<p>[This</a> champ exhibits team-first mentality | Philadelphia Inquirer | 05/21/2008](<a href=“http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/high_school/new_jersey/20080521_This_champ_exhibits_team-first_mentality.html]This”>This champ exhibits team-first mentality)</p>
<p>Day 1: The Cherry Hill East boys’ tennis team gathers around senior star Ravi Yegya-Raman, who sets the agenda for the season. </p>
<p>Day 63: Same scene, same star, same agenda. </p>
<p>“Ravi has put it in his mind to help this team win a state championship,” Cherry Hill East coach Ralph Ipri said. “He’s all about the team. And in 43 years of coaching, I’ve never seen a player generate the kind of respect from his teammates that he gets.” </p>
<p>From the first meeting of the season in Cherry Hill, to the moments after Monday’s sectional championship match at Cherokee, Yegya-Raman has been the definition of a team leader. </p>
<p>It’s not merely that he’s the best player in the state, the defending champion in the individual singles tournament. It’s not merely that he’s undefeated over the last two seasons. It’s more than that, according to Ipri. It’s Yegya-Raman’s commitment to his team as well as his sport that has the Cougars in prime position to capture the Group 4 state title tomorrow at Mercer County Park. </p>
<p>Yegya-Raman ranks 11th in a senior class of nearly 600 at Cherry Hill East. He plans to attend Princeton and to play for the Tigers’ powerful tennis program. </p>
<p>Ipri said Yegya-Raman is “one in a career.” </p>
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<p>Congratulations to Ravi. This is the kind of guy who will make both a great teammate and a great friend.</p>