The Weston Ranch girls tennis team wrapped up their season yesterday. The Lady Cougars lost five to two against Oakdale, but the celebration of their Seniors overshadowed the defeat.
Tennis at Weston Ranch High School exemplifies the true nature of playing high school sports: having fun. While wins and losses certainly measure a team’s success, simply competing is the most significant victory. Our girls tennis team played for the joy of competition. The seniors Weston Ranch said goodbye to yesterday indeed were an inspiration to themselves, their teammates, their coach, and the campus.
Seniors Ali Arevalo (3 years), Minh Ngo (2 years), and Stephanie Truong (4 years) represented the tennis program and WRHS with dignity and aplomb. Facing the toughest competition in the highly competitive VOL, these three athletes never faltered, never wavered, and never abandoned their hopes. They persevered and showed tremendous heart. That’s why people play sports, and that’s precisely why they played.
In addition to their tennis successes on the court, Arevalo, Ngo, and Truong excelled off the court.
Arevalo participated in the Key Club and tutored English. Her aspirations are bettering herself, becoming better at art, and learning a new language.
Ngo participated in the Key Club. She aspires to strive through her journey to becoming a “poolee” (person ready to enlist), become a strong and better version of herself throughout her marine journey, and be a great PA (physician’s assistant) afterward.
“I’m thankful to my friend and teammate Ali for making me join tennis,” Ngo said. “It was an amazing time and journey, even meeting new people. I’m grateful to the tennis team for putting in a great effort, giving good vibes, and showing their craziness/weirdness. Thank you to the coaches for their incredible positivity and for doing the best they can to help the tennis team improve.”
Truong joined the dance club, theater club, and English tutoring during her four years. She was also in the WRHS orchestra. She aspires to develop many new characteristics along the way.
Head coach Michael Cerezo always advertises tennis as being part of a fun and exciting sport. Having fun and being part of a team is the reason people play sports. For Arevalo, Ngo, and Truong, each proved this is true, and Weston Ranch couldn’t be happier they did.
