Linfield Athletics Hall of Fame
What might have amounted to a career-ending injury for most any other student-athlete did not prevent Kasey (Kuenzli) Williams from reaching the
pinnacle of success as a Linfield women’s tennis player.
The 2008 Linfield graduate was an extraordinary athlete and student who now takes her rightful place among Wildcat sports legends. She becomes just the second women’s tennis player to be enshrined in the Linfield Athletics Hall of Fame.
Kasey’s career wasn’t all smooth sailing. During the fall of her senior year, she suffered a serious knee injury that could have marked the end of what had already been an outstanding tennis career at Linfield. But the Corvallis, Oregon, native made the resolute decision to return to the court, knowing that she and her teammates had unfinished business to attend to. Her decision would have a profound effect not only for herself, but for the women’s tennis program as a whole.
After sitting out a year as she worked through the stages of rehabilitation, Kasey made her comeback as a fifth-year senior in the fall of 2007. It was a successful return, as she went on to capture the regional singles title at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Fall Championships.
Looking back, Kasey says: “All the work, and the stress of making the right decisions felt so worth it. From there, my doubles partner, Sallie Katter, and I were eligible for the National Tournament in Mobile, Alabama, which led to more incredible experiences.”
Her coach at Linfield, Amy Dames Smith, remembers Kasey’s return to the court was not without its mental and physical challenges. Says Amy: “Kasey put in countless hours toward her recovery, which most likely looked effortless to many, but it was not. Yet in the end, it truly had a storybook ending with Kasey being able to qualify for nationals.”
Kasey’s decision to play a fifth season “boiled down to my competitive drive and knowing that I had unfinished business – needing to prove to myself, my coaches and my teammates that I could be the top player in the conference.
“Tennis at Linfield was such a source of pride and joy for me; sitting out my senior year and knowing that was the last time I would play college tennis just wasn’t going to work for me. Pursuing the fifth year also enabled me to select a second major, and that, perhaps, was the best unintended outcome of the whole decision.”
Fully recovered by the spring of 2008 and playing in peak condition as Linfield’s No. 1 singles and doubles player, Kasey helped carry the Wildcats to a seventh straight unbeaten conference season. She posted a 15-5 record in singles and was 18-3 in doubles, leading her team to a coveted berth in the NCAA Regional Championships at Pomona, California. Though the Wildcats came up short of advancing to the NCAA finals, Kasey went on to represent Linfield in both singles and doubles that season at the NCAA Individual Championships.
Amy remembers Kasey as “a natural leader who led with integrity. Her upbeat, positive energy rubbed off on all of her teammates. She always brought the energy to matches by cheering others on – even as she played – and would check in on her teammates when they had a rough match or practice.”
A member of four unbeaten Northwest Conference championship teams, Kasey went on to earn All-America honors in both singles and doubles from the ITA. Her 64 wins in singles and 65 doubles victories established new Linfield career records which still stand today. During her five years in the program, Linfield never lost a conference match, part of a dominating run of success that included a conference record 108 consecutive league victories.
As gifted in the classroom as she was on the court, Kasey earned an Academic All-District 8 citation from the College Sports Information Directors of America.
The inspiration for Kasey to play tennis in college came from her father, Jim, a four-year tennis letter winner at Oregon State University. And credit also belongs to former Linfield tennis coach Carl Swanson, who provided the impetus for her to commit to attend Linfield out of Corvallis High School.
Says Kasey: “Playing tennis in college was always an aspiration of mine. And Division III was a great level for me. I toured the beautiful campus and spoke with Carl. I loved the smaller school vibe, where I could see myself being a student-athlete. I also appreciated it was just far enough from home but could go back any time I needed.”
These days, Kasey works at Nike as the Director of Operations for the Olympics and Purpose. She and her husband, Chris, live in Lake Oswego and are raising two children: Brooklyn, 3, and Trey, 1.
