Hometown: Glencoe, Ill.

Concentration: Political Science

Why Luke? Luke plays first singles for the men’s tennis team and has been making a huge impact on the team since he was a first-year. He has an incredible record in both singles and doubles.

MN: How does it feel to have earned the first singles position?

LG: Playing first singles every match of my career has been an awesome experience. I know going into every match that I will be playing a high-level opponent, regardless of the school, which means I have to be incredibly focused every time I step onto the court.  Additionally, playing first singles has given me the opportunity to have a leadership role on our team which I relish, especially now as

an upperclassmen.

MN: You started out your Colgate tennis career amazingly, winning rookie of the year and have seen great success from then on. How do you hope to advance even further next year as a senior?

LG: I have some lofty goals for my senior year. In terms of individual goals, I hope to win Patriot League Player of the Year and qualify for the NCAA tournament as an individual. For the team my goals are the same: To win a Patriot League Tournament Title and go to the NCAA tournament. Additionally, I would like to beat Bucknell as a team at least once before I leave Colgate.

MN: How do team trips like the one you took to Puerto Rico impact the team?

LG: The spring break trip to Puerto Rico was a huge boost to our team this season. It gave us the opportunity to play tennis as much as we wanted in beautiful weather, which allowed us to work out some different things in our games, as well as work on our conditioning. Additionally, the trip really brought the team closer together. After playing tennis, hanging out, and enjoying the beach for a week together, the team was as cohesive as ever. We also played some high-quality competition and more than held our own against teams used to playing outdoors, which should only help us as we get deeper into the season.

MN: What has been your proudest moment of Colgate tennis?

LG: My proudest moment of my Colgate tennis career has been winning the Patriot League Rookie of the Year Award, as well as being a member of the All-Patriot League First Team my first two seasons. In terms of the proudest team moment, it would have to be crushing St. Bonaventure last year at home outside, which felt even better considering we lost to them our freshman year. I hope to add some proud team moments this year as well, and have no doubt we can win the Patriot League Tournament. Winning the tournament this year would be especially sweet as we are hosting it here at Colgate. 

Interview by Belle Stepien