Author: Damian Mendieta (Senior Writer)
It is no easy feat to double major in biology and religious studies while also working as a neuroscience research assistant during winter and summer breaks. If that schedule includes squaring off weekly against elite nationally ranked tennis players, then it is an accurate picture of Kris Subbiah’s (senior) lifestyle.
Subbiah, the No. 1 Occidental women’s tennis player, has already defeated SCIAC rival No. 2 Mattie Morton from the University of Redlands, Whittier College No. 1 Liliana Serylo, and a variety of non-conference No. 1 players. Her excellence on the court has already garnered her three consecutive All-SCIAC first-team awards to add on to her impressive list of athletic recognition.
She recently faced off against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps’ (CMS) Kristin Lim, the No. 1 ranked tennis player in the Western region, according to the NCAA Division III website. Although CMS swept the Tigers, Kris says she was content with the game and adds that her singles match-up was not a lopsided loss. She says, “I took it like any other player and it was actually a decent match and I didn’t let [her ranking] get to me.”
Though Subbiah’s current conference record of 2-2 does not appear to showcase her remarkable talent, her coach points out that the large concentration of nationally ranked players in the SCIAC factor significantly in the level of difficulty of Kris’s singles match. “Some of the scores might indicate that,” Normile says. “I think it’s more about the level of opponent that she faces.” As the team’s No. 1 singles player, Subbiah must face a cohort of top 15 nationally ranked players.
The beginning of Subbiah’s illustrious tennis career started early in her childhood, shortly after moving to Oregon from her home near Madras, India. To her initial discontent, her father encouraged her to play tennis, acting as her first coach and opponent. Amid her recollections, Subbiah laughs and says, “I actually hated tennis when I started, it was something my dad forced me to do because he wanted someone to play with.”
However, the combination of early success in travel tournaments and a tight bond formed with her father allowed Subbiah to develop a passion for the game. “It was nice because it made me really close with my dad and we would travel together,” she says recalling her tennis beginnings. Later she adds with a grin, “He would come to all my high school matches.”
Her list of major influences trails back over ten years prior, from before she began high school and up until her enrollment at Occidental. Subbiah stresses the importance of her high school coach in her development as a tennis player, and on her online college profile she has also frequently cited her high school mentor. “She really helped me build up my mental toughness and that was big because tennis is a pretty big mental sport,” she said.
During her stellar high school tennis career she earned three consecutive MVP awards her sophomore to senior years, and her elite gameplay shined her junior year as she advanced to the Oregon State finals finishing fifth overall with a national rank of No. 8 in the Pacific West Region.
Before she knew it, her prominent high school years came to a close, and she began weighing her college options with tennis and her dreams of neurosurgery in mind. Subbiah says she welcomed Occidental’s warm Southern California weather and was also intrigued by the possibilities of continuing playing tennis while being able to concentrate in her academic endeavors.
She considered Division I tennis programs at Santa Clara University and Seattle University, but she says Occidental was the better fit for her due to the athletic and academic balance a Division III school offered. “School was always a big part of my life too,” she admits while chuckling and rolling her eyes, “I took all IB courses in high school and I still wanted the academic aspect to be a big part of my life, so I think Division III was the better way to go.”
Subbiah’s immense workload is coming to a close after four years of achievements on and off the court. Apart from thrice earning All-SCIAC first-team honors, Subbiah was nationally ranked most recently last year among other elite players in the SCIAC. For the past two years she has also worked as a research assistant in a laboratory in Portland, Oregon at the recommendation of Biology Professor Kerry W. Thompson.
As I ask about her plans after graduation, Kris smiles at what she calls “the infamous question.” She says she will take at least one year to work, gain experience, and build connections in neuroscience medical centers. Her career goals include attending medical school either at the University of Virginia, Florida State or the University of Washington, three schools with neuroscience programs she likes. Four long and highly decorated years of an intense lifestyle are almost over, and she is stunned that nearly eight years have past since her first year of high school. On the topic of her final month at Occidental she gets a serene look on her face as she mentions that next week is her final biology presentation and says, “And then its over.”
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