to graduate,” she confessed.

“I’m hoping to stay busy (after that) ... hoping to find different interests.”

This summer she’s going to India for six weeks with Help International. College at BYU will follow in the fall.

All in all, it’s been a learning experience she’ll treasure forever.

“I’d like to think so,” she said of her net game being state championship caliber.

“I think I have a strong mental game.

“I’m positive, upbeat,” she said.

“I’m definitely not one to flounder in my losses.

“The sadness will come later,” she said when she steps off the tennis court in late May.

“Right now, there is a lot of excitement for the season to begin, and, a little nervousness.”