Woo-hoo! Rebecca left the Sault 15 years ago, returns a tennis star

A young tennis phenom, whose family moved from the Sault when she was just two years of age, is returning to the area 15 years later with a full university scholarship — and a wicked double-handed backhand.

Seventeen-year-old Rebecca Herrington of Alliston, Ont. has been recruited by Lake Superior State University (LSSU) in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. for the upcoming school year.

It is a homecoming of sorts for Herrington, who was born on this side of the river in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont in 1998.

Her family moved to southern Ontario when she was two years old, but she still has family in the area and often spends time with them in the summer in St. Joseph Island. 

Herrington is looking forward to returning to the area.

“It’s beautiful up there,” she said.

Although Herrington will live on campus at LSSU, she will be only a few kilometres across the bridge from her aunt, uncle and cousins who still live on the Canadian side.

“It’s nice to have family connections close to the school. That was part of the reason I chose Lake State,” said Herrington, who says she was also being courted by larger universities.

LSSU tennis head coach Eric Sturgis announced the signing earlier today and said Herrington will begin playing for the university next season, and will start classes in August of 2016.

“She is an outstanding student and tennis player and will make a huge impact on our team right away,” said Sturgis. 

In her three years playing for Banting Memorial High School in Alliston, Herrington amassed an impressive 24-0 record in singles play.

In each of those years Herrington qualified for the All-Ontario High School Championships, finishing as high as third in the Open Division and she will compete for Banting in those championships one more time in 2016.

At age 12, Herrington — and her teammate at the time — reached the Final Four in the doubles category in the Ontario Provincial Championships and she has played in the Canadian Nationals in both the 16 and 18 age groups.

All of her hard work has paid off with the full ride scholarship.

“I am very excited. I have been playing tennis for most of my life — about 10 years,” said Herrington.

She hasn't finalized her plans, but thinks she may enroll in the Political Science program at the university.

Current coach Harry Greenan — who was chosen as coach of the year by Tennis Canada in 2013 — said Herrington is a natural.

“There aren’t many people who can hit the ball as aggressively as she can with little effort. She doesn’t look like she’s working hard at all,” said Greenan.

While Herrington is home on breaks, Greenan plans to continue working with her at the Royal City Tennis Club in Guelph.

“All of the other students get along great with her. She will be a great teammate,” said Greenan.

(PHOTO PROVIDED)