Allie Popp (Courtesy of NCHSAA)
ASHEBORO – Allie Popp’s senior year at Southwestern Randolph was her best on the tennis courts and beyond.
Even with her playing days done, she was reaping awards.
Popp was presented with the Pat Gainey Award, which is a student scholarship in memory of Pat Gainey of Dunn. The criteria includes at least a cumulative GPA of 3.2, possess a strong work ethic, demonstrate athletic success during the high school career and demonstrate respect for coaches and teammates.
Popp was an ideal fit for that honor.
“She is a natural leader who leads by example, inspiring her teammates with her positive attitude, integrity, and unwavering commitment to excellence,” Cougars girls’ tennis coach Lori Lagrama said. “Allie’s leadership extends beyond the tennis court, as evidenced by her involvement in various extracurricular activities and community service initiatives.”
Popp was pleased with how her final tennis season turned out. She was the Player of the Year in the Piedmont Athletic Conference.
For the PAC Tournament, she chose doubles with partner Lindsi Brown. They won the league championship.
“We switched to play doubles together,” Popp said. “One of the best tennis days we ever had.”
Popp and Brown went on to compete in the Class 2A regionals.
Having a stellar senior season didn’t happen by accident.
“My goal mainly was just to have fun and let go a little more,” Popp said. “My junior year was a little rocky with confidence.”
That changed last offseason. She trained at Asheboro Racquet and Swim Club.
“We worked the whole offseason,” she said. “I worked so hard and I was not going to let anybody down.”
Popp applied for the Pat Gainey Award and that process included letters written by teammates. Those came from Brown and Caeley Laine (Class of 2021). The male winner of the award was Ragan Shields, a basketball and baseball player at Pamlico.
Popp received top student honors for the Class of 2024 at Southwestern Randolph.
“I spent a lot of time in the library,” she said.
She’s heading for the University of North Carolina, where she said she plans to study neuroscience on a pre-med track.
Tennis was Popp’s only sport with the Cougars. She participated with a dance club through middle school, but wanted a sport in high school.
She chose tennis.
“I had to work my way up,” she said, holding a top-six spot in Southwestern Randolph’s lineup as a freshman. “I kept going with it. Now, it’s sad that it’s over. My season would be starting soon and I’m not going to be there.”
