Oswego East Student Athlete of the Week-Tej Ekkurthi

Sophomore Tej Ekkurthi may be young, but his competitive drive, focus, and technique have seen him rise to be one of the best players in the area. Having taken second in #1 singles the past two seasons at the SPC conference tournament, Tej is proud of his accomplishments but understands there is more work to be done to achieve his goals, which is why he is this week's Oswego East student-athlete of the week.

Tej's father, Srinivasa Ekkurthi, started Tej and his brother, Gagan, in tennis at a young age. It was there Tej developed a mentor and a competitive spirit. "[Tej] always wanted to emulate his brother from a competitive spirit," says Srinivasa.

It is that competitive spirit that has helped Tej rise to be one of the top performers for the Wolves. "I hate losing, so most of my competitive spirit is driven from a desire to win," says Tej.

Head tennis coach Kristen Rude understands Tej's competitive drive is what allows him to compete against some of the state's best players. "Despite his calm nature, Tej is extremely competitive," says Kristen. She goes on to add, "The balance between poise and drive bodes very well for him and works to his advantage on the court. He maintains his composure during high-pressure situations and doesn't lose his cool when many other players would."

Tej's calm but competitive nature has allowed him to earn all-conference honors, a record of 21-6, 2nd place as the #1 singles at the SPC tournament, and a #4 seed for this weekend's sectional tournament. He has taken down high-ranking individuals across the state, such as 4-star Kevin Knuzel from Glenbard East and David Wang from Naperville Central, the latter of which helped him secure his seeding for the sectional tournament.

Despite being a highly competitive individual in an individual sport, Tej is always about improvement in his own game and showing sportsmanship to his opponents, regardless of a win or loss. "I think for [Tej], winning is becoming a better player than he was yesterday," says Kristen. She adds, "He takes pride in his wins, but never gloats, and is a good sport whether he wins or loses. Srinivasa echoes those statements, saying, "I am very proud as a parent because every time he plays in a tournament across the Midwest, every single opponent's parents come to me and expresses their pleasure in my son's abilities and sportsmanship. Win or lose, he behaves very well and respects his opponents."

Tej's hard work earned him a top 50 ranking in the Midwest for the 12 and under group, and a top 100 ranking in the 14 and under group. However, all of Tej's work on the court pales in comparison to his and his families humanitarian efforts.

Tej and his brother Gagan believed wanted to do something to help those less fortunate for them, and through the efforts of the Ekkurthi family and other volunteers, were able to host two tennis tournaments that raised almost $6000 dollars. The family used the money to award two graduate students from Hesed House in Aurora scholarships through the Simply Humanity Scholarship program.

The family was also able to start a Simply Humanity Education Center for the poor in India, providing an opportunity to almost 70 former dropout students to an education throughout their center. The family was also recently able to pick up the full expenses for five of the poorer students in the area.

Oswego East has provided Tej an opportunity to excel in the classroom and pursue his interests. By earning a 3.4 G.P.A. and enrolling in difficult courses such as Honors Biology, Advanced Placement Government, and Honors Spanish 3, Tej has used the classroom as a vehicle for finding his passion.

Tej would like to take his interest in chemistry, engineering, and tennis and find a college program that allows him to pursue and excel in each area. Tej's chemistry teacher, Erik Korczak, believes Tej can excel in Chemical Engineering and his observations about Tej's conduct in the classroom mirror those on the court. "Tej works hard to figure out the solution to a problem," says Erik. He goes on to add, "If he fails the first time, he is not afraid to ask for help and learns from his mistakes. He is able to get down to work when needed, but is also very personable."

With sectionals looming this weekend, Tej and his teammates have their goals set on qualifying at least one individual and one doubles team to the state tournament. After falling just one spot short as a freshman, Tej is determined to reach his goal of a state playoff berth. With just two short weeks left before Tej becomes a junior at Oswego East, Tej advises his future classmates to, "Ask people at East for help because they will all give it to you. Try not to be shy, and participate in as many activities as you can." With the sectional tournament to start tomorrow, the boy's tennis team will be sure to assist and cheer on their teammates in any way possible, as will the entire OE community.