Jolyn Taylor

Past Entries

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April 26, 2004

Our 17th straight UAA tournament came to a resounding conclusion this past drizzly and dreary Sunday morning in Rochester, NY, with the 17th straight Emory title.

I've come away from last weekend with a newfound love for the warm and sunny south. Being a native Floridian I just couldn't learn to like the frigid weather in late April even though the tournament couldn't have been run better nor the people from Rochester more pleasant.

The highlights of the trip, however, I have to say revolve more around my lively teammates than the tennis courts.

As it was our seniors' last trip, we started off with a little bit of nostalgia, glancing over pictures taken at our last practice. Our two seniors, Mary Ellen and Margaret, can certainly be hams and showed off their photogenic sides with various juggling and court poses.

Speaking of photographs, a new team hobby seems to be taking candid camera pictures of their poor, tired, and resting teammates. Those long cars trips across New York state in order to see the sights around Niagara Falls can be sedating; it's a good thing I've got my teammates there to document my trip for me as I slept peacefully. I never knew I could sleep in a position that looked that uncomfortable!

Too bad the cameras weren't put in action when we found the tastiest deli in all of Rochester, or enjoyed our fun team meals with the Marisigans (thank you SO much for the dinners and support, you made being so far from home a pleasant trip!), or even during the finals of the championship filled with royal blue bandanas. It was an exciting and rewarding trip, complete with lots of quality team bonding interspersed with focused studying because of our upcoming finals (wish us luck!). This team can make anything a good time!

One final note before closing, I would like to personally thank Dr. Chan for taking time out of his very busy day to help me. You were a lifesaver! I suppose I should also mention how supportive Coach Smith was in helping me stick to the BRAT diet for most of the trip. Trust me, the South Beach Diet has nothing on this new and improved dieting option for those faint of stomach and needing to compete!

Jolyn Taylor is a sophomore from Ft. Walton Beach, Fla. She would love to answer e-mail questions from Emory recruits and fans.