LINFIELD UNIVERSITY MEN'S TENNIS • SPRING 2024

MEET THE WILDCATS

Abhi acharya Sophomore Katmandu, Nepal

tommy gabrielsen Freshman McMinnvile, Oregon

Haven hepton Freshman Kaneohe, Hawaii

Seth lee Junior Happy Valley, Oregon

Nick owens Freshman West Linn, Oregon

Cameron paulson Freshman West Linn, Oregon

cody pickar Junior McMinnville, Oregon

alexander rosenquist Sophomore Portland, Oregon

rogue stone Junior Clackamas, Oregon

Brandon tran Freshman Salem, Oregon

matous Young Senior San Anselmo, California

Wyatt zagyva Junior Hillsboro, Oregon

WILDCAT SPOTLIGHT

LASTING IMPACT

The evolution of Matous Young from college dropout to team leader and engaged exercise science student is nothing short of remarkable

by KARLIE VERCAUTEREN ’27

Matous Young is more locked in than he has ever been. His time at Linfield thus far has shown him the true value of hard work and commitment and he is determined to keep making strides and changes for the better.

Young’s path to Linfield was not clear-cut. He started higher education at Cabrillo Community College in Santa Cruz, California, and dropped out after his first semester. He returned home to San Anselmo around the beginning of the COVID pandemic and started taking online courses, one at a time. Slowing down helped Young to gain perspective and work on seeing his classes through to completion. Yet at the same time, he was growing restless.

“I was 21 and I was living at home, and I was like ‘This can’t be the end of the road, I’ve got to get out of here,’” Young recalls. His opportunity came in the form of an offer to play tennis at Linfield. He pursued it because “I’ve been playing tennis for close to two decades now and I’ve always wanted to continue my tennis at the highest level I can. Linfield offered that for me.”

Adapting to a more demanding education proved difficult for Young and those challenges were amplified by a lack of structure and accountability with-in the tennis team. Young recalls how he and the other players were able to get away with a great deal, and how that lack of grounding translated to poor performances and attitudes.

The team’s poor dynamics ground to a halt with the arrival of the new head coach, Tessa Kern. A Linfield alumnus herself, Kern instilled changes that made it clear the players would either have to change their behavior, or risk losing their program altogether.

“Fear was the predominant factor and the inspira tion and the motivation to stay disciplined. Fear of losing your friends, fear of losing your opportunity to get an education, fear of you being the reason Linfield men’s tennis doesn’t exist anymore. That’s an incredible weight,” says Young. By enforcing behavior policies and holding the players to strict expectations, Kern has helped foster changes “that have really propelled us in a more forward and structured direction. The discipline on the team has skyrocketed.”

Young’s growth in tennis has been mirrored by his development as a student, largely because of how intertwined these two pieces of his life are. Young is majoring in exercise science and he hopes to apply the knowledge and skills he gains from his classes in his future as a tennis player.

“If I want to continue tennis after college, which I do, having an exercise science and athletic training background is going to be super helpful,” he says, describing how he is already applying his learning to better understand how to care for his body and encourage his teammates to do the same.

Of course, no amount of interest and motivation can entirely prepare students for their human anatomy and physiology courses. Young may not have had an easy time in these classes, but everything he has taken away from them and the impressions he has left because of them are worthwhile in themselves.

Anatomy instructor Dr. Daniel Zajic shares that Young “was never afraid to dive headfirst into class discussions, whether asking questions or offering answers, even if they’re not always spot-on. His genuine curiosity creates a vibrant and positive learning atmosphere for everyone. Despite being fun and goofy, Matous knows when it’s time to buckle down and focus. I have seen his growth over the semesters and always love catching up with him while he is studying away in Starbucks.”

Young recognizes this growth in himself and attributes much of it to his experience as a Linfield student. “I feel like I’ve really matured in all sorts of things in my life. It’s weird, it’s like I appreciate things a different way, I solve problems a different way, I address people a different way, I make different lifestyle decisions. That’s the gift that Linfield has given me and I’m greatly appreciative of that.”

His perspective shift has helped develop his appreciation for tennis, giving him greater insight into the sport he has spent nearly his whole life play-ing. “The scenery of tennis is beautiful. It’s like, you watch somebody doing the same thing over and over and the demand of it for it to be so perfect. It’s incredible when you see people being able to do that.”

And for Young, so much of his ability to play well depends on how he represents himself and leads by example. “I try to be the most communicative, real person I can be on the court. That means I show my emotions, that means I speak out.”

Young hopes that his personal growth will enhance his physical prowess as a player to allow him to play professionally. “I think practicality is the most commonly traveled road to mediocrity, so why would I not just try to be a professional at what I’m doing, why would I not give it my all?” he says, recognizing the loftiness of this goal but also that there are countless opportunities available and that he is fully capable of playing tennis at that high level.

For now, however, Young is focused on continuing to evolve and mature with the goal of leaving a lasting mark at Linfield. “I just want to be one of those people (whose names are enshrined at Linfield). So, absolutely, (growth) is going to be something that I’m going to stick to, and it will be something that I will have to remind myself of when I go on the court every day and when I go into matches every weekend.”

Feb.

Feb.

Feb.

March

March

April

April

April

April

April

April

Fox (2) Noon

May 4 Willamette (2) Noon

May 5 at Willamette (2) 11 a.m.

May 10-12

May 17-19

May 24-25

May 30-June 5

Feb. 10 Pacific Lutheran 1 p.m.

Feb. 23 Eastern Oregon 6 p.m.

March 8 Whitman 6 p.m.

March 10 Whitworth 1 p.m.

March 12 Illinois Wesleyan TBA

March 19 Willamette 5 p.m.

March 23 at Pacific 1 p.m.

April 3 at George Fox 5 p.m.

April 7 at Puget

April

April

April

April

April

April

April

May

Jan. 28 at Oregon TBA Feb. 10 at Lewis & Clark 11 a.m.

Feb. 11 Puget Sound 10 a.m.

Feb. 16 vs. Colorado College 10 a.m.

Feb. 18 Cal Lutheran 10 a.m.

Feb. 25 British Columbia 10 a.m.

March 2 Willamette 11 a.m.

March 3 at George Fox 11 a.m.

March 9 Whitworth 11 a.m.

March 10 Whitman 11 a.m.

March 25 at Biola 2 p.m.

March 28 at Pt. Loma Nazarene 2 p.m.

March 31 at Puget Sound 10 a.m.

April 6 at Pacific 11 a.m.

April 13 Lewis & Clark 11 a.m.

April 20-21 at NWC Championships TBA

Jan. 21 vs. Portland State 10 a.m.

Jan. 28 at Oregon (exhibition) TBA

Feb. 10 at Lewis & Clark 11 a.m.

Feb. 16 vs. Colorado College 2 p.m.

Feb. 18 Cal Lutheran 10 a.m.

Feb. 19 UC-Santa Cruz 10 a.m.

March 2 at Willamette 11 a.m.

March 3 George Fox 11 a.m.

March 9 at Whitworth 11 a.m.

March 10 at Whitman 11 a.m.

March 21 Wellesley 3 p.m.

March 27 at Occidental 4 p.m.

March 28 at Point Loma Nazarene 5 p.m.

March 31 Puget Sound 10 a.m.

April 6 Pacific 11 a.m.

April 13 at Lewis & Clark 11 a.m.

April 20-21 at NWC Championships TBA