HomeMy WebLinkAboutTracy Kotseos-1995 The Voice
April 20, 1995
SPORTS I
Kotseos continues to ace
BY SARA ROEN
NEWS EDITOR OF THE On no VOICE
Tracy Kotseos could be dubbed the'sinner of Winter
Springs. The daughter of Paul and Gloria Kotseos cur-
rently is just three matches shy of becoming the winningest
tennis player for the University of South Carolina's Fight-
,.� ;•g, ing Gamecocks.
While she admits to a strong thirst for competition,
Kotseos' record is currently stacked against one of her
best friends, another member of the team and current
14#1/.
record holder.
"It's sort of like a joke between us,"Kotseos said in
telephone inteniew this week from her dorm room.
Kotseos, 18, has been playing tennis for at least a
decade, first becoming intrigued because of her
parents'interest in the game.Her parents had alwaysbeen
i...., interested in athletics. In fact. Paul Kotseos had been an
!9c Olympic skiier, she noted. As for tennis, it was Gloria
Kotseos' influence that made the difference.
"My dad played more recreational while my mom
played on a league at our country club,"Kotseos recalled.
"I watched a lot of it on iv. and I remember when I saw
Gabriella Sabatini I just fell in love with her. I said, 'I
want to be just like her.'"
Kotseos said that as her interest and winning in the
Ite game increased,so did the amount of time she spent prac-
ticing. While attending Oviedo High School,she played
daily,sometimes for as long as four hours.
-"When I start something, I have to be good at it."
She's been good at athletics for a while.Three years
Courtesy of University of Carolina ago she was named Teen Magazine's rts irl of
g po g
Y ➢ the Year,"chosen over 7,000 entries. She appeared in a
Winter S'prings'Tracy Kotseos has racked u a 24- four-page layout in the magazine's April 1992 issue and
7 record in hei.first season with the Gamecocks. received a scholarship.
That waasn't sn't her first or only success before college.
956 yatD
Page 7
Ali
oipetition at South Carolina
In 1991 she became the first woman to win the Florida "Arlo's a great coach. lie's like a dad to me and the
Girls' 16 and under and Girls' 18 and under Double rest of the team."which is what she had been told before
Championships; represented the U.S, in Junior World she decided to attend the university.
Competition and was honored as Greater Orlando Fe- Kotseos,who received a full tennis scholarship,said
male Athlete of the Year. Among her many other her relationships with the team and her coach have helped
acccomplishments. she was profiled in Junior Tennis her game as well.
Magazine in 1993. The next year she traveled to Brazil "It's a real team effort. When you win, you're win-
and Paraguay with the U.S. National Team. Last year, ping for your school, not just for yourself. You get more
she was a semi-finalist at the USTA Claycourts with. pride."
doubles partner Marissa Gatlin. Their pride is well-deserved.The eight-member team
Now concentrating on plans to major in Psychology has reached the top l0 in collegiate rankings for the first
at USC,.Kotseos only plays about 2.5 hours a day. Flow- time in Coach Elkin's 13-year career
ever,she raved that her game has improved significantly. The Lady Gamecocks are 17-2 overall including a
Kotseos credited her coaches with helping improve school best of 6-1 in the Southeastern Conference.
her playing power as well as teaching her how to forma- Kotseos,a freshman,is ranked#103 nationally and leads
late effective strategic playing, the team in singles wins with a 24-7 overall record.
That reason alone confirmed Kotseos'belief that at- Kotseos says her strength is plating singles,but added
tending USC was the right choice. She made her deci- that she enjoys the competition and spirit of playing
sion, she said,because of Coach Arlo Elkins. whom she doubles. But stated simply, she just loves to play tennis.
said is very much like her former coach. Bobby Blair of "I definitely want to try(going professional). I think
the Orlando Tennis Academy,with whom she worked for I've worked hard all these years,so I want to give it a try.
nine years. I'm definitely going to complete my scholarship first."
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