Dec. 7—Eliza Agate
Mahomet-Seymour senior
➜ Why she made the first team … Agate was Mahomet-Seymour’s lone state qualifier in singles play, placing fourth at the Class 1A Paris Sectional to help the Bulldogs claim their second consecutive sectional title. She went on to win two matches at state, finishing the season with an 18-4 singles record. Agate won her singles flight at the Apollo Conference Tournament and won her only two doubles matches of the year.
➜ Her biggest tennis superstition is … never bouncing the ball before she serves.
➜ Her dream career is … the director of a non-profit organization or a political consultant.
➜ Her go-to snack is … Lay’s Dill Pickle chips.
➜ If she could make the Olympics in any other sport, she would pick … lacrosse.
➜ The actor she’d pick to play her in a movie would be … Dwayne Johnson.
➜ If she could have dinner with three people from any time period, she would pick … her best friends, Sidney Barrett and Elana Religioso, and her celebrity crush, Ryan Williams.
➜ Three things on her bucket list are … making the NCAA tournament with Marquette lacrosse, living in New York City and taking a hot-air balloon ride in Egypt.
Anna Houpt
Danville junior
➜ Why she made the first team … The reigning News-Gazette Player of the Year repeated the honor, this time along with doubles partner Reese Rundle. Houpt and Rundle finished third in the Class 1A state tournament, the highest placement in Danville history, to finish the year with a 36-3 record in doubles play. The third-place finish beat Houpt and Lexi Ellis’ fifth-place finish from 2022. Individually, Houpt went 20-1 in No. 1 singles play and won a Big 12 Conference title.
➜ Her biggest tennis superstition is … having a hot pink grip on all of her rackets.
➜ Her dream career is … a sports psychologist.
➜ Her go-to snack is … baked Cheetos.
➜ If she could make the Olympics in any other sport, she would pick … beach volleyball.
➜ The actor she’d pick to play her in a movie would be … Margot Robbie.
➜ If she could have dinner with three people from any time period, she would pick … Roger Federer, Coco Gauff and Emma Watson.
➜ Three things on her bucket list are … attending Wimbledon, seeing the Eiffel Tower and seeing the Golden Gate Bridge.
Fiona Leakey
Champaign Central sophomore
➜ Why she made the first team … Leakey partnered with senior teammate Kara Charney to go 21-14 as a doubles team with one of the most difficult schedules in the area. The duo made the sectional championship to qualify for the Class 2A state tournament, where they went 0-2. Along with her impressive doubles resume, Leakey was the Maroons’ No. 1 singles player this season, compiling a record of 11-10.
➜ Her biggest tennis superstition is … getting a different ball after losing a point.
➜ Her dream career is … a lawyer.
➜ Her go-to snack is … pretzels or a banana.
➜ If she could make the Olympics in any other sport, she would pick … gymnastics.
➜ The actor she’d pick to play her in a movie would be … Emma Watson.
➜ If she could have dinner with three people from any time period, she would pick … Ethan Quinn, Lewis Hamilton and Coco Gauff.
➜ Three things on her bucket list are … attending Wimbledon, the Ryder Cup and a SZA concert.
Kruthi Ramanath
Uni High junior
➜ Why she made the first team … Ramanath has now made at least the Class 1A state singles quarterfinals in each of her first three years at Uni High and has finished fourth the last two years. She won her first four matches at the state tournament before falling to eventual champion Chloe Goins from Hinsdale South in the semifinals. Only a junior this year, Ramanath still has one more season to get over that semifinal hump.
➜ Her biggest tennis superstition is … bouncing the ball five times before her first serve and four times before her second.
➜ Her dream career is … a surgeon.
➜ Her go-to snack is … popcorn.
➜ If she could make the Olympics in any other sport, she would pick … badminton.
➜ The actor she’d pick to play her in a movie would be … Maitreyi Ramakrishnan.
➜ If she could have dinner with three people from any time period, she would pick … Billie Jean King, Serena Williams and Simona Halep.
➜ Three things on her bucket list are … flying a plane, seeing the northern lights and bungee jumping.
Elana Religioso
Mahomet-Seymour senior
➜ Why she made the first team … Religioso was undefeated in singles play this season, finishing her senior campaign with a perfect 15-0 record, but it was her doubles play with partner Haley Reed that took her to the Class 1A state tournament, where they won three matches. Religioso was one of only nine players selected to the All-Apollo Conference team, winning a championship in both singles and doubles.
➜ Her biggest tennis superstition is … bouncing the ball the same number of times before every serve.
➜ Her dream career is … the president of the United States.
➜ Her go-to snack is … fruit snacks.
➜ If she could make the Olympics in any other sport, she would pick … volleyball.
➜ The actor she’d pick to play her in a movie would be … Zendaya.
➜ If she could have dinner with three people from any time period, she would pick … Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Carlos Alcaraz.
➜ Three things on her bucket list are … getting a picture with Carlos Alcaraz at the U.S. Open, traveling to the Philippines and seeing the Steelers win the Super Bowl.
Reese Rundle
Danville senior
➜ Why she made the first team … On just about any other team in the area, Rundle would be the best player. While she was Danville’s No. 2 behind Anna Houpt, she played like a No. 1 option, earning the duo co-Player of the Year honors. Rundle compiled a 19-2 record in singles play, and she teamed up with Houpt to go 36-3 in doubles action, winning a Big 12 Conference title and placing third in the Class 1A state tournament.
➜ Her biggest tennis superstition is … color coordinating the bows in her hair and wearing the same ones from matches she won.
➜ Her dream career is … a nurse practitioner.
➜ Her go-to snack is … rainbow Goldfish.
➜ If she could make the Olympics in any other sport, she would pick … soccer.
➜ The actor she’d pick to play her in a movie would be … Hailee Steinfeld.
➜ If she could have dinner with three people from any time period, she would pick … Emily Kaiser, SZA and Ryan Gosling.
➜ Three things on her bucket list are … visiting Hawaii, attending the U.S. Open or another big tennis tournament and becoming successful.
