Derrick Webb, Staff Writer
CHILLICOTHE — If you’ve been paying the least bit of attention to the area tennis scene over the past four years, you know just how good Sylvia Gray has been.
The Unioto phenom has never lost a regular season match, has never dropped a district final match and is the only Ross Countian to ever qualify for four consecutive state tennis tournaments.
This past season, her high school career ended with an All-Ohio showing at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason. However, as one chapter came to a close, another has begun.
Tuesday, Gray signed to play at the Division I collegiate level, becoming a Wright State Raider.
“It was the best fit for me. I love everybody on the team and I really like the coach already,” Gray said. “I like the distance from home as well.”
Because she’s so close to home, she’ll be able to see her family and friends on a frequent basis. That’s a group of people who have helped her through her recruiting process and, ultimately, made it a little bit easier to breathe when it all came to an end.
“My family, coaches and teammates have meant the world to me,” Gray said. “I literally couldn’t have done any of this without them. It was stressful. I’ve had a couple of breakdowns but my parents and friends were right there for me. It’s a stress reliever that [the recruiting process] is over and that decision is off my shoulders.”
Throughout her playing career, Gray has worked diligently to become the best-possible player she could be. Her dedication to perfecting her craft is finally paying its dividends.
“It’s insane that I’m a college athlete,” Gray said. “I’ve worked my entire life for this moment. It’s nice that it’s all finally paying off. I’m looking forward to getting to the next level and being able to say that I did it. Being a student-athlete at that level is hard to do. But I’m looking forward on working to get better.”
*Cover photo via Twitter/@Lasercat1975