By the numbers
Here are Tricia Wilks’ tennis records in her three years at DePauw University:
2009-10: 14-7 in singles, 17-4 in doubles
2008-09: 14-8 in singles, 18-10 in doubles
2007-08: 10-2 in singles, 8-2 in doubles
NCAA appearances: Wilks was 1-0 in singles and 0-2 in doubles during the Tigers' two team matches last season. Her victory was a 6-2, 6-1 decision against Kalee Cassady of Washington-St. Louis at No. 5 singles.
GREENCASTLE, Ind. — Tennis success has come to Tricia Wilks because of skill, hard work ... and being one of the guys.
Wilks grew up playing against boys and still does, regularly fighting an uphill battle against bigger, stronger players at Riverside Racquet Club in Hamilton.
Now a DePauw University junior on a women’s squad headed to the NCAA Division III Championships for the sixth straight year, Wilks credits the tennis guys in her life for pushing her game to a higher level.
“It plays a huge part in how I play now because I had to learn how to beat them,” said Wilks, a Hamilton native who attended Ursuline Academy in Cincinnati. “Guys are quicker than us. They can hit the ball harder. So you’ve got to try to match it or go for something before they outrun you.
“When I was 12, I was hitting against 16-year-old guys that could probably kill me if they hit it too hard,” she continued. “It’s good because you learn not to be intimidated.”
Those experiences helped Wilks become a power player. At DePauw, her game has been good enough this season to go 14-7 in singles (mostly at No. 5) and 17-4 at No. 3 doubles with Taylor Prodromos.
Wilks’ aggressiveness is her signature. She has learned how to be successful in longer points against pushers (players who return any ball they can chase down without deliberately hitting a winner), but doesn’t really enjoy it.
“I hit faster balls and put balls away a lot quicker than most girls do,” she said. “People aren’t expecting that. I don’t play high-percentage tennis, and it works for me because that’s how I’ve played my whole life. I’m used to making the big shot.”
Wilks focused on singles during her formative years, though she has grown to love the strategy involved in doubles.
Her weakness, as Wilks is quick to point out, is serving. She tends to be a pusher in that regard, simply trying to put the ball in play.
Prodromos is a better server, making her the natural choice to serve first when they’re playing together.
“I think we complement each other,” said Prodromos, a junior from the northern Chicago suburb of Deerfield, Ill. “I have a pretty big first serve, and she’s able to close out the points when girls are on the defensive. I like trying to set up the point and her just moving and finishing them.”
Beyond the mechanical symmetry, Wilks and Prodromos have developed a bond that has added to their strength as a team.
“Right off the bat, our chemistry just clicked,” Prodromos said. “There’s no tension on the court. We’re just out there playing and having fun. When you have fun, you’re going to perform at your best.”
Wilks said they have similar mind-sets.
“We’re both aggressive, but we’ve never been mad at each other on the court,” she said. “We’re both very laid-back and don’t get angry easily.”
DePauw coach Scott Riggle described the twosome as “relentless.”
“They’re both well-rounded enough that they set each other up,” Riggle said. “They capitalize on every mistake. Coaches have to be creative and play strange formations if they want to have success against them.”
More than just tennis
Wilks is working hard in preparation for the NCAA Championships. It’s a big deal to her.
DePauw, with its facilities and talent level, can compete with Division I teams. But Division I tennis and all that comes with it doesn’t appeal to Wilks.
“Anyone on our team could’ve played D-I tennis,” she said. “It’s the time commitment and that kind of stuff. I didn’t want tennis to be my life. I wanted to be able to do other things besides have them just own me. That’s why I chose Division III.”
Here, Wilks can put tennis aside and study abroad for a semester. She did just that in the fall, leaving for Spain at the end of August and returning home just before Christmas.
The experience enriched both ends of her double major, psychology and Spanish. She went to school with roughly 200 students from around the world.
Wilks was based in Toledo, 70 kilometers south of Madrid. All of her classes were taught in Spanish. Her roommate was from Puerto Rico.
“It was a lot more challenging than I thought it was going to be,” Wilks said. “Being thrown in a different place like that is good. I always struggled learning Spanish, but I wanted to learn it.
“It was difficult,” she added. “I took an anthropology class, and it was like reading Shakespeare in Spanish. In school, I think most of them knew English, but they wouldn’t speak English to you unless you were dying. You literally had to be dying before they’d translate ‘hospital’ for you.”
Difficult, yes. Rewarding, indeed.
“Traveling was great,” Wilks said. “I didn’t really travel that much out of Spain because I had been to some of the major cities in Europe before. I wanted to learn about the culture and what went on in Spain.
“One of the best trips I took was to Morocco through an exchange program,” she continued. “I think I stayed with a family there for four or five days. I enjoy learning about other people and why they are the way they are. I think it was cool to learn from people who were from a completely different culture and being able to talk with them about what they think of America. To me, that’s interesting.
“The whole experience makes you grow as a person,” Wilks added. “Learning how to depend on yourself, how to navigate places yourself. You can’t call mom and dad if something goes wrong because they’re not going to help you. If you get lost on the train or you miss your train, well, you can sleep in the train station and wait for the next one. That’s pretty much how it goes.”
Speaking Spanish has obviously become easier over time, though Wilks stops short of calling herself fluent.
“I think as long as I can relatively control the situation, I can get away with having conversations in Spanish,” she said. “No, I wouldn’t call it fluent. I know what fluent sounds like now.”
Working with kids
Wilks has numerous passions. One is reaching out to high school kids in the Greencastle area through Young Life, a nondenominational Christian organization.
“Normally the college kids are the leaders,” Wilks said. “I was in it in high school. I know how important it was for me, and I know how important it is for these kids here.”
Just exactly what does a Young Life leader do?
“It’s essentially just being their friend and being a role model,” Wilks said. “Hanging out with them. Talking to them. I have four or five girls that I’m really close with.”
Part of her involvement with kids is running free tennis clinics. She was even a volunteer coach for the Greencastle High School girls team.
“I think helping people, loving people, is what we’re here for,” Wilks said. “Some people are less fortunate than others, and because of what? Because they were born into a certain situation? Sometimes you hit a rough patch and just need help to get out of it.
“People need love and support however you can give it,” she continued. “We’re kind of poor college students, so money doesn’t always come. But we can hang out with kids. We can teach tennis for free. You can always find ways to help people. You just have to try.”
‘A good attitude’
Wilks, who is eyeing an internship in Michigan this summer, is on schedule to graduate a year from now. The 21-year-old is planning to attend grad school somewhere (DePauw doesn’t offer it).
The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference recently honored Wilks with its Character & Community Student-Athlete of the Week award. For the week ending April 25, she was one of the female recipients.
“I guess I was a good candidate for it ... I don’t know,” Wilks said. “I think it’s great that they have the award because I feel like there is more to tennis than just achievements. It shows people you can be out there with a good attitude. You shouldn’t care more about yourself than your teammates.”
Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2194 or rcassano@coxohio.com.
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