By: Kylie DeHaven, Drake Athletics Communications Student Assistant
Ben Lott, from Newcastle, England, is the lone senior on the 2016 Drake University men's tennis team. Lott carries a heavy burden, being the only upperclassman on a team with eight sophomores and freshmen, but he carries it well.
"Ben's role has completely changed this year. He's gone through a lot of senior heavy classes, and this year has jumped to being the lone senior with no juniors and a bunch of 18 and 19 year olds," said head coach
Davidson Kozlowski. "Ben has realized what impact he can have on the team and what kind of legacy he wants to leave. He wants to help keep the culture going here at Drake and make sure the younger guys understand that."
Lott's mission this year has been to take what he has learned from all the seniors before him, and pass on those lessons to the underclassmen on the team now.
"My freshman year revolved heavily around learning from the seniors how to conduct myself and how to compete as a Drake men's tennis player. Then my sophomore and junior years were about applying what I had learned on the court," said Lott. "This year has come full circle, with me teaching the underclassmen what it means to be a Drake men's tennis player."
Lott's doubles partner last year,
Bayo Philips, said, "When I was a freshman, I didn't really know what to expect from playing doubles against these top teams. But Ben made me really comfortable and kept me grounded. It was good to have someone to look up to."
"Ben has really been the voice of reason on our team this year. He gets us to do what we're supposed to do at the end of the day and he always leads by example, making it easy for us to look up to him and respect him," Philips said.
Lott is just as impressive of a role model on the court as he is off. He had an outstanding junior season, closing out the year ranked 71
st nationally and 10
th in the central region, with a 21-11 singles record. He was also one of three Bulldogs to record 20 or more singles victories. Lott was named MVC Athlete of the Week in January after the Bulldogs defeated then-No. 39 Louisville, 4-2. He also received All-MVC honors.
Lott started his senior season with a singles record of 64-26, a doubles record of 54-35. He currently holds a 15-13 record as the as the Bulldogs No. 1 singles player.
After he graduates in May with a degree in business management, Lott plans to play professional tennis in the United States.
In addition to his legacy, Lott leaves his underclassmen with this piece of advice:
"When times get tough, remember the reasons why you came to Drake in the first place and never lose sight of them."
