Year: Sophomore
School: Redwood
She's qualified because: Put up a 36-0 record and won the Central Section singles title, first Redwood girl ever to win Valley singles. Was West Yosemite League champion, and led Redwood to the section team final, which it lost to Stockdale 7-2. A section runner-up as a freshman.
Defining moment: After losing the first set of the section final 6-0 to Lyndsay Cooke, Gatewood listened to her coaches, stayed focused and gutted out a 7-6 second set. Then she pounded a tired Cooke in the third, 6-1. "I was really tired in the first two sets, with a lot of long points," she said. "But after winning the second, I got an adrenaline rush and a lot more energy. I knew I could beat her."
The word: "As physical as Gabby is, with such strong game, it's her mental game that has made the most significant improvement. And her dedication, she practices longer and harder than anybody." -- Rosemarie Lewis, Redwood coach.
Opponent's take: "What separates Gabrielle from the majority of other players is her strength, how hard she can hit the ball. Not just the serve but she hits her groundstrokes at a consistently high power level, making it difficult for other players to deal with. I can't see any weakness in her game." -- Mt. Whitney coach Jim Byrne.
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