Harvard's Incoming Class Ranked Third by Tennis Recruiting Network

The Harvard women’s tennis team has the third best incoming graduating senior high school class according to the Tennis Recruiting Network. The freshman class features four women who all rank among the top 25 in the nation.

The defending Ivy League champions are the only Ancient Eight team ranked in the top-10 and one of two in the top 15.

Kristin Norton (Port Washington, N.Y.), Hideko Tachibana (Canyon Lake, Texas), Sophie Chang (Cupertino, Calif.) and Alexandra Lehman (St. Louis, Mo.) make up the Class of 2013.

I am very excited about all four of our incoming freshman,” head coach Traci Green said. “Despite different game styles and strengths, they are all talented players and fierce competitors who enjoyed much success in the juniors. They have an energy about them and this coupled with their personal qualities will make them the kind of team players that succeed in college tennis and help teams win Ivy titles. The leadership of our returning team members will help them to have an immediate, positive impact on our program.”

The four newcomers will join Harvard’s seven returning players who together orchestrated the biggest turnaround in program history.

Sophie Chang, Cupertino, Calif./Monta Vista
A two-time National High School Tennis All-American ... A “Five Star” graduating senior by TennisRecruiting.net ... Four-time NorCal section champion ... Two-time CIF-NorCal team champions ... Three-time CDM National All-American Girls’ Tennis Team Tournament All-Tournament player ... Named San Jose Mercury News Girl’s Tennis Player of the Year in 2006 and three team San Jose Mercury News All-CCS first-team ... A three-time team MVP ... Won the NorCal Sectionals Sportsmanship Award ... AP Scholar ... Member of the National Society of High School Scholars ... Member of the world-renowned Crystal Choir since age six and has toured Australia, Europe, Asia and North America to perform.

Alexandra Lehman, St. Louis, Mo./John Burroughs School
A “Five Star” graduating senior by TennisRecruiting.net ... Earned All-MWAA League honors from 2006-2008 ... A three-time district champion and three-time Missouri state champion ... Named St. Louis Post Dispatch Player of the Year for three straight years ... A 2007 National High School Tennis All-American ... St. Louis Suburban Journal Female Athlete of the Year for 2007-08 ... A two-time St. Louis District Player of the Year for the Missouri Valley ... Lost just one high school match in three years ... Commended for National Merit ... Graduated with honors ... Father, Richard, played tennis at Minnesota.

Kristin Norton, Port Washington, N.Y./Paul D. Schreiber
A standout in badminton and tennis at Paul D. Schreiber High School ... A “Blue Chip” graduating high school senior with a ranking of 12th in the nation and first in New York and the Middle Atlantic region by TennisRecruiting.net ... A three-time all-state performer in tennis and four-time MVP ... Received the National High School Tennis All-American Foundation Tennis Award as a senior ... Nassau County individual champion in badminton in 2009 ... Named the Joseph Augustino Outstanding Female Athlete Award as a senior ... Won two Nassau County team tennis championships and two in badminton ... Advanced to the round of 16 at USTA Girls18 and under division at the Spring Super Nationals this spring ... Member of the Foreign Language Honor Society ... Received gold medal National Latin II exam, silver medal National Latin III-IV Poetry exam and a bronze medal in the Al Kalfus Long Island Math fair ... Received a Senior Award Excellence in Latin and finished second at the Certamen Latin Competition Advanced Level.

Hideko Tachibana, Canyon Lake, Texas/New Braunfels
Played mixed doubles at New Braunfels High School ... Was selected to participate in the 2007 USTA High Performance Camp ... Achieved a “Blue Chip ranking as high as eighth in the nation and first in the Gulf states and Texas for graduating high school seniors by TennisRecruiting.net ... Received the USTA Texas section Mary Lowdon Award for citizenship, leadership and sportsmanship in 2008 ... National Merit Scholar ... Brother, Isamu, plays tennis at Rice.