Each year the $1,000 Hooked on Tennis Scholarship is awarded to one male and one female high school tennis player. Congratulations to this year’s winners:
Brandon Wu, from Evansville, Ind. played tennis for Reitz Memorial High School earning several honors: 2013 All-State in doubles, 2016 All-State in singles, and a 2016 state finalist in singles. As a USTA junior player, he was active in USTA/Midwest Section tournaments and team events, including the USTA Zonal competition in 2010. Wu also participated in the USTA 12s Training Center in Indiana in 2010 and 2011.
Outside of tennis, Wu participated in the Hoosier Boys State leadership program and the Coast Guard Aim and Genesis program. Wu will attend The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina, where he plans to play collegiate tennis.
Molly Sandberg, from Hudson, Ohio, played tennis all four years at Hudson High School, posting a perfect 40-0 record on the court during her senior year. This undefeated season included winning matches en route to the Ohio High School Athletic Association state singles championship in the fall of 2016. Sandberg was the first player in school history to capture a state singles title.
Sandberg also competed in USTA tournaments and team events at both the Section and national level. She was a member of the USTA/Midwest Marian Wood Baird Team Cup, and played in the USTA Zonal competition. She also played in a local USTA Junior Team Tennis program and her team advanced to the USTA Junior Team Tennis National Championships in 2014.
Sandberg excels as a student maintaining a 4.16 GPA and is a member of the National Honor Society. Sandberg plans to major in math at Cornell University in Ithica, NY this fall and play collegiate tennis. Outside of tennis, she enjoys volunteering at the Pawsabilities Animal Shelter, the Akron Blind Center and Hudson Community First.
This scholarship was established in 2010 in conjunction with a donor with the goal of rewarding young players with funding to advance their education and tennis interests. Each year, a $1,000 award is presented to one male and one female junior tennis player from the Section.