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Journey Results In District Title

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By MATTHEW PARKE Tribune correspondent

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 28, 2008

NEW PORT RICHEY - An in-car navigation device would be a suitable graduation gift for River Ridge's Lucas Loman, The Tampa Tribune's Pasco County Boys Tennis Athlete of the Year.

The gadget should come in handy for the departing player, who has a knack for getting lost after away matches.

"After our first away match over at Zephyrhills, I was driving home. It should have taken us 45 minutes to get home. It took us, like, two-and-a-half hours. We definitely had to make a U-turn," Loman said.

The pressure of getting his teammates home caused Loman anxiety. The prospect of unfinished homework further complicated matters. He tried calling friends for directions. They were no help. Loman kept on driving until he finally gave up and turned around.

Eventually, the players made it home safely and that misadventure ranked as Loman's funniest moment of the season.
Loman finished his four-year career as a Royal Knight with a record of 46-9. This season, after going 16-0, he led his team to a long-awaited District 3A-5 championship. He also qualified for the state tournament with his individual championship at the No. 1 position.

It was at that district final where Loman experienced his favorite moment of 2008, collapsing on the court after winning the district championship.

"I thought, 'Oh boy, finally.' Then 'Oh well, lie down, I deserve it,'" Loman said of the 6-2, 6-0 win over Wesley Chapel's Yuya Burkhart in the final.
Loman rebounded from a shaky junior year at No. 1 and retooled his game for his senior campaign. His attention to his footwork and speed paid off, making Loman an unstoppable force in the Sunshine Athletic Conference. He had just one three-set match during the entire regular season, a regular-season match with Burkhart.

"I feel like I accomplished all my goals. I beat some kids that were very good, some that were regular. I wanted to be the player of the year. I tried it last year, but it did not work out," Loman said.

According to Loman, his toughest moment came during River Ridge's lone regular-season loss to Wiregrass Ranch. A fatigued Loman and his injured doubles partner, Dylan Douglas, could not stack up in the deciding match.

As the team leader, Loman urged his team to not overestimate its own talent and to not overlook its opponents. He said that was the best advice he gave this year.

"We did not think that they were that good. After the loss, I told everybody that we were not unbeatable. We were not the top of the top. We still had much to learn," Loman said.

Winning the district championship was the culmination of a long journey that took Loman from Indonesia to the United States and through hardships, like his childhood surgeries.

He said that his time at River Ridge represented a large part of his acclimation and that being on the tennis team was the key factor in helping him adjust. He said that he will miss the school and his teammates.

"I feel like it's a transformation, from when I couldn't speak English very well up to now where I can be interviewed," Loman said.
Loman will spend the summer applying to colleges and keeping up with his tennis. He said that he will be back on the River Ridge courts next season to help out as the team's assistant coach.

BOYS TENNIS FIRST TEAM

Lucas Loman, River Ridge

Dylan Douglas, River Ridge

James Reilly Wiregrass Ranch
Yuya Burkhart, Wesley Chapel
Nicolai Atkinson, Sunlake

Coach of the Year: Paul Scolaro, River Ridge

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