Mattie Kuntzelman was one of the youngest competitors at the 4A state tennis meet, but she showed maturity beyond her years.

The Discovery Canyon freshman won the No. 2 singles state championship in thrilling fashion, defeating Cheyenne Mountain senior Daniela Adamczyk 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (7-2).

“The final point was mind blowing, and there were a lot of people there cheering,” Kuntzelman said. “Watching it over again on The Gazette website feels really great. It’s sunk in a lot more since Saturday, and I got a lot of calls and texts from friends and family.”

When Adamczyk’s final shot hit the net, it completed one of the best seasons a tennis player has ever had at Discovery Canyon. Kuntzelman went 14-1 and brought home the first girls’ state championship to the Thunder program.

“I was very nervous, but Mattie was calm,” Discovery Canyon coach Brian Thirkell said. “I told her how proud of her I was – it was a history-making win for our program. It’s amazing, and it shows how much we’ve grown as a program the last few years.”

Kuntzelman also exacted a bit of revenge. The lone blemish on her record this season came at the hands of Adamczyk during a three-set loss April 4.

In the first matchup, Kuntzelman faltered because she wasn’t patient enough. In the rematch, she did exactly what was needed to win the title.

“I was excited to play her because I knew it was going to be a close and tough match,” Kuntzelman said.

“I knew I had nothing to lose in the tiebreaker and I could go for shots that would help me win. When it was 4-2, I knew I could do it and I trusted my shots and serves more.”

Unlike most of the girls at the state championships, Kuntzelman didn’t grow up with a tennis racket in her hand. In fact, she only took up the sport four years ago after spending her childhood competing in gymnastics.

What started as a long-shot dream at the beginning of the season became reality. Now, with a state title under her belt, she’ll aim for the next level, which is playing No. 1 singles as a sophomore.

“It’s a matter of how much hard work she puts back in this offseason, and if we don’t get anyone new between now and next season, she could be the No. 1 singles player for us,” Thirkell said.

“Mattie’s been very consistent, worked hard and grown as a player this year.”

Everything is about to change for Kuntzelman, both on and off the court.

Now that she’s a state champ, people at school will certainly take more notice when she walks down the hallway.

“It’s pretty exciting, and my friends are really proud of me and I’m excited to go back to school,” Kuntzelman said. “I’m ready to play No. 1 singles, and I’ll be working hard and practicing over the next year. This year I learned so much from the five seniors on the team, and now that they’re going to be gone I’m going to have to step up and help lead the team.”