Consistency is very important in the game of tennis, and Fort Bend County high school players Emilio Nagel and Nicole Quijano exude plenty of it on the court.
Katy Tennis Academy director and head coach Andres Quijano said that Nagel and daughter Nicole, who attend Katy Seven Lakes High, are two members of the academy who really stand out.
Nicole has been in the academy since she was a little girl while Nagel joined when he was in middle school. Going into the 2019-2020 academic year as sophomores, the pair are also members of the Spartans varsity tennis team.
Quijano described Nagel as being at a “[U.S. Tennis Association] Super Champ level.” The Super Champ division is the highest level of junior play in Texas.
“He’s very consistent,” Quijano told Texas Scorecard. “He actually helps raise the level of the other kids … by him playing along with the others, he helps them.”
As father to Nicole 15 years and counting, Quijano is more than well-versed on her game.
“She’s consistent,” he said. “She can hit the ball hard. Her overall game is solid. She was playing No. 7 on varsity and we hope she could improve No. 3 [or] 4 next year.
Nagel and the younger Quijano, who bond over tennis, have benefitted tremendously from the KTA, which was founded a decade ago.
“We’ve been around since 2009,” said Quijano. “[We recently marked] our 10th year in May. We have a strong program for beginners and intermediates. We teach the fundamentals, the strokes, and the basics. Basically, we make sure that they’re ready to play for their schools or for themselves in tournaments.”
Quijano’s own history with the game spanned 30 years and two continents. He recalled playing on clay courts in Colombia, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the Javeriana University in Bogota.
When it comes to Nagel’s and Nicole’s careers, Quijano hopes that they continue to play at the varsity level, as well as sharpen their games.
“Hopefully, they could obtain a scholarship to an NCAA school whether it be a Division I, or III, or III,” he said.
