Kathleen Preston took over as Waubonsee’s head coach in the fall of 2024, facing the task of building the Chiefs’ tennis program from the ground up after a three-year hiatus in the program. It’s a challenge she is more than capable of handling after having grown up in a household where tennis was a focal point of nearly every day. Through her mother Sophia, who was an accomplished collegiate tennis player and has served as captain for numerous United States Tennis Association (USTA) teams over the year, Preston has exceptional knowledge and insight into the game.

Coach Preston started playing tennis at five years old and went on to represent the Pacific Northwest on six USTA Zonal teams as a junior player. She also qualified for the National Little Mo Tournament after placing third in the Regionals. A well-rounded athlete, Preston stepped away from tennis to compete as a cross country runner in junior high and high school. She went on to qualify for the National Junior Olympics Cross Country Championships and was part of Lake Oswego High School’s best ever finish at the Oregon State Meet. Preston moved over to Lakeridge High School and won the District Singles title and reached the state semi-finals in tennis. She was later inducted into Lake Oswego’s Athletic Hall of Fame for her running and Lakeridge’s for her exploits on the tennis courts. After graduating in 2010 Preston ran cross country at NCAA Division III institution Occidental College in Los Angeles, California . She eventually transferred to the University of North Dakota on an NCAA Division I tennis scholarship.

Preston coached tennis in Pennsylvania, Colorado and Oregon in various capacities, primarily working on development with junior players. She served for a time as the Junior Varsity coach at Wilsonville High School in Oregon, guiding the Wildcats to a District title by taking three of the top four spots in the District Tournament. Since moving to Chicagoland for work, Preston has had continued success as a player. She has played on USTA teams that have reached Districts finals, won Sectionals and qualified for Nationals. As a matter of fact, her and her Mom teamed up to capture the 2024 USTA Gold Ball National Title in the Senior Mother-Daughter Doubles Division. The duo subsequently was ranked number one nationally in that division. Preston followed that up by earning the 2024 USTA Silver Ball in the 30’s Singles Division.  

Preston has a Bachelor’s degree in Petroleum Engineering and another one in Geological/Geophysics Engineering. She also holds a Master’s degree in Petroleum Engineering, and is currently pursuing an MBA at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, set to graduate in March 2025. Preston currently works for Southern Company Gas at their Nicor Gas headquarters in Naperville.