Cowgirl Culture: Mananchaya Sawangkaew

Tradition runs deep at Oklahoma State University and through the Cowgirl tennis culture.

Past experiences from others helped land the Cowgirls a standout freshman in Mananchaya Sawangkaew, who hails from Singburi City, Thailand.

Former Big 12 Player of the Year and ITA All-American Bunyawi Thamchaiwat is from Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand. With decisions on Sawangkaew's future looming, Thamchaiwat told her about the OSU tennis tradition and what life would be like from one Thailand native to another.

"I talked with Bunyawi (Thamchaiwat) a lot about coming here," Sawangkaew said. "She's also from Thailand and said how good everything is and that I should come to school here."

Sawangkaew was recruited by other top tennis programs in the nation. Along with seeing Bunyawi's success and growth in her time at OSU, Mananchaya also gives credit to head coach Chris Young and the program that has been built for getting her to Stillwater.

"I chose here because I saw so many good players on the team, and Chris (Young) has been so nice and kind to me. Chris sent messages to me about coming to school here. He talked about how good the players and facilities are and how coming here would help my professional goals. Chris' belief in me makes me feel confident in my tennis. Also, having a Thai tennis player have success here they get it and it made me choose to come here."

Sawangkaew makes her way to Cowgirl country with a WTA ranking of No. 567 in singles and No. 665 in doubles and enters college with an ITF junior career-high ranking of 14 and has won a 15K pro title in both singles and doubles.

Mananchaya began playing tennis at four years old. When she was 12, she moved to Bangkok to pursue school and tennis.

"I started playing when I was four," Sawangkaew said. "I started playing tennis because my dad and sister played and I started watching them. I really liked it after watching them play."

Chasing dreams didn't come without some costs for Sawangkaew. She moved away from family at 12 and they could only visit her about once a month.

"I lived in the dorm away from my family and attended an academy," Sawangkaew said. "It was so tough for me to be away from my family. There would be days I'd cry because I missed my family so much, but it has helped me to grow up and to stay by myself and get used to it."

Mananchaya played high levels of competition before coming to college.

"When I played grand slams in juniors, I could get a lot of experience because I had to play top players," Sawangkaew said. "It was tough for me, and I tried to do my best. I lost and came back home to improve to be able to compete against them again. My goal was to be top 100 in singles and doubles."

Now that she's taken her talents to Stillwater, Sawangkaew has lofty aspirations for her time as a Cowgirl and beyond.

"I've been working harder here than I ever have," Sawangkaew said. Everything is good. My teammates have been helping me a lot. I want to play in college and be an All-American. I want to be a professional after."

Coming to a university in a new country can be a challenge, but Sawangkaew has the right people around her to make Stillwater feel like home on and off the court.

"Having teammates from everywhere has helped me practicing against other styles and it has improved my tennis a lot," Sawangkaew said. "My teammates have helped me a lot with my English and homework. I've asked them to explain things and they've helped me. I have tried to change the language. I never have really spoken English before and it's hard. My teammates and coaches have been helping me a lot."

For now, Sawangkaew's major is undeclared, but she has an interest in pursuing a degree in university studies. Her favorite thing about Stillwater so far is the food.

As the Cowgirls prepare in the fall to take on another season, Sawangkaew is glad to be a part of the team.

"I have a pro tournament coming up and I'm excited to play," Sawangkaew said. "I am pumped to play for the team in January. I'm happy to be here and be a part of a team."

Oklahoma State University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Mananchaya Sawangkaew

Bunyawi Thamchaiwat

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