Freshman wins State 4A Singles Championship

SALT LAKE CITY — Devin Lane accomplished something that rarely happens. He won the 2007 State 4A Tennis Singles Championship as a freshman in May at Liberty Park.

"It was cool winning state," said Lane. "I thought I would do well, but to remain undefeated with a 21-0 record was great."

Lane started his sophomore year this week at Highland High School. He knows what he has to do to next spring to defend his title. He will continue to practice a lot and work hard.

"Devin is an incredible athlete with a classic style of tennis," said his coach Mike Martines, who owns and operates Coach Mike’s Tennis Academy. "Devin can serve and volley, and plays a well-rounded game. He started playing in group lessons when he was six years old, and from the onset I noticed he had talent.

Martines said when he sees young, outstanding players, they always seem to come from families with caring parents.

"I think parents are more instrumental in the development of their children than the coach," said Martines. "Devin has wonderful parents who have been able to afford the expense of him traveling to various competitions. I feel family unity helps more than any one thing and is an important part of developing into a competitive player.

"I know religion is a big part of Devin’s life" said Martines. "He has had to miss tennis matches to attend Sunday school, to do community service projects, and attend confirmation classes. I have also asked him to come over and play tennis and there have been times he has not been able to because of a religious activity."

Lane and his family are a members of St. Ambrose Parish, Salt Lake City.

Martines said Devin has spent a lot of time at the tennis academy, a public facility, which has helped him in developing his skills. He has earned everything he has achieved, and he has been an extraordinary representative for the tennis community, Highland High School, and the state of Utah.

"Devin had quite a climax to his career in early August by having the opportunity to play in the Super Nationals in Kalamazoo, Mich.," said Martines. "He had to be endorsed by the Intermountain section made up of Utah, Idaho, Colorado, Nevada, Wyoming, and Montana. There are 17 sections in the United States, and a player has to be in the top three in his or her section to be invited to the Super Nationals. Devin is ranked second in the Intermountain section, and is ranked number 1 in Utah. He has moved his national ranking up from 200 at the beginning of the year to 115."

Lane competes year round, and travels about once a month to play in tournaments. In mid-September he will compete in Las Vegas.

Lane said his coach at Highland High School offers him and the other players on the team a lot of support. He runs the players through drills and helps them critique their game. There are eight members on the varsity team, and 12 on the junior varsity team. Lane has played number 1 in singles on the varsity team since his freshman year. He is now playing number 1 varsity singles as a sophomore.

"This fall I will go on an unofficial visit to Boise State University in Idaho," said Lane. "I know the coach, Greg Patton, really well. He is going to give me a tour around the school and I will probably play with the team while I am there. I hope they are interested in having me play for them when I graduate from high school. Boise State is one of my top choices for college. I would also like to play anywhere in California because all of the schools there are really good. The University of Nevada at Las Vegas is also a really solid school. But at this point, I will go wherever I get the best offer.

"I would definitely like to make tennis a part of the rest of my life," said Lane. "But while I am in high school, I also enjoy playing other sports. Last year I played on the basketball team, and I might do it again this year depending on how much I travel playing tennis.

"It is definitely a good feeling being recognized as a state champion," said Lane. "I have learned a lot from Coach Mike. I will continue to practice either before or after school, playing a lot of tennis, and will continue giving lessons to the younger kids. I just need to keep working hard and see where tennis will lead me."