Sarah Ramirez has been playing tennis as a recreational sport for many years, but it wasn’t until recently that she applied her talent to competitive athletics.
“I picked up tennis when I was 10 years old and I was good at it, but I didn’t play it as a competitive sport until I attended BC,” Ramirez said.
This is Ramirez’s first year on the Bakersfield College tennis team and she has shown tremendous ability.
Ramirez, No. 1 singles player, was undefeated at 10-0 but she lost her first match to Cuesta College’s Jessie Ritchie 6-0, 6-0 on April 5.
In a prior encounter, Ramirez defeated Ritchie in three sets.
“Sarah is a power player and approaches the net very confidently,” said BC coach Terri Lynott.
But most importantly, Ramirez is only 16 years old and has already shown a powerful game.
Ramirez is very enthusiastic while playing the game and covers the court extremely well. She has the ability to play well offensively and defensively.
Ramirez doesn’t panic under pressure but rather embraces challenges and gives all she’s got.
“Sarah has impacted our team in many ways. She has a good attitude and she works hard,” Lynott said.
Ramirez not only shines in her competitive style and poise but also is an entertaining person to have around.
She practices five days per week, attends matches every Tuesday and Thursday, and plays in tournaments every other weekend.
In spite of Ramirez’s success in tennis, her main priorities are education. Ramirez was home schooled and never attended public high school.
“I passed my high school exam and received my high school diploma when I was 14 years old,” Ramirez said.
Soon after that, she began attending BC and is in her second year.
Ramirez is currently majoring in biology and has managed to juggle being a full-time student, a singles and doubles player on the team, and she is a volunteer with Hall Ambulance Explorer.
After this tennis season, Ramirez plans to attend summer school and continue to attend BC next semester. She plans on transferring to a four-year school. Ramirez hopes to attend USC.
“I want to attend medical school to become an emergency or surgery doctor,” she said. Ramirez is scheduled to play in the Ojai Tournament on April 21-24.