By Nadia Stimack
Two heads are better than one. The saying holds some truth especially when looking at Mesa State’s athletes. Mesa State’s men’s basketball, women’s basketball, women’s tennis, women’s swim, and football teams, all have siblings that are currently participating in athletics. Playing a college sport is challenging enough, but having to share the spotlight with your sibling, could have fans wondering if this would be a challenge for coaches and other teammates. According to coaches, there’s nothing better than the loyalty that these siblings can bring to the sport, and their fellow teammates.
Kaitlan and Kelleen Sera are identical twins, all the way from Lahaina, Hawaii, both playing for Mesa State’s women’s tennis team. They started at the same time in fall of 2008. Coach Dan MacDonald quotes “The advantages to having sisters on a team together are that they know each other better than anyone else. They play doubles together, and they know how to read each other. The only disadvantage would be that since they are so close, they tend to be really hard on each other.” MacDonald continued to say that it’s fun to have twins on the same team, even though they get flustered with each other from time to time. These two athletes grew up with a father who had them playing together at every chance he could. Kaitlan and Kelleen play in both singles and doubles, and have been an excellent addition to the team since 2008.
Taking a turn towards the courtside, both Sharaya and Katrina Selsor started the 2010-2011 basketball season together. Sharaya was red shirted last season, while Katrina was added to the roster this season. Women’s basketball coach Roger Walters, quotes “I have not found any disadvantages yet, they have played together for so long that they have chemistry on the floor together, which is a big advantage.” Both sophomore’s at Mesa State, these sisters, similar to the Sera sisters, tend to be more competitive towards each other, however they continually encourage and push each other to succeed and do well, along with the rest of their teammates.
There have been several sets of siblings who have made their legacy through sports at Mesa State College. Football has been one of the most prominent sports, where siblings are seen playing on the same field together. “There have been brothers at the same time, as well as different times. Currently, the two sets of brothers on the team are Trent and Trevor deBraga, along with Matthew and Michael Mankoff.” Says Coach Joe Ramunno. Both the deBraga’s and the Mankoff’s, all Junior’s at Mesa State, uphold a sense of loyalty to the team. At one time, Mesa State’s football team had three sets of brothers all playing on the same field. When you have siblings on the playing field together, especially in football, there aren’t many disadvantages. Each athlete plays a different position. Just as the Selsor sister’s, they remain competitive towards each other, and it stresses individual character in each player, which is what these coaches enjoy when coaching siblings.
Whether you’re an avid Mesa State sports enthusiast, or a student attending home games with friends, be sure to watch out for the Sera sisters fighting for the #1 singles sport on the tennis court. The Selsor sisters scoring the winning basket on the basketball court. Or the deBraga’s and the Mankoff’s bringing excitement and the true meaning of team loyalty to the football field.