Women’s Tennis Adds Four Freshmen for 2012-13
Harvard finished with a 4-3 record in Ivy League play in
2012 (Gil Talbot).
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The Harvard women’s tennis
team will bring in four student-athletes in the class of 2016. Head
coach Traci Green welcomes athletes hailing from three different
states and one Canadian province.
The Crimson had a solid season in 2011-12, putting together an overall dual record of 11-7 to go along with a 4-3 mark in the Ivy League. Junior co-captains Kristin Norton and Hideko Tachibana both received All-Ivy League accolades in singles and doubles, and the pair combined to form Harvard’s top doubles tandem. Harvard graduates only one player from the 2011-12 squad in senior Samantha Gridley.
Amy He – Freshman – Burlington,
Ont./Nelson
Before Harvard
Played tennis at Nelson High School and served as team
captain in 2008 … Member of the Canadian Junior Fed Cup team
and helped squad capture the North American title and gold and
silver medals at the Canada Games … Under-16 Canadian Junior
national champion … Third-place finisher at under-18
Canadian Junior nationals … Under-14, U16 and U18 Ontario
Provincial singles champion … Under-18 Ontario doubles
champion … Ranked within the top five in Canada and top two
in Ontario during high school career … Achieved honor roll
status and had a top-five grade-point average all four years of
high school … Earned Grade B Royal Conservatory for piano in
2008 … Assisted with Halton’s Children’s Aid
Foundation fundraiser in 2011 and 2012 … Worked at Appleby
Place retirement residence in 2008 … Enjoys singing, music
and reading.
Hai-Li Kong – Freshman – Potomac,
Md./Winston Churchill
Before Harvard
Reached No. 2 in the Mid-Atlantic tennis girls 18 and
under rankings … Climbed to No. 45 in the national girls
rankings and No. 228 in the international rankings … Served
as vice president of the Civitans Club while at Winston Churchill
High School … Involved with the Arthur Ashe Kid’s Day
fundraiser at the 2008 U.S. Open … Ranked within the top
five percent academically in her county … Also enjoys
playing the piano and making pottery.
Amanda Lin – Freshman – West Chester,
Ohio/Lakota West
Before Harvard
Lettered in tennis at Lakota West High School and was also a
Kaplan High School student from 2009-10 … Won the national
hard court singles championship and the national clay court doubles
championship in 2007 … Also took fourth at the national clay
court championships in singles … Captured the state doubles
title as a freshman at Lakota West … Earned three ITF
doubles titles in 2010 … High school valedictorian …
Attained high honor roll all four years of high school …
Received the Kaplan Student-Athlete of the Year award in 2010
… Earned the Notre Dame Book Club award in 2011 …
Enjoys soccer and reading.
Crystal Yen – Freshman – Saratoga,
Calif./Saratoga
Before Harvard
Lettered in tennis and track and field at Saratoga High
School … Served as captain of the tennis team as a senior
… Named the Mercury News Tennis Player of the Year in 2010
and 2011 … Went undefeated as a senior and won the Central
Coast Section (CCS) title … As a junior, won the individual
and team CCS titles and helped her team to northern California
title … High school team was northern California finalist
all four years … State qualifier in the 300 meter hurdles
… Also enjoys hiking and cooking.
