Christine Wu was awarded Cyclone of the Week for her outstanding technique and overall enthusiasm for the Mills College tennis team for the week of Feb. 2, 2015.
Wu, a prospective biomedical engineering major and first year student at Mills, joined the College’s team this semester, which started mid-January. Her interest in tennis stemmed from the four years she played in high school. Wu was awarded Cyclone of the Week by Head Coach Amy Jensen. This honor is given to athletes who go above and beyond during practices and matches.
“The tennis coaches felt that Christine was a stand out in terms of her engagement, competitive spirit, tactical awareness, and intensity/energy,” Jensen said in an email.
At the start of the season, Wu showed the coaches her strengths and range of abilities.
“Christine is strong across the board – in all things we do,” Jensen said. “She practices at a very high level and brought her skills to match day in our season opener. She is strong in singles and doubles and also very academically committed.”
According to Jensen, Wu is passionate about her team and their goal of qualifying for the NCAA’s. Wu’s hard work and technique has made her a key player in the team’s push towards success. The tennis player is known for her topspins, slice serves, slices from the baseline, drop shots, angles and lobs. Her ability to sequence different shots creates not only an effective game, but an interesting one as well.
“We love having her on the team – and the other tennis players learn a lot by playing with and against her,” Jensen said.
Named Cyclone of the Week, Wu’s passion for the sport, skill and determination are publicly recognized.
“She is such a consistent force at practice, and these athletes often go unnoticed,” Jensen said. “Coaches and teammates sense that Christine is a tough competitor that we know we can count on to play at her full capacity and represent Mills with pride and passion.”
Wu was surprised to receive the honor and attributed it to hard work during practice. She hopes this honor will encourage other members on her team and hopes the team will work harder as a whole to become better teammates and overall players.
Wu’s hard work on the court was noticed not only by her coaches, but also by other teammates.
“For Christine, tennis is a game of strategy,” Sophia Wasteneys, co-captain of the tennis team and first year Mills student, wrote in an email. “When I watch her play, I see her constantly thinking and searching for a response to her opponent. When she plays, it’s not about just getting the ball back over the net; it’s about strategically placing the ball where she knows her opponent is weak.”
In addition to her abilities as an individual player, coaches and teammates recognize Wu as a powerful teammate.
“As a teammate, Christine is constantly smiling,” Wasteneys said. “Her subtle positivity plays a crucial role on the team. She’s a true team player, always putting others’ needs before her own. She’s very committed and loyal as a teammate, a student and a friend.”
While she likes to play both singles and doubles, Wu prefers singles. She looks forward to the rest of the season and would like to continue playing tennis for her four years at Mills. While the tennis season has just started, both coaches and teammates agree that Wu will be essential to their team’s later success.
“Christine is a key ingredient in our ‘secret sauce,’” Jensen said.
