Competing in doubles together, Newport Harbor High girls' tennis players Mindy Wheeler and Megan Bathen need to communicate on the court.
They needs to know if the other player is rushing the net or staying back, going for the ball or letting her teammate handle it.
That communication has helped Wheeler and Bathen excel for the Sailors, ranked No. 2 in the CIF Southern Section Division II coaches' poll. They definitely don't have a problem with the communication part, on or off the court.
"I'm definitely excited to see where we …" Wheeler said, pausing for just a split second.
"… end up," Bathen said, finishing the sentence to make her doubles partner smile.
Wheeler, a senior, and Bathen, a junior, are on the same page.
"We finish each other's sentences …" Wheeler started to explain.
"… like a married couple," Bathen said.
The Daily Pilot Athletes of the Week are good friends, and it makes sense. They have been nearly joined at the hip for Newport Harbor the past two years. They play at No. 2 doubles, but don't let that designation — relatively meaningless on a deep team like Newport Harbor — fool you.