Whether it was a tennis racket or lacrosse stick in her hand, or an open book in front of her, Jane Lin was always at the top of her game.
Lin, who graduated from Lawrence High School last month, was named the school’s NJSIAA Scholar-Athlete for 2016 following a standout career on the athletic field and in the classroom.
Lin played both tennis and lacrosse for the Cardinals, and she found a way to not only juggle sports and academics, but to also perform exceedingly well in both. A captain for both of her athletic teams, she excelled in the classroom and will attend New York University beginning in the fall.
“My brother (Roy) did sports, and he is the one who got me to play sports at the high school level,” Lin said. “I didn’t have much lacrosse experience other than throwing to my brother so he could practice. I didn’t know much about playing with a team or being a part of a team.”
Not only did Lin jump in and play team sports, she became a leader on the tennis court and lacrosse field.
“She leads by example, is a good listener, is an extremely hard worker on and off the court, and is a fierce competitor,” tennis coach Gregg Zenerovitz said. “Her effort this past fall was absolutely tremendous and she is well respected and adored by her teammates.”
Lin carried that same attitude over to the lacrosse team in the spring. She was a defender for the Cardinals.
“Jane was one of the four senior captains on the varsity lacrosse team,” coach Heather Phillips said. “She is one of our top defenders. Jane has the ability to anticipate a pass or a dodge to deny the opponents scoring opportunities. She is crucial to the Cardinals transition game with getting a ground ball or interception to feed the ball into the midfield. She is a true leader by example and works well with her teammates, encouraging and supporting them.”
Lin wasn’t sure what to expect with her teammates at Lawrence. She had always enjoyed athletics and found them a good release from the stress of academics.
Until she arrived at LHS, though, she had not had a chance to be a part of a team.
“My brother was big on getting involved,” Lin said. “He played lacrosse and ran cross country and also dabbled in ultimate Frisbee. I was worried at first because you have to dedicate two hours a day after school for sports. But once you adapt to it, you are able to figure out that after two hours you go home and have to work. I think it helped me manage my time and it helped with preventing procrastination.”
On the tennis court, Lin was a singles player as a junior and played doubles as a senior. She took to the new role and helped the Cardinals to a winning season.
Zenerovitz called her a “pleasure” to coach.
“She played first doubles after playing third singles her junior year,” he said. “To her credit, and this speaks of her character, she fully accepted her position on the team this season and played a large role in us winning a state tennis match as well as finishing our season with a 10-9 record.”
Athletes like Lin, he added, set an example for the younger players who look to upperclassmen for guidance and advice.
“Coach Phillips and myself were very lucky to have someone like Jane Lin in our programs,” he said. “In school, her grades and classes speak for themselves. She is one of the best that Lawrence High has to offer and as excited as we are for her to pursue her future endeavors, we are sad that she will be leaving our programs because she was a true asset and role model for those around her.”
At NYU, Lin will concentrate on academics while also trying to stay involved with sports. She still wants to stay active, so she plans on playing at the club level because “it’s not as intense,” with only a couple of practices a week. Lin may pursue Kung Fu or ultimate Frisbee in college, too.
She leaves Lawrence feeling very good about athletics, both with her performance and the way it helped her off the field.
“I will miss my teammates,” Lin said. “After four years together, that is a long time and we became close as a team. When I started as a freshman we were all awkward and didn’t know where we fit in. But four years later we are all best friends. As far as being a leader, I knew I was one but it I didn’t feel too different than when I was not looked up to. It didn’t feel that different to me. In lacrosse it was being reliable and having people watch you and having them want to defend like you or pass like you or make the right decisions.”
It turns out that investing time in athletics was the best decision Lin could have made.
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