The Hourglass 2021-22 Issue I

the hourglass | OCTober/NOVember 2021
sports | 9
Athlete of the issue:
izzy Antanavicius
The Emory-bound tennis athlete discusses her love for the sport.
OLIVIA STEPHAN ‘24
Staff Writer
Izzy Antanavicius ‘22, cocaptain
of the Baldwin Upper
School Tennis Team and
previous Main Line Athlete of
the Week, is both a dedicated tennis
player and a diligent student.
Antanavicius haws been
playing for eight years, starting at the
age of nine. She plays competitively
all year round, playing for Baldwin
in the fall and playing tennis as
independent physical education
(IPE) in the other seasons. IPE not
only involves a ten hour practice
beyond difficult mentally. I think it
has taught me a lot of life skills,”
Antanavicius said.
When asked how to stay
motivated during low points,
Antanavicius said, “I try not to let
that one day affect me. I know that
there are always going to be good
and bad days. I look at the positives
and try to move on from it; just gotta
keep going.”
One of Anatanvicius’s athlete
role models is pro tennis player
“
“It teaches me hardwork and commitment…The
game itself might seem simple, but when you’re
on court and playing a match, it is beyond difficult
mentally. I think it has taught me a lot of life skills.”
team’s nurturing atmosphere and the
beautiful campus.
“I was debating between other
Division I schools and Emory, but
in the end decided to do Division
III … [because] I wanted to focus
on my education more. I decided
to go to Emory for pre-med so that
I could balance [school] and tennis
at the same time instead of having
to worry about focusing on my sport
too much,” Antanavicius said.
Antanavicius’ advice for other
Baldwin student-athletes, who often
are very focused on their academics,
is that they should “look at sports as
a way to relax, a way to step away
from all work and have fun!”
schedule weekly, but also includes
tennis tournaments.
Antanavicius’s love for tennis
stems from its mental complexity,
which has taught her valuable
lessons that she has been able to
apply to other aspects of her life.
“It teaches me hardwork and
commitment…The game itself
might seem simple, but when you’re
on court and playing a match, it is
”
Maria Sharapova. Since they are
both very tall, they have similar
playing styles.
Antanavicius recently
committed to Emory University,
where she found the balance
between sports and academics she
was looking for. She also loved the
Design by Grace Halak ‘22 • Photo courtesy of Izzy Antanavicius ‘22