2022 Quincy Blue Devil Sports Hall of Fame inductee: Matea Simovic, athlete

Editor’s note: The Quincy Blue Devil Sports Hall of Fame will hold its induction ceremony at approximately 6:30 p.m. Saturday between games in the 51st QHS Thanksgiving Tournament at Blue Devil Gym.

QUINCY — One of the most successful girls tennis players in Quincy High School history, Matea Simovic was a four-time state qualifier, three-time sectional champion and a three-time all- state selection.

She emerged on the tennis scene as a freshman, winning a sectional doubles title with senior Heidi Holzgrafe in 1999.

As a sophomore, Simovic won the sectional singles championship with a 6-4, 6-0 victory and helped the Blue Devils win the sectional team title. She repeated as the sectional champion as a junior with a 6-4, 6-1 victory in the finals as the Blue Devils repeated as sectional champions as well. As a senior, Simovic finished as the sectional runner-up in singles.

Simovic won two Western Big 6 Conference singles championship and finished her career with a 12-7 record at the state tournament, which was one classification at the time.

She finished her career with a 140-19 overall record in doubles and singles combined.

Simovic played four years at Illinois State University and currently lives in Florida while working as the director of procurement for the PGA Tour.