Michael Starr
	Year: JR Hometown: San Ramon, CA High School: Monte Vista HS College: Harvey Mudd Height: 5'10 Weight: 160 Major: Molecular Biology

On Court: All-court player who hits two hands on both sides...highly touted junior player who won Northern California B18s Sectionals and ranked as high as #60 nationally...as a freshman won ITA West Regionals (defeating teammate William Ellison in the final) and ITA Division III Nationals singles titles in the fall of 2006...became the first Division III player in twelve years to win a match at the ITA Small College Super Bowl, after defeating the Junior College Champion Paul Fitzgerald in the semifinals...ranked #1 nationally in Division III fall 2006 singles rankings...injured knee (torn left ACL) in first dual match of spring, which caused him to miss remainder of 2007 season...finished with a 10-1 singles record and 3-1 doubles record and earned singles All-American honors...as a sophomore missed ITA West Regionals in order to further rehab left knee....returned in the spring to post a 16-7 record at #3 and #4 singles, and a 14-7 doubles record with five different partners...earned 2nd Team All-SCIAC honors after posting a perfect 5-0 record in conference in dual matches...as a junior reached the round of 16 in singles at the ITA West Regionals and second round of the doubles (with Wu), before retiring with a wrist injury...ranked #25 singles in West at end of fall season...began spring season with three convincing wins at the #2 singles position before dropping first dual match to All-American Chris Goodwin at the ITA National Team Indoors... the following day  was forced to retire at match point when he re-injured his left ACL, an injury which ended his season...was 5-3 in singles...7-1 with Wu in doubles prior to the knee injury, with their only loss a walkover in the fall...unlikely to return to action in 2010 as a senior, and yet holds the 5th best career singles winning percentage at .738 with his 31-11 record after one full and two partial seasons.

Tools: Vokl C10 Pro strung with Solinco Tour Bite 16 gauge at 60 lbs

Personal: Earned ITA Scholar-Athlete honors as a junior for maintaining better than a 3.5 GPA...eldest of three boys...hobbies include photography, writing, guitar, soccer, and snowboarding...at one time collected Sobe lids...favorite players are Sampras, Federer, and Sebastien Grosjean for their movement, style and cool disposition.

Famous relative or ancestor: I don't know my family genealogy very well.

Country you would like to explore: France & Great Britain

Film you could watch over and over: Amelie

Artist(s) whose work you respect: Wes Andersen, Hayao Miyazaki, Joe Hisaishi, & Anthony Nedroid.

The book that has affected you the most: I went pretty nuts over The Fountainhead in high school, but I don't know if I'd even like it were I to read it again. Books affect me for a while, and then I forget about them. I mean, I don't forget the stories, but I relegate whatever wisdom they impart unto me from the fore of my brain to some other part that is not the fore. So, though I may still be "affected" by some books or others, I wouldn't be able to tell you which, and certainly not which the most.
 
A book you read recently that you liked, and why: The Enchantress of Florence; lots of interesting characters, interesting stories, and an interesting way of conveying the overall plot
 
Where you'd want to live some day and why: France or England (to explore and meet new people), but only temporarily. After that, maybe the Bay area (because I like the water, the hills, and the weather, and because it is where most of the people I know are), or maybe somewhere else; I don't know for sure.
 
Three people you consider to be geniuses: Richard Feynman, and I can't think of any others at the moment.
 
Something most people don't know about you: I played a clarinet for several months in elementary school.
 
Something most people wouldn't guess about you: I am secretly a robot. Actually, nevermind; I'm sure some people have already guessed it.

Three words to describe how others view you: Reserved, thoughtful, interesting (not necessarily in a good way).

Three things for which you are thankful: The first two are somewhat related, but: Having adequate living conditions (a home, running water, plenty of food, etc), living in a country whose government and infrastructure are relatively stable, and myself.

Something you wish you could learn at the snap of your fingers: Most things (like instruments and languages) I do wish I could learn, but I wouldn't want to learn them instantly, with no work, because I think working hard at it would be part of the fun, and I would feel super-guilty afterwards that I'd learned something without putting any effort into it. There may be some exceptions to this, but I can't think of any at the moment.
 
Your tennis fantasy: What does that even mean? I will take a stab at it by answering: Playing my best.
 
Something you like to do which is totally different from tennis: Listening to (sometimes loud) music, reading about people's lives, imagining things, dreaming.
 
One thing you cook pretty well: I don't cook anything well. I don't know how to make anything besides breakfast items, and those are not done "pretty well" by me, but just decently.
 
Two interesting things you did last summer: 1) Went to Baja, Mexico, for ten days with (if I remember correctly) 11 either current or former members of the Stags tennis team, or fans thereof; 2) Worked in a legitimate biology lab for the first time in my life, at UC Berkeley.
 
Person who introduced you to tennis: My father
 
Three jobs you'd do if you don't turn pro: 1) Bio/biotech professor/researcher, 2) Consultant, 3) Wandering minstrel (aka hobo).
 
Favorite Breakfast Item: I have several that I really like: Oily greasy bacon, eggs over easy, both of the previous two on a slice of toast (not too toasty though; the bread has to be able to soak it up, still), and milk and orange juice. But what I want for any given breakfast will change from day to day, depending on what my body is craving or what I am in the mood for.

Motto: I feel like life is too myriad to really be summed up by any one saying.

Ideal Sunday activity: Waking up calm yet energetic, and then doing lots of different things (I tend to feel most productive when I do lots of different things, even if I don't do each of them for that long). Or, waking up calm yet energetic, and doing some things, but mostly relaxing.

Something hidden under your bed or in your closet: Things from my past that I've forgotten about.

Strangest possession: Probably one of the things hidden under my bed or in my closet. Doesn't it look strange? I'm not sure what it does, though.

What you admire about your parents: They are both very self-sacrificing. One is not afraid of taking risks in hopes of betterment in the future, and the other is very thoughtful.

Three favorite childhood toys: My video games (I almost feel like it is cheating putting them all into one category, because they capture so many different stories and memories), pillows, and balloons.

Three charities or people to whom you would donate money: I don't know the names of any specific ones, because I have not put in the time to research what charities I should donate to, because I am just a poor college student. But, they would probably be: 1) One that funds or supports the development of more advanced agriculture/self-sustenance in Africa or other underdeveloped places; 2) One that funds or supports the research of some disease(s) that are typically severely underfunded by the government; 3) The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, just for the irony of it.

Three things for which you are thankful: Didn't I already answer this question? Are you trying to trick me into actually answering the question, "Six things for which you are thankful?"

One piece of wisdom you would pass on to a child: Don't get too caught up in what people or society seem to tell you you're "supposed" thing to do. Of course, take everything into consideration, but you will later on realize that childhood is a precious time, and life as a whole is short. Take risks. Enjoy yourself.