(Editor's note: The Day will be publishing a profile of a spring athlete for each day the high school athletic season is suspended.)

School: Waterford High School

Class: Senior

Sport: Girls' tennis

Position: First singles

College choice: Undecided

Chosen major: Environmental science

Athlete you grew up admiring: Serena Williams, she was the perfect role model of an athlete and a female tennis player. She was very kind and honest with her playing, had great sportsmanship and has a good eye for her placement with the ball.

Checking in with Hayley: "I was most looking forward to playing as a team captain and playing with my other singles teammates Alli Silva and Autumn Brothers for the last time. This would have been my best year; I was practicing hard at Lyme Shores to play matches and make the most out of my senior year. I always look forward to spring because I know I will be playing tennis for my high school."

What you need to know about Hayley: Wheeler's success at Waterford has come both as a member of the tennis team, which as the No. 15 seed reached the quarterfinals of the Class M state tournament last year, and as part of the volleyball team which reached the championship game of the Eastern Connecticut Conference and Class M tournaments. Wheeler earned a straight-set singles win in the Lancers' 5-2 quarterfinal win over No. 2 Naugatuck in the second round of the tennis tournament. "My whole team was nervous (the day of the match), but super-excited," Wheeler said of the win over Naugatuck. "I played the best I had all season." Wheeler credits her coaches at Lyme Shores Tennis Club, Andre Danford and Bobby Schlink — "both taught me confidence, strength and pride in my sport," she said — and also Waterford High coach Ed Kolnaski, whom she has known since she had him as a physical education teacher in elementary school. "I would not be the person I am today without my coach teaching me both personal and tennis skills," Wheeler said. "(Kolnaski and his wife Diane) are two people that made my high school years so memorable and sweet." Wheeler was invited to the ECC leadership conference as a sophomore and junior. She loves to draw and paint, to play Minecraft with her younger brother and enjoys the outdoors and the beach. She is a fan of the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movie trilogies and of Stitch from Lilo and Stitch.