Everyday People

KVC's Mickelson, Lindy's Wong earn top scholar honors
by Bill Christianson, Journal Staff
2002-06-06

They both showed skills on and off the court. And they both took home some hardware to show for it. Daniel Mickelson of Kent View Christian was named the Male Scholar Athlete of the Year at last night's Fourth Annual South County Journal Prep banquet at the SeaTac Double Tree Hotel. Lindbergh's Laurine Wong was the Female Scholar Athlete of the Year. Joining Mickelson as male finalists were Hazen's Dan Hinckley and Lindbergh's Caleb Scharf. The two other female finalists were Sarah Sommerman of Kentridge and Auburn Riverside's Kristen Lorrain.

``I was real surprised,'' Mickelson said. ``My dad always told me I have to do my homework before video games.'' Mickelson's resume suggests he followed through with his dad's desires. With heavy emphasis on advanced placement courses, Mickelson has achieved a 3.75 GPA and earned an SAT score of 1,350, placing him among the 91st percentile nationally. Mickelson, a four-year letterwinner in basketball, led the Mustangs in scoring, 3-point shooting accuracy and blocked shots. Off the court, he is the senior class treasure, participated in a basketball summer mission trip and served as a camp counselor and basketball coach for younger players. Mickelson was part of a work party for Rainier Christian District auction that raised $1,300. Mickelson will attend Western Washington University and is leaning toward a major in biology.

Wong, a back-to-back Seamount League girls tennis singles champion, has a 3.9 average and has been named Lindbergh's Student of the Month in foreign language and health. She also received a student achiever award from the Seattle Storm and Nike. ``This feels wonderful,'' Wong said of the award afterward. ``I focus more on academics. That's more in my future.'' She also has found time for some extracurricular activities. She's involved in Lindbergh's Leadership program, a member of the Key Club and treasurer for the Environmental Club. She is also busy outside of school, volunteering at the Renton Senior Center, the Bellevue Art Museum Fair and Fairwood Elementary. In addition, Wong tutored children as part of the Cascade Elementary School summer volunteering program. She also helped make railroad tracks into a walking trail near South Lake Union as part of the REI volunteering program. On the tennis court, Wong is a four-year letterwinner and was the team's MVP for two years. She earned her first trip to state this spring after placing second at the West Central District tournament.

One day after jokingly convincing her coach that she wouldn't even be playing in the Seamount League girls singles final, Laurine Wong went out and won it. Again. The Lindbergh High senior made defeated friend and teammate Christine Reid in championship play yesterday afternoon at Liberty High School, 6-4, 6-2. That gave Wong two in a row, following up on her victory over now-graduated Roxanne Senirajjangkul of Highline last spring. It also helped give Lindbergh the team championship by a 16-15 margin over Mount Rainier.

``I thought I was going to lose today. She (Reid) was hitting really well when we were practicing earlier,'' Wong said. ``We didn't really play our best today. We both know we can do better than that.'' However, Wong might have a hard time pulling off a better joke than the one she pulled Friday afternoon on Lindbergh coach Stephanie Soong. Wong had Soong totally convinced that she had lost her semifinal match to Mount Rainier's Annie Peritore, scuttling what most everyone expected would be an all-Lindbergh final. In actuality, Wong had won the match, 6-3, 6-2. Soong, who had court supervisory duty at Hazen while Wong was playing at Liberty, wasn't let in on the rouse until a while later. ``It just happened,'' Wong said, laughing. ``It was funny, too. And (Soong) was hysterical.''

There was no joking around yesterday afternoon, though. Wong, after falling into a 3-0 first-set hole, won five straight games. Reid got one game back before Wong closed it out, setting up an approach to the net for a forehand crosscourt, then nailing three straight first-service winners. Reid got a quick jump again in the second set, going ahead 2-0. But again, Wong took charge, winning the last six games in row, and clinching it with a love service game.

RENTON -- The Lindbergh and Mount Rainier girls continue to march in lockstep through the Seamount League King Division. The Eagles retained their share of first place in the standings yesterday, Laurine Wong and Christine Reid keeping their singles records perfect as Lindbergh downed Renton, 4-0. Lindbergh and Mount Rainier are both 5-0-3 with 18 points. One of those ties was against each other on March 28. They meet again on April 29 at Lindbergh, although each has four matches between now and then.

Wong, the defending league singles champion, pushed her record to 8-0 with a double-bagel victory over Thao Pham in the No. 1 match. Reid lifted her mark to 7-0 by downing Megan Keenehan, 6-2, 6-1.

RENTON -- On Friday afternoon, the courts were hot, her legs were cramping, and she had to fight off match point four times. Less than 24 hours later, the temperature was a bit cooler, her legs felt fine -- and the only match point of the day was the only one that mattered to Laurine Wong. The Lindbergh High junior, having survived a three-set semifinal the previous day, left the Liberty High School courts with the Seamount League girl championship yesterday, earning a gritty 7-5, 6-4 decision over two-time defending champion Roxanne Senirajjangkul of Highline. ``I felt really good out there. I just wanted to go all out and just be as aggressive as I could be,'' said Wong, who scored her second win over Senirajjangkul in three tries this spring. ``I felt like the underdog because she had beaten me in two sets really easily the last time. I tried to stay calm and just put bad points that I didn't win behind me.''

Wong almost didn't even make it this far. In that Friday semifinal against Highline's Jovana Raco, she was down 6-5, 40-15 on Raco's serve. Raco also had ad-in on two occasions later in that same game. But Wong came through every time and eventually won in a third-set tie-breaker to get into a rubber match with Senirajjangkul after the split two during the regular season. Wong had a 3-1 lead in the first set before Senirajjangkul took three straight games. Wong lost serve to go down 5-4, then won the last three, breaking serve twice. In the second set, Senirajjangkul was up 4-3, then Wong won the last three games -- with two more service breaks. While Wong was winning her first girls singles crown, Mount Rainier junior Bill Hones was doing likewise in the boys final.

RENTON -- Even her best season was bound to have a day like this. So Lindbergh High junior Laurine Wong figures she'll just put it behind her and get back to doing what she does best: Win tennis matches. Earlier this spring, Wong scored a three-set victory over two-time defending Seamount League champion Roxanne Senirajjangkul of Highline. But yesterday's rematch was a different story, as Senirajjangkul went home with a 6-3, 6-2 decision, helping the Pirates defeat Lindbergh, 6-1. `I just wasn't doing very well,'' said Wong, who came up short for the first time in nine matches so far. ``She has a real good serve.'' Mostly, it has been Wong serving up the victories. She took third in last year's league tournament and advanced to Sea-King District for the first time. She seems a sure bet to be among the top four placers in next month's Seamount tourney and return to district.

She might even get another shot against Senirajjangkul. ``I kind of watched the girls who were coming back (from last year), and I knew Roxanne was going to be good,'' Wong said. ``The first time I played her, I didn't think I was going to win.'' But then she did win, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2. ``I felt her first win over Roxy was a real confidence builder,'' Lindbergh coach Jason Huff said. ``We'll see what happens with the end of the season. This was a good match-up today for her.'' Senirajjangkul, who is now 7-1, knew from last time that she would have her hands full against Wong. ``She's more consistent than most,'' the Highline senior said. ``She knows how to work the ball. I was more aggressive this time, and I had more confidence. I didn't hold back on anything.''

Senirajjangkul won the first five games of the match, losing just seven points in the process. But Wong then found her groove and ran off three straight games, including two service breaks. Senirajjangkul finally broke back to close out the first set. They split the first four games of the second set before Senirajjangkul won four in a row to finish the match. For Wong, that simply means getting back onto the court and getting back to work. ``I've been practicing a lot,'' she said. ``I pretty much work on everything and see what I can improve on.'' ``She has been the one who in practice is ready to hit a lot of balls and ready to put in the time and the effort on things,'' Huff added.