There was plenty going on at Reservoir High School this spring to hold a sports fan's attention. The Gators' baseball team went on a 21-game win streak, the boys track team won the county title and the softball team won 15 games.
But there was one athlete — sophomore tennis player Biyik Akinshemoyin — who was so dynamic that players from other sports would stop on their way back to the locker room just to catch a glimpse of him in action.
"When men from the baseball and lacrosse teams stop to watch on their way to and from practices and games because he's such a good hitter, then you know that he's getting respect from other athletes in the school for how hard he plays and just how hard he works at his game and his craft," coach Karen Wolfe said.
Indeed, watching Akinshemoyin — the Columbia Flier/Howard County Times boys tennis Player of the Year — strike the ball and glide around the court is an impressive sight.
Akinshemoyin picked up the game when he was 12 and possesses a rare combination of height and athleticism for a player with three years of experience. He is 6-foot-1 and still growing.
"With my height I'm able to serve harder and come down more on the ball," said Akinshemoyin, who enjoys watching tennis on television when he's not playing.
Akinshemoyin, who trains at the Tennis Center at College Park with other top players in the region, sat out of high school tennis last year with a bad back. This year he dropped only one regular-season match to Centennial's Kevin Hsieh, then became the first tennis county champion in Reservoir school history. He also won a regional title before placing fourth at the state tournament, also firsts for the 10-year old school. Both of his losses at the state tournament were to seniors.
Akinhemoyin's parents were both born in Africa — his father in Nigeria and his mother in Cameroon — and moved here before he was born. They both work in the federal government sector. His 11-year-old brother, Bode, is also a promising tennis player.
Akinshemoyin said that becoming Reservoir's first tennis champion was a humbling experience.
"Playing for Reservoir is an honor, it's one of the best schools in Howard County," he said. "I could have done better (at states), but I feel like I accomplished something."
Many top players struggle with the decision of whether to play for their high school team or focus on high-level United States Tennis Association tournaments. Mt. Hebron senior Van Damrongsri, for example, won a county championship in 2009 as a sophomore and hoped to win a state title for his school this year, but other commitments prevented him from playing in a Vikings uniform. He has committed to play collegiately for the University of Louisville next year.
Akinshemoyin said he and his parents sat down with Wolfe before the season to decide the best path for him. His father wanted him to focus on his lessons while his mother wanted him to have the high school team experience.
"That was one of the hardest things for the family and I to figure out, was how we could do both and still have him meet the goals of high school tennis, and he really did that," Wolfe said. "This was his opportunity to see what it's like to play for his school and to play for his teammates. That was really fun."
Akinshemoyin is considering playing mixed doubles next year to try something different, but he has his sights set on making more school history before his time at Reservoir is over.
"My high school goal right now is to win states for my school, and then my college goal is to go to (the University of Virginia)," said Akinshemoyin, whose favorite classes include science and math.
One thing for certain is that he will have plenty of fans rooting for him along the way.
"People I didn't even know from lacrosse and other sports came to watch me play," he said. "I made a lot of friends this year."
All-county first team
Steven Lee, Atholton.
Highlights: Led Raiders to a 17-0 regular season and a tie for the regional title. Placed second to Akinshemoyin at the county and regional tournaments and represented Howard County at the state tournament.
Kevin Hsieh and Chase Weinberg, Centennial.
Highlights: Pulled off a pair of upsets to win the county doubles championship without dropping a set. Repeated as regional champions to earn the No. 2 seed at the state tournament. Hsieh handed Akinshemoyin his only regular-season loss.
Michael Baruch, Centennial.
Highlights: Paired with teammate Kanami Mori to win the mixed doubles county championship as the No. 3 seed, helping the Eagles to a second-place finish, two points behind County Cup winner River Hill.
Andrew Baxley, Wilde Lake.
Highlights: Teamed with classmate Anastasia English to win the regional title in mixed doubles, defeating the county champions and avenging a loss to their own teammates along the way. Won a match in straight sets at the state tournament before being swept out by the eventual champions.
Daniel Evans, Wilde Lake.
Highlights: Joined forces with freshman Melissa Barrall to place third at countys and second at regions before going on an impressive run at the state tournament. There, the Wildecats mixed doubles team upset the No. 3 seed in the opening round, then won a second match to become one of only three state placewinners (fourth) from Howard County.
Evan Schlick, Glenelg Country.
Highlights: Led the Dragons to a 6-2 record and a trip to the MIAA B Conference semifinals before finishing as runner-up at No. 1 singles in the MIAA B Conference individual tournament.
Ajit Gill, Glenelg Country.
Highlights: Won the No. 3 singles MIAA B Conference tournament championship.