Karissa Walker's journey to national tennis competitions began with the installation of a family tennis court when she was 7 years old.
By the time she was 10, Walker had beaten the No. 1 seeded player in her first-ever competition. The 17-year-old Greater Latrobe Senior High School senior has continued to make her presence known in the tennis world.
"When I was younger, I played softball, tennis, and I took gymnastics," said Walker, the daughter of Rhonda and Ronald Walker, of Unity Township. "My mom told me I had to decide which one I wanted to excel in. I chose tennis."
Walker's first tournament was the Allegheny Mountain District Tournament within the U.S. Tennis Association. Because she did well she went on to compete at age 12 in Middle States Section tournaments that featured players from Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and parts of West Virginia.
"If you do well in the Middle States tournaments, you can compete in the nationals," she said.
By the time she was 13, she began competing in nationals all over the United States. Although she won some rounds, she didn't make it to the top. But the experience wasn't lost on Walker.
"It really is pretty cool," she said. "I met so many girls and got to see many different styles of play."
Walker won in the state singles during her sophomore year at Greater Latrobe and had her photograph in an issue of Sports Illustrated. In November, she and her tennis partner and best friend, Jamie Sutyak, won the gold in the state doubles competition in Hershey. The entire Greater Latrobe tennis team got as far as the state semi-finals.
For the next several months, Walker is doing something she hasn't done in a long time — relax.
"I've practiced all year long since I was 7," she said. "Now I'm taking a few months off. This year is academically challenging, so I'm doing homework and helping around the house."
In addition to taking Advanced Placement classes, Walker is secretary of the National Honor Society, president of the Spanish Honor Society, and vice president of the Letterman's Club. She is also a member of the Spanish Club and is in the top 1 percent of her class.
Because of her skill in tennis, the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., has been recruiting her.
"The Air Force Academy has a good tennis team," said Walker. "They are Division I, which is the best division for tennis. They play a lot of Ivy League schools."
If accepted, Walker will begin basic training in July and spend four years at the academy studying engineering. She will then serve in the Air Force for five years.
"To get into the academy, you have to get nominated by a senator or congressman," she said. "I got nominated through Congressman John Murtha. This summer, I met the Air Force tennis coach. Now, it's a waiting process."
