Anika Malik
Tennis at Claremont McKenna College
Senior Anika Malik was recruited to play tennis for Claremont McKenna College, officially announcing her verbal commitment in August 2025. Malik played for the Cupertino High School varsity girls tennis team all four years of high school, where she qualified for CCS every season. Overall, she placed third at CCS three times, and won the tournament in doubles her sophomore year.
Malik began playing tennis at the age of 6.
“I started playing tennis because my older sister played it, and I would travel with her to tournaments,” Malik said. “It motivated me to play tennis too, watching her practice every day.”
Throughout her years of playing competitive tennis, Malik was sure she wanted to take her tennis to the next level. “I’ve always wanted to play college tennis, either D-I or D-III, and ultimately chose D-III because it’s the best balance between academics and athletics,” Malik said.
Malik began her recruitment process during her sophomore year of high school, and continued talking with coaches for the next year and a half. During this time, many coaches watched Malik compete at national-level tournaments.
“I visited a lot of colleges but I connected with CMS because my sister played for them too,” Malik said. “I loved everything about Claremont and the team.”
In the next four years, Malik is excited to travel the country with her team. She looks forward to making new connections and continuing to play tennis throughout college.
“I definitely want to keep playing tennis after college,” Malik said. “I’ve been playing for so long that I can’t imagine my life without it.”
Isabella Thompson
Basketball at Mission College
Senior Isabella Thompson was recruited to play basketball at Mission College. Growing up, Thompson began playing the sport due to encouragement from her mother.
“I was never a kid that stuck to sports, but basketball was the one that I stuck with,” Thompson said.
Although she wanted to play basketball outside of high school, Thompson did not initially prioritize seeking recruitment. However, after a varsity coach referred her to Mission College’s basketball coaches, she was offered a spot on the team.
While Thompson does not plan to pursue professional basketball, she hopes to continue playing recreationally after college.
“The sport is very community-wise, and I’d also probably [make] my kids play basketball,” Thompson said. “So I’d like to always be included, maybe even coach someday.”
Thompson looks forward to meeting new people and continuing to improve her basketball skills.
“It’s been my passion for a really long time, so being able to continue it is really exciting for me,” Thompson said.
Jonathan Kim
Golf at Hamilton College
Senior Jonathan Kim is a recruited golf player who announced his verbal commitment to Hamilton College in November 2025. Kim’s journey started from hitting range golf balls in his backyard — a hobby introduced by his father — since he was 7 years old.
“I got into the sport, just fell in love with it and decided to join a few tournaments after,” Kim said. In addition to playing competitively, Kim has been part of the Cupertino High School varsity boys golf team for all four years, and currently serves as a team captain. After completing summer tournaments in 2025, Kim reached out to college golf coaches to express his interest in pursuing an athletic career through competing in college divisions. Kim then started communicating with a golf coach from Hamilton College, which eventually led to his commitment to the school.
Currently, Kim looks forward to continuing playing golf at amateur tournaments for the next four years. “Just being able to come into a new environment where you have all these recruited athletes near you that have played a lot of these junior tournaments before […] [is] gonna really amp things up,” Kim said. Beyond golf, Kim hopes to explore the state of New York, as well as new opportunities.
Zoe Urbano North
Basketball at San Jose City College
Senior Zoe Urbano North was first introduced to basketball by her middle school best friend. Years later, she is set to attend San Jose City College as a recruited athlete.
At first, Urbano North found the recruitment process challenging due to factors like physical height. She almost accepted an initial offer from Foothill College — but not before speaking to her head coach, Craig Ellegood, who connected her with a coach from SJCC. After attending Urbano North’s preseason games, the SJCC representative offered her a place on the team.
Looking ahead, Urbano North hopes to transfer to a four-year university after studying at SJCC. For the next few years, she looks forward to facing new competitors and winning games at a collegiate level.
“That’s the most exciting thing about this,” Urbano North said. “Just playing new people, instead of seeing the same faces every year.”
Zoe Wong
Swimming at The University of Chicago
Senior Zoe Wong was recruited to swim at The University of Chicago. Wong has been swimming for the Cupertino High School varsity swim team all four years of high school, earning MVP awards in her sophomore and junior years, and being captain in her senior year.
When she first started swimming at 6 years old, Wong never expected that she would be recruited for swimming. She initially enrolled in swim lessons simply to develop water safety skills, but upon realizing that she enjoyed the sport, she decided to pursue it further.
Throughout the 11 years that Wong has swum competitively, her career has faced many challenges. In her freshman year, she decided to quit swimming to focus on academics. However, she changed her decision after joining the CHS swim team.
“I realized how much the sport meant to me and shaped me as a person, so I made that decision to go back,” Wong said. “I’m really glad I did that, because I think coming back with a different perspective and also with a deeper passion and love for the sport really helped motivate me. That’s when I figured out that I really wanted to continue this sport in college.”
Wong looks forward to the teammates and support that she will have at UChicago next year.
“I’m just really excited to be a part of a program that treats team spirit and school spirit just as much as how you perform individually, and getting up to train every single day, and that discipline,” Wong said. “Also, going to college is really scary, but having a support system and upperclassmen you could go to at any time to ask for help is really special.”
In the future, although Wong does not plan to pursue a professional career in swimming, she wants to continue to work in the field as a trainer or by developing technology that will support swimmers.
