2021 Gwinnett Daily Post Super Six Tennis

Class:

Senior

Favorite pro tennis player: Rafael Nadal

Best tennis player in Gwinnett not on my team: Jackeline Lopez

Favorite playing surface: Hard court

Song that gets me ready for a match: “Trophies” Young Money

Favorite teacher: Dr. Masterson

Favorite restaurant: Chili’s

Noteworthy:

♦ Unbeaten at No. 2 and No. 3 singles

♦ Also has played No. 1 doubles dur♦ ing her career

Coach Rachel McElroy’s take: “Antonela is an incredibly talented player. Not only is she a great tennis player, but she’s also a great person. She is a great example of what a Brookwood Bronco represents on and off the court. Antonela is a wonderful leader for our girls and always gives 110 percent. It is a pleasure to coach her and watch her grow as an athlete and person.”

Name: Nicole Eigbedion

School: North Gwinnett

Class:

Junior

Favorite pro tennis player: Roger Federer

Best tennis player in Gwinnett not on my team: Jo-Yee Chan

Favorite playing surface: Hard court

Song that gets me ready for a match: It changes but it’s currently “Laugh Now Cry Later” by Drake

Favorite teacher: Mrs. Kucera

Favorite restaurant: The Sun Dial Restaurant

Noteworthy:

♦ Rated as three-star recruit

♦ No. 19 ranking in Georgia

Coach Katie Massey’s take: “Nicole is such a graceful player and has such a beautiful all-around game. She exudes a quiet strength while she covers the court with such ease. She is very relaxed off the court and her presence adds a sense of confidence and poise to our team. We are all so grateful for the calm Nicole brings to our team of personalities.”

Name: Payton Kane

School: Norcross

Class:

Senior

Favorite pro tennis player: Rafael Nadal

Best tennis player in Gwinnett not on my team: Sivan Cohen

Favorite playing surface: Clay

Song that gets me ready for a match: “Replay” by Iyaz

Favorite teacher: Mrs. Daniels

Favorite restaurant: Chipotle

Noteworthy:

♦ 11-3 as sophomore at No. 1 singles to earn first-team all-county honors

♦ Ranked as No. 29 senior in Georgia and 3-star recruit

Coach Aileen Pollitzer’s take: “I’m just excited she’s here. I’m just excited we get a chance to play tennis this year. I think she’s excited as well. She’s so competitive and she wants our team to do well.”

Name: Lucy Kim

School: North Gwinnett

Class:

Sophomore

Favorite pro tennis player: Simona Halep

Best tennis player in Gwinnett not on my team: Alex Kim

Favorite playing surface: Hard court

Song that gets me ready for a match: Sunday best

Favorite teacher: Coach Massey

Favorite restaurant: 770 Korean BBQ

Noteworthy:

♦ Ranked as No. 48 sophomore in Georgia

♦ Broke into varsity lineup as a freshman

Coach Katie Massey’s take: “Lucy is such an animated player. It’s so fun to watch her expressions as she plays. She is so full of energy and joy. We all love having such a ray of sunshine on our team.”

Name: Madelyn Levy

School: Providence Christian

Class:

Senior

Favorite pro tennis player: Coco Gauff

Best tennis player in Gwinnett not on my team: Bella Tucker

Favorite playing surface: Asphalt

Song that gets me ready for a match: Any song in the genre of pop gets me pretty excited to play

Favorite teacher: I’m honored to be taught by each teacher at Providence, no favorite!

Favorite restaurant: I love Agavero, great Mexican food!

Noteworthy:

♦ Went 16-1 as a sophomore

♦ Also a key starter on the Storm’s basketball team

Coach Anne Crist’s take: “Madeline is the quintessential athlete: focused, mentally tough and highly disciplined. She is a joy to all her coaches, coming to tennis after basketball playoffs, ready to jump into another tennis season. She lost only one match in her sophomore and junior years, playing mostly at the No. 2 spot. But in addition to her athletic prowess, she is kind, exemplifies great character and is respected by teammates and coaches alike. We will be sorry to see her go, but she will be leaving a great legacy at Providence for others to emulate.”

Name: Jaelyn Smith

School: Lanier

Class:

Junior

Favorite pro tennis player: Victoria Azarenka

Best tennis player in Gwinnett not on my team: Alex Mann

Favorite playing surface: Hard court

Song that gets me ready for a match: “Levitating” by Dua Lipa

Favorite teacher: Ms. Labella

Favorite restaurant: Chick-fil-A

Noteworthy:

♦ Went 19-1 at No. 1 singles as a freshman, earning all-county and region player of the year honors

♦ Ranked as the No. 26 junior in Georgia

Coach Meredith Warren’s take: “Jaelyn is the perfect example of the type of student-athlete that every coach desires to coach. Her work ethic and class on and off the court are impeccable and she is an absolute pleasure to coach. Every match she steps up for her teammates and consistently performs. She has been a leader on our team since her freshman year and represents the Lanier tennis team so well. We can’t wait to see how she evolves and what she accomplishes in her future.”

Name: Sean Aquio

School: Peachtree Ridge

Class:

Senior

Favorite pro tennis player: Clay Thompson

Best tennis player in Gwinnett not on my team: Jason Kim

Favorite playing surface: Peachtree Ridge hard courts

Song that gets me ready for a match: “New Wave” by Pally Ray

Favorite teacher: Dr. Wayne

Favorite restaurant: In-N-Out Burger

Noteworthy:

♦ Lions’ No. 1 singles player was all-region as a sophomore

♦ Ranked as No. 25 senior in Georgia and has 9.7 UTR

Coach Callie Fernandez’s take: “Sean is a versatile and selfless tennis player who comfortably takes the role of leader of the Ridge team. He is the first one to practice and last to leave and makes an impact on his younger teammates.”

Name: Jake Cranor

School: Lanier

Class:

Junior

Favorite pro tennis player: Rafael Nadal

Best tennis player in Gwinnett not on my team: A North Gwinnett kid

Favorite playing surface: Clay

Song that gets me ready for a match: “Take Me Home, Country Roads”

Favorite teacher: Mr. Collin Jones

Favorite restaurant: Mellow Mushroom

Noteworthy:

♦ Went 18-2 (8-0 in region) as a freshman, and 6-0 in 2020 before season was halted

♦ Ranked as No. 48 junior in Georgia

Coach David Hendrix’s take: “Jake has been the No. 1 guy the last two seasons, as a freshman and sophomore, compiling a 27-5 record against mostly seniors from other teams. Jake possesses power from both sides and has the ability to approach the net and get free points off his serve. With all his abilities, I think two things stand out that show his competitiveness. First, Jake comes to practice every day with an intensity for improving and, second, he sports a 4.0 in the classroom taking numerous AP classes.”

Name: Andre Izadi

School: Mill Creek

Class:

Senior

Favorite pro tennis player: Rafael Nadal

Best tennis player in Gwinnett not on my team: Sean Aquio

Favorite playing surface: Hard court

Song that gets me ready for a match: “Face of My City” by Jack Harlow featuring Lil Baby

Favorite teacher: Mrs. Palmer (AP Chem)

Favorite restaurant: Firehouse

Noteworthy:

♦ Mill Creek MVP the past three seasons was 4-1 in 2020 before stoppage

♦ Ranked as No. 22 senior in Georgia

Coach Tim Schroer’s take: “Andre has been an exceptional leader in our program over the last three years. We have been very fortunate to have him come in as a freshman and hold the No. 1 singles position throughout his entire high school career. His work ethic and leadership both on and off the courts is outstanding. The goals and expectations he puts on himself carry over to his teammates in both practices and matches. He never takes a day off on the courts or in the classroom, always striving to be the best. I am looking forward to him helping guide our program again this season with his dedication, commitment and passion for his fellow teammates.”

Name: Jason Kim

School: North Gwinnett

Class:

Sophomore

Favorite pro tennis player: Roger Federer

Best tennis player in Gwinnett not on my team: Sean Aquio

Favorite playing surface: Hard court

Song that gets me ready for a match: “Champion” by Elina

Favorite teacher: Mr. Grady York

Favorite restaurant: Chipotle

Noteworthy:

♦ Ranked as No. 6 sophomore in Georgia

♦ Earned a 4-star recruiting ranking

Coach Starr Shuler’s take: “Jason is going to do a great job stepping into the No. 2 spot played by his older brother the past few yearse. He has been working hard and is ready to help lead us to victory this season.”

Name: Matthew Sloan

School: North Gwinnett

Class:

Senior

Favorite pro tennis player: Rafa Nadal

Best tennis player in Gwinnett not on my team: Sean Aquio

Favorite playing surface: Indoor hard court

Song that gets me ready for a match: “Whoopty” by CJ

Favorite teacher: Dr. Ganesan Sowdayya

Favorite restaurant: Frankie’s The Steakhouse

Noteworthy:

♦ 2019 Daily Post Player of the Year after going 17-2 at No. 1 singles

♦ 4-star recruit ranked as No. 7 in Georgia

Coach Starr Shuler’s take: “Matthew is an excellent player and a wonderful captain for our team.”

Name: Frank Zhou

School: North Gwinnett

Class:

Senior

Favorite pro tennis player: Nick Kygrios

Best tennis player in Gwinnett not on my team: Paul Dukwon Kim

Favorite playing surface: Hard court

Song that gets me ready for a match: “Old Town Chem” by RichSlimSteve

Favorite teacher: Dr. Ganesan Sowdayya

Favorite restaurant: Choi’s Grill

Noteworthy:

♦ Undefeated vs. Gwinnett foes and in region play in 2019

♦ Ranked as No. 33 senior in Georgia

Coach Starr Shuler’s take: “Frank is an excellent player and leader. He approaches everything in life with a smile and a positive attitude.”