Moravian Academy Upper School senior and number one singles tennis player Kara Chyung was named the 2014-2015 District XI Girls' Tennis Scholar-Athlete winner on May 27 at the 16th annual District XI Tennis Scholar-Athlete Banquet held at the Best Western in Bethlehem.

"I am very surprised and very honored," Chyung said.

Chyung's record at number one singles this year was 16-11, and she was District Doubles Champion. Moravian Academy also won the District Team Championship this year. In addition, Chyung holds the record for most career singles wins in the school's history.

Ironically, Chyung was not a fan of the game at first.

"I didn't like it. I was very, very bad," she said. "What made me love the sport was the team at Moravian Academy. It allowed me to contribute to a better effort. There were more tangible goals, and I wasn't just playing for myself."

Moravian Academy's coach is Tom Schoeninger.

"My coach was so inspirational to me," said Chyung. "Tennis is more of a mental sport. There's strategy involved. You can turn a situation around through determination and keeping calm."

Off the court, Chyung has a GPA of 4.4 and plans to attend Harvard University in the fall.

Chyung received a plaque and a monetary award for her accomplishments.

Other District XI Girls' Tennis Scholar-Athlete nominees were Sabrina Elward of Allentown Central Catholic, Erica Nicoletti of Bangor, Samantha Macaluso of Bethlehem Catholic, Emily Becker of East Stroudsburg North, Brittany Poje of East Stroudsburg South, Cynthia Blay of Easton, Caroline Smith of Emmaus, Flannery Johnston of Freedom, Gabrielle Binder of Jim Thorpe, Emily Moss of Liberty, Juliana Mitchell of Nazareth, Jolene Stearns of Northampton, Rachel Wong of Parkland, Abigail Strouse of Pen Argyl, Abigail Kahn of Salisbury, Amanda Blazka of Saucon Valley, Molly Loomis of Southern Lehigh, Madelyn Dolinsky of Tamaqua, Christine Endy of Whitehall, Mary Gilbert of William Allen, and Emily Reiter of Wilson.

After the welcome by District Tournament Chairman Neil Curtis and the meal, former Allentown Central Catholic and University of Pennsylvania tennis player, Sheila O'Donnell, spoke to the scholar-athlete nominees, coaches, and parents about the importance of fundamentals, not just in the game of tennis, but in life.

"Fundamentals are integral to your success," O'Donnell said.

Some of those fundamentals included being confident, enjoying the moment, having more fun, and following your dreams. O'Donnell also recommended listening to one's parents.

"They know more than you think," she said.