Despite qualifying as a Junior Olympic hurdler in eighth grade, junior Crystal Yen abandoned the track lanes the summer after her freshman year when she realized she did not truly enjoy the sport. She chose instead to focus on tennis, which she had started only two summers before, after seventh grade.

Since then, Yen has been traveling and playing in national tennis championships around the state and even in farther away places including Louisiana, Texas and Arizona. She also plays No. 2 singles on the school varsity team. This past May she won second place in the 16s and under USTA National Open in Elk Grove. Later in August she won the 18s and under section of the West Coast Championships in Sacramento.

“Both times I wasn’t expected to get that far, but I [surprisingly did well],” said Yen.

Not surprisingly, Yen is looking to play college tennis. She feels proud to be a “5-star” recruit, or Top 75 in her grade nationally on tennisrecruiting.net, a website that college coaches and recruiters use.