For Martinez-Lucas, a long journey to Millersville was worth it
10/10/2019 8:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis, Features
MILLERSVILLE, Pa. - The 2017-18 tennis season could have easily been the worst year of Carlos Martinez-Lucas' life.
But it's not in his nature to look at things in a negative light.
Martinez-Lucas just completed his freshman season at Division I South Dakota State University when he learned the men's tennis program was being cut from the school. He was just 18 years old and moved to the United States only one year prior from Albacete, a town in the southeast section of Spain.
Martinez-Lucas didn't have his family with him in South Dakota, let alone in the United States. It was his goal to play college tennis in the states, which he finally achieved, only to find out it was gone.
"I was scared," said Martinez-Lucas, now a junior on the Millersville men's tennis team. "I wanted to play tennis. I didn't want to stay in South Dakota just to be there; I want to play. I didn't come to the states for that. It was scary."
But it's Martinez-Lucas' mindset to remain positive. Despite the shortcomings of the team, Martinez-Lucas put together a really solid freshman season at South Dakota State. He opened the season in singles at flight six and worked his way up to flight two. He finished the season with a 15-9 record, the best individual mark on the team. The university told him he could keep his scholarship and study for the remaining three years to get his degree, but Martinez-Lucas knew there had to be suitors.
He didn't come that far only to come that far. There was too much time and effort put into the process for that.
Martinez-Lucas started playing tennis and soccer when he was 4 years old at the instruction of his dad, a fan of both sports. Though soccer is most popular sport in Spain, the popularity of tennis grew with the rise of Rafael Nadal. By the time Martinez-Lucas was 12, he was hooked.
And good, as it turned out. Tennis was starting to take Martinez-Lucas places, and he was beginning to think it could take him even more. When he was 15, he remembered having a conversation with an older player who was going to the United States on a tennis scholarship.
"That was one of the first times I ever really thought about coming here," he said. "But I was 15 at that time so I was young. I didn't really know what I wanted to do with my life yet."
A few years later, Martinez-Lucas signed up with a service that helped him get recruited by schools in the United States. His major, Geospatial Applications, is not one offered by a lot of schools, which is part of the reason he landed at South Dakota State.
But just one year later, Martinez-Lucas was in the recruiting process again. This time, it was Millersville that captured his interest.
Martinez-Lucas was sold on the vision of head coach Matt Helsel. During his one year at South Dakota State, the Marauders wrapped up a 2-14 team record. It was the newly-hired Helsel who convinced Martinez-Lucas he could help turn the program around.
"I really liked the challenge," Martinez-Lucas said. "It was like, 'OK, let's go to Millersville, lets improve the university and do some really great things.'"
Martinez-Lucas stepped in and immediately produced, going 5-1 in flight two singles and 10 at flight one. His 15 victories in singles action led the team and led to major accolades, including a spot on the All-PSAC Singles First Team.
Martinez-Lucas was also the third player in program history to win PSAC Athlete of the Year, joining Keith Mahaffey (2002) and Oliver Merrill (1998).
"I didn't expect that. I was going from Division I to Division II, but honestly, I didn't even really know the difference," Martinez-Lucas said. "I knew all the matches were going to be hard because No. 1 is always the best on the team. That was going to be difficult. I knew it was going to be a new challenge. It was just like, 'Let's play.'"
Martinez-Lucas describes himself as a grinder on the court. He doesn't get too high or too low, but he believes he can wear down any opponent he faces. That attitude was a welcoming sight to Helsel.
"I knew Carlos had talent, but what I didn't know was how tough of a competitor he is, how hard of a worker he is, and how great of a leader and teammate he is," the fourth-year coach said. "He's been a tremendous addition to our team."
Martinez-Lucas has picked up in in the 2019-20 season where he left off in 2018-19. The junior is a combined 8-0 in flight one singles and doubles action in match play and made a run to the quarterfinals in the ITA Atlantic Regional Tournament in A Draw singles. He's been the lead horse for a Millersville team that is 4-0 for the first time since 2010-11.
Although the junior talks to his family in Spain (and younger brother, a freshman tennis player at University of Charleston) on the phone every day, he wants to help take his tennis family to places the MU program hasn't gone in almost a decade: the NCAA Regional Tournament.
"I think we can do it," he said. "We have a really solid team. With this team, we can do really big things. We are changing. We're playing good and improving. I'm very excited for the season because I think we can do great things. We can do whatever we want."
But it's not in his nature to look at things in a negative light.
Martinez-Lucas just completed his freshman season at Division I South Dakota State University when he learned the men's tennis program was being cut from the school. He was just 18 years old and moved to the United States only one year prior from Albacete, a town in the southeast section of Spain.
Martinez-Lucas didn't have his family with him in South Dakota, let alone in the United States. It was his goal to play college tennis in the states, which he finally achieved, only to find out it was gone.
"I was scared," said Martinez-Lucas, now a junior on the Millersville men's tennis team. "I wanted to play tennis. I didn't want to stay in South Dakota just to be there; I want to play. I didn't come to the states for that. It was scary."
But it's Martinez-Lucas' mindset to remain positive. Despite the shortcomings of the team, Martinez-Lucas put together a really solid freshman season at South Dakota State. He opened the season in singles at flight six and worked his way up to flight two. He finished the season with a 15-9 record, the best individual mark on the team. The university told him he could keep his scholarship and study for the remaining three years to get his degree, but Martinez-Lucas knew there had to be suitors.
He didn't come that far only to come that far. There was too much time and effort put into the process for that.
Martinez-Lucas started playing tennis and soccer when he was 4 years old at the instruction of his dad, a fan of both sports. Though soccer is most popular sport in Spain, the popularity of tennis grew with the rise of Rafael Nadal. By the time Martinez-Lucas was 12, he was hooked.
And good, as it turned out. Tennis was starting to take Martinez-Lucas places, and he was beginning to think it could take him even more. When he was 15, he remembered having a conversation with an older player who was going to the United States on a tennis scholarship.
"That was one of the first times I ever really thought about coming here," he said. "But I was 15 at that time so I was young. I didn't really know what I wanted to do with my life yet."
A few years later, Martinez-Lucas signed up with a service that helped him get recruited by schools in the United States. His major, Geospatial Applications, is not one offered by a lot of schools, which is part of the reason he landed at South Dakota State.
But just one year later, Martinez-Lucas was in the recruiting process again. This time, it was Millersville that captured his interest.
Martinez-Lucas was sold on the vision of head coach Matt Helsel. During his one year at South Dakota State, the Marauders wrapped up a 2-14 team record. It was the newly-hired Helsel who convinced Martinez-Lucas he could help turn the program around.
"I really liked the challenge," Martinez-Lucas said. "It was like, 'OK, let's go to Millersville, lets improve the university and do some really great things.'"
Martinez-Lucas stepped in and immediately produced, going 5-1 in flight two singles and 10 at flight one. His 15 victories in singles action led the team and led to major accolades, including a spot on the All-PSAC Singles First Team.
Martinez-Lucas was also the third player in program history to win PSAC Athlete of the Year, joining Keith Mahaffey (2002) and Oliver Merrill (1998).
"I didn't expect that. I was going from Division I to Division II, but honestly, I didn't even really know the difference," Martinez-Lucas said. "I knew all the matches were going to be hard because No. 1 is always the best on the team. That was going to be difficult. I knew it was going to be a new challenge. It was just like, 'Let's play.'"
Martinez-Lucas describes himself as a grinder on the court. He doesn't get too high or too low, but he believes he can wear down any opponent he faces. That attitude was a welcoming sight to Helsel.
"I knew Carlos had talent, but what I didn't know was how tough of a competitor he is, how hard of a worker he is, and how great of a leader and teammate he is," the fourth-year coach said. "He's been a tremendous addition to our team."
Martinez-Lucas has picked up in in the 2019-20 season where he left off in 2018-19. The junior is a combined 8-0 in flight one singles and doubles action in match play and made a run to the quarterfinals in the ITA Atlantic Regional Tournament in A Draw singles. He's been the lead horse for a Millersville team that is 4-0 for the first time since 2010-11.
Although the junior talks to his family in Spain (and younger brother, a freshman tennis player at University of Charleston) on the phone every day, he wants to help take his tennis family to places the MU program hasn't gone in almost a decade: the NCAA Regional Tournament.
"I think we can do it," he said. "We have a really solid team. With this team, we can do really big things. We are changing. We're playing good and improving. I'm very excited for the season because I think we can do great things. We can do whatever we want."
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