This year, Cor Jesu Academy senior Angelina Hong returned to the Missouri girls state tennis tournament for the third time. She says her competitions at state in years past — like her sophomore year when she played doubles without placing, or scoring sixth in singles her junior year — may have warmed her up for her senior year match-ups. 

Hong took the title of fourth place at the tournament, setting the record for highest individual finish in the state tennis tournament for CJA.

“I was pretty proud of myself, I would say,” Hong said. “I improved since last year.”

The competition took place on Oct. 23-24 in Springfield, Missouri. She says it was a windy day, which encouraged her to adapt her play.

Hong was placed in the tournament’s 16-person bracket, where she worked her way through the ranks. She faced off against Ashley Hayes from Francis Howell Central, whom she lost to last year in the same round. This time, Hong won the match. 

Hong was finally defeated in the third round by Adelyn Gross from St. Joseph’s Academy, Cor Jesu Academy’s rival school. Gross went on to win the tournament.

Hong ventured into the world of tennis when she was about seven years old, inspired by her older sister who played. She takes private lessons and plays often with her coach and teammates to hone her skills; she says this helped her prepare for the state tournament.

“I feel like the friends I meet through it, and the coaches, are why I do it,” Hong said. “I like the challenge of it, too. The matches are mentally challenging. You could be down in a set, but it’s really just you playing against yourself, as opposed to you playing against the other person.”