Fab Five: Neil Tengbumroong

Photographs have the ability to capture important pieces of our past and help us recall people, places, feelings and memories that made an impact on our lives. For many scholar-athletes, pictures secure those special moments and assist in making their collegiate careers last forever.

In a feature called “Fab Five”, Triton scholar-athletes are tasked to pick five of their favorite photos throughout their career to be highlighted on UCSDtritons.com.

LA JOLLA, Calif. – Today, UC San Diego men’s tennis scholar-athlete Neil Tengbumroong shares his collection. 

A native of West Covina, Tengbumroong is a computer science major at Marshall College. Last season, he helped the nationally-ranked Tritons to a record of 9-4 while serving as the team’s Academic Captain and a Triton Athletes’ Council (TAC) team representative. Tengbumroong will enter his senior year this fall. 

1. Lifelong Lessons

As a rising senior, it pains me to think about how I’m nearing the end of my tennis career. I started playing at the age of 6, and 15 years later it’s safe to say that it was one of the best decisions I could have ever made. The lifelong friendships, memories, and lessons are something that I will cherish forever. This is a picture of one of those lessons - a backhand drop volley that I remember missing wide. [Coach Timmer Willing] shortly afterwards told me I should have followed through instead - drop volleys are low percentage at that distance.

2. Doubles Duo

This photo is dedicated to my doubles partner and one of my closest friends on the team – Cody Duong. I’ve never had so much fun playing with someone who brings out the best in me and never fails to pump me up or make me laugh. We could be winning easily or losing terribly, but you’d never be able to tell from just watching us. (We won this particular match, FYI.)

3. Joy and Relief

There’s no better feeling than winning that critical point or long rally, and getting your team that much closer to victory, and this photo captures all of that. It’s a mixture of joy and relief - those long hours practicing under the sun, the tough weight room workouts, they all feel like they’ve finally paid off. I also like to think my fist pump photo looks better than Sreeganesh Manoharan’s.

4. Coaches' Support

This photo goes out to all of the tennis coaching staff at UC San Diego. Timmer Willing, Tavi Popaluca, Mason Fuller, and Eric Tseng are the best leaders I could have asked for, and I will certainly miss having each of them on my court when I graduate. Whether it’s Timmer’s calm and collected poise, Tavi’s jokes and lighthearted demeanor, Mason’s stern yet well-intended guidance, or Eric’s combination of all three, their support will always stick with me, on and off the court.

5. Not Just Teammates. Family

Your teammates aren’t just your teammates - they’re like your family. You see them five days a week, sometimes even more during season. You wake up for practice and they’re the first people you see. You leave the courts at the end of the day walking and talking with them. They see your lowest of lows and highest of highs, just as much as you see theirs. You celebrate their victories and mourn their defeats. Sometimes you butt heads, but which team doesn’t? I would include all of my teammates over the years if I could, but sadly I could only pick one photo - my freshman year team roster, all of whom I still talk to today. These boys welcomed me in as one of their own, and as an upperclassman the least I could do is to treat the newcomers the same way. 

Stay tuned for future editions of “Fab Five” from other UC San Diego scholar-athletes. Below are previous “Fab Five” collections: 

• Zeinab Torabi (women's track and field)
• Isabel Lavrov (softball)
• Cameron Leonard (baseball)
   

About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program begins a new era in 2020 as a member of the Big West Conference in NCAA Division I.  The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in DivisionsIII and II and helped guide more than 1,300 scholar-athletes to All-America honors.  A total of 82 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 37 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships.  UC San Diego student-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.