Mary Lynne Cumiskey named All-Bi-City Girls Tennis Coach of the Year

Over her 37 years as Brookstone girls tennis coach, Mary Lynne Cumiskey has added more and more recognitions to her collection.

Cumiskey has captured 12 state championships in her tenure with the team, with this year’s title making it one dozen in her career. She was the first woman ever inducted into the Chattahoochee Valley Sports Hall of Fame. In February, Brookstone’s brand-new, $2 million tennis complex was named in her honor.

Now, Cumiskey adds 2017 All-Bi-City Girls Tennis Coach of the Year to her accomplishments.

The Lady Cougars’ latest season saw the team enter as the GHSA Class A Private defending champs, putting the target squarely on their shoulders. The team never succumbed to the pressures, ultimately leading to a state title match showdown with Wesleyan.

Brookstone doubles players Abigail Pitts and Anya Polomis clinched the match 3-0 with their victory, sending their teammates into a frenzy.

“We expected to be tested in the early rounds, and every match they were tested,” Cumiskey said. “Wesleyan’s a good team. Every match was tightly contested. It was a rare chance for all the courts to get on at once. We had a vision of how everything was going to turn out early on.”

The win put an appropriate cap on a season full of highlights for Cumiskey, not the least of which was the opening of Brookstone’s new facility. Speaking at the unveiling of the Mary Lynne Smission Cumiskey Tennis Complex, the veteran head coach had trouble keeping her emotions in check.

“Look at this place,” Cumiskey told the crowd. “This is like a fairy land. It’s beautiful. There have been many times that I’ve pinched myself just to make sure that this was real.”

One of the notable features of the complex was banners on 11 light poles, one for each state title Cumiskey had been a part of. Due to her latest work, it didn’t take long to need another one.

Given the nature of Cumiskey’s 2018 team, another one may again be needed soon. Brookstone loses only two players --Pitts and Abbie Dillon-- off its 11-girl team, leaving future championship runs in plain sight.

“We’re so proud of our traditions here and our tennis programs,” Cumiskey said.

At this point, you can count winning as one of those traditions thanks to Cumiskey’s work.

This story was originally published June 24, 2017 at 3:42 PM with the headline "Mary Lynne Cumiskey named All-Bi-City Girls Tennis Coach of the Year."