Annie Zheng: Excelling at Tennis
Rockville tennis player Annie Zheng takes the game very seriously now that she is older and a captain.
Photo By: Alex Capece / GamedayMD.com | VIEW GALLERY
Annie Zheng has only been playing tennis for the three years she has been playing at Rockville High School.
Photo By: Alex Capece / GamedayMD.com | VIEW GALLERY
Zheng's current record for this season is 6-2, winning the majority of her matches.
Photo By: Alex Capece / GamedayMD.com | VIEW GALLERY
Written by: Elizabeth Aust
ROCKVILLE, MD - Senior Annie Zheng has been a member of the Rockville High School varsity tennis team for the past three years. This year she co-captain and plans to dominate the competition with her determined mind-set, leadership skills and of course, talent.
Zheng was not always the tennis star that RHS knows and loves. Originally, the athlete was going to try out for volleyball the fall of her freshmen year. Only after being convinced by a friend did she pick up tennis. Surprisingly enough, Zheng has only been playing for the three years she has been playing at RHS.
Being a four year veteran of the team, Zheng has an edge on the other athletes. Zheng's current record for this season is 6-2, winning the majority of her matches. She takes the game very seriously now that she is older and a captain. "I take the matches seriously, especially with the players that I thought were better than me," said Zheng.
The final score of Zheng's most recent match on Oct. 5, Zheng triumphed over the competition with a hard-earned 6-0 and 6-1. However many matches she has one this year, Zheng's success was not born overnight.
Zheng's freshmen year was not filled with glory. "Freshmen year she was an alternate and didn't really play much and this year she has switched between playing number one singles and number two singles so she is among the top players at our school," said head coach Robert Stohlman. Zheng not only takes part in tennis at RHS, but in other leagues during the off season, always improving her game.
Zheng is one of three captains. She, along with the other captains, leads her teammates to victory with not only her talent, but her enthusiasm. "She's usually one of the first people to show up for practice and the last to leave. She's always getting people motivated...and encouraging them," said Stohlman.
As displayed in her match on Oct. 5, Zheng works hard 100 percent of the time. Her teammates look up to her for that. "I look up to Annie because of how she leads the team. She's really dedicated to tennis and it shows at practice. She's always there on time, she gets everyone pumped during stretches and she organizes team activities," said senior teammate Maddie Ramey.
Because of Zheng's experience and her motivation her teammates learned to be aggressive, dedicated tennis players. "By her example of playing very hard during the matches they've learned that dedication and hard work can definitely pay off," said Stohlman.
In order to motivate her teammates outside of the tennis court, Zheng promotes team spirit. "For the past few years, our team hasn't been [united] and I love it when the team is school spirited," said Zheng.
Not only is Zheng co-captain of the team but is also a member of RHS' International Baccalaureate (IB) Program. Having to balance school work, extra curricular activities and social events is difficult enough being a regular student.
Zheng has to do all of this plus the work of the average IB student. "We usually leave seventh period early on game days and we don't get home until late. The fact that I miss class [is unfortunate]," said Zheng.
As far as next year, Zheng, along with the other seniors on the team, will have graduated. "I'm a little worried, but I feel as though there are a lot of players with potential and they really care about the sport so I see them working hard," said Zheng. Like most high school athletes, Zheng does not intend to pursue tennis at college. However, if the opportunity comes along for a small school, she is willing to take that chance.
There is no doubt that Zheng is a talented athlete. Her motivation, determination and leadership among her teammates is the perfect combination to perform. Zheng has excelled throughout high school in the sport she has grown to love.
