FLEXIBILITY: STEM student Corey Lunsford discusses balancing academics at one school with playing tennis at another.
By Scott Field, Staff Writer
Of all the sports that exist, tennis is a sport that is often overlooked. However, it is one that takes plenty of skill and coordination to perfect. Corey Lunsford (10) is one of Poly’s top tennis players. At only 15 years old, Lunsford is nationally ranked in the top 500 best players and ranked 68 in California.
Lunsford attends the STEM Academy, a magnet school in Riverside, but plays for Poly’s varsity boys’ tennis team. He is able to manage his schedule by making time for school at STEM and his athletics at Poly. “It works out great; I go to STEM and then leave after lunch to Poly,” Lunsford said.
Lunsford has been playing tennis for most of his life and plans to continue doing so. “I have been playing since I was eight, and I want to play in college,” Lunsford said. He had a stellar season last year, only losing two of his matches, both of which were close ones. Although Lunsford is a competitive player, he still enjoys the simpler aspects of the sport. “It gives me a free feeling when I play; I am able to focus on the match and forget all of my worries,” Lunsford said.
Considered the best player on the team, Lunsford has a skill set that has elevated Poly’s team. “Corey is a great player, just watching him play makes it look easy,” teammate Andrew Jacobs (12) said. As an underclassmen, Lunsford still has a lot of room to grow, but as long as he is getting the amount of practice he needs, there is no doubt that he will exceed all expectations of coaches and teammates for this upcoming season