Faces off the Field
What is your favorite tennis memory at Westwood?
It was the moment our team won state in my sophomore year, our school's first state title in history. I had just won my own singles match in a tight tiebreaker and was peering across the bleachers at the last couple matches still in progress. I remember watching Kiana Graham, our line one, striding toward the net to shake her opponent's hand, and we realized it was all over. I charged onto the court alongside my teammates to embrace each other in a massive group hug, jumping up and down with uncontrollable jubilation.
Tell me something about the first time you played competitive tennis.
I competed in the Little Mo tournament, which divided juniors based on age, and went from the district level all the way up to international. I played for the very first time in the district tournament when I was 10. I returned home with two drastic losses. I don't remember if I even won a single game. This experience really opened my eyes as a 10-year-old to the talented players out there, which inspired me to train harder to match their level.
Why does Westwood have such a consistently good tennis program?
It stems from the dedication and diligence that's fostered by our program. Our coach's (Travis Dalrymple) commitment toward constantly seeking new methods for improvement especially helps buttress our team's capabilities.
How did you prepare during the summer?
Luckily, tennis is a sport where you can maintain social distancing, so I was able to keep up my training throughout the summer. However, the majority of my summer tournaments got canceled, especially those that required traveling.
Do you have plans after you graduate?
I hope to continue playing tennis in college, though I'm still not sure where yet.
If you could have dinner with four people in the history of the world, who would they be?
Billie Jean King, William Shakespeare, (Israeli historian, philosopher and author) Yuval Noah Harari and (World War II veteran and Olympic runner) Louis Zamperini.
Why Louis Zamperini?
I read Zamperini's biography detailing his experiences as an unbelievably resilient Olympic athlete and World War II veteran. I'm awed by his perseverance in the face of calamity, and I'd want to meet him.
What do you consider the world's greatest invention?
Vaccines, considering our current global state.
Do you have any prematch rituals?
I always change the grips on my racquets so that they're fresh before starting a match.
Tell me something about you most people don't know.
I own a Rubik's Cube even though I have no idea how to solve it.
What has been a bigger challenge: maintaining high grades in school or keeping your high ranking in tennis?
Tennis has always been the bigger challenge. With school, the assignments and curriculum are very clear cut, whereas with tennis, there isn't a curriculum to go off of. With tennis, I have to analyze and determine what I need to focus on based on each experience.
Rick Cantu