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Wednesday, May 10, 2000
Sure shot
Versatile Kauai High athlete
By Nick Abramo
Bradlee Lum-Tucker is the
No. 1 seed in this week's
state tennis tournament
Star-BulletinAthletics are important to Kauai High School's Bradlee Lum-Tucker, but athletics don't consume him.
When asked for his thoughts on the upcoming boys' state tennis singles tournament, the senior multisport standout gave a deliberately comedic response:
"Nothing."
After a light-hearted chuckle, Lum-Tucker gave his real answer:
"Yeah, it's (winning the state singles title) my ultimate goal this year, but I try not to look at it as too big, and not put too much pressure on. I want to enjoy it. It would be good to end my high school career on top. I'd be real happy. But if not, I'll just move on."
The selfless, quiet, team-oriented leader was part of five championship teams this school year -- volleyball, cross country, basketball, tennis and track and field.
TENNIS ANYONE?
What: Carlsmith Ball State Tennis Championship
He hasn't lost a tennis match in four Kauai Interscholastic Federation championship seasons, and for the past two years, he teamed up with good friend Kevin Konishi to place third and then second in state doubles.
As the No. 1 seed, he'll go solo Friday and Saturday on the Big Island in his quest for a state title.
In the fall, Lum-Tucker was the KIF's dominant player as an outside hitter for the Red Raiders' volleyball team.
In the winter, he averaged 20 points a game and was a top rebounder while taking on the role of spiritual leader for the basketball team.
And it doesn't end there.
Lum-Tucker qualified for the cross- country and track state championship meets this year.
Unfortunately, he won't be able to compete in the state 800-meter run this weekend, because it conflicts with state tennis. He wasn't able to run in state cross country either, because it conflicted with state volleyball.
The 400-meter, mile and two- mile runs, as well as the 4x400 relay were also part of his routine this spring.
Lum-Tucker's high-powered drive and competitiveness is kept in balance by his calm demeanor under pressure.
John Crouse, a tennis teaching pro on Kauai, believes intangibles such as composure have made Lum-Tucker successful. Crouse also points to Lum-Tucker's other underrated traits --focus, intelligence, hard work, maturity and emphasis on team.
"It's so unusual in a way," said Jane Forester-Leong, the director of youth tennis for the HPTA. "I wonder how he can be so good in so many things. He enjoys all the sports and thrives on it. He's gifted with talents that some of us just don't have."
Forester-Leong has seen Lum-Tucker grow from a boy to a man, and points to his quality family life as a highly positive influence.
"I've worked with a lot of parents (of tennis players), and Brad's parents have always let him make his own decisions," Forester-Leong said. "It was always Brad's choice if he was going to the nationals or not, and not many parents give kids that freedom. He has become a role model for a lot of people, even though he probably doesn't believe it."
Lum-Tucker's tennis talent was evident early. At age 10, he was beating some men in Class B tournaments.
All the while, he was honing his basketball skills and that, in turn, led to volleyball. He enjoys the excitement generated by the big crowds in the team sports.
"I like to work together and help bring together different personalities," he said. "In volleyball, the adrenaline gets going and the emotions are involved -- with all the kills. Basketball is a strategical game for me and tougher to master, because there are lots of variables and you interact more with the other team, unlike in volleyball where you're on different sides of the net."
Lum-Tucker sees Punahou's Bucky Jencks and Kaiser's Michael Wojnarowicz as his toughest competitors in state tennis, and he realizes that several others have a solid shot at the title. Jencks was part of the state doubles champions along with Richard Salem a year ago.
"I like my chances," Lum-Tucker said. "I'll go out and play my game."
He defines his game as: "when I'm relaxed and not worried about my opponent and just concerned with my half of the court ... while visualizing and knowing what I have to do -- with confidence."
The Red Raider standout heads to the University of Idaho in the fall, and he'll try out for the tennis team as a walk-on.
"We haven't had an overall athlete like Bradlee Lum-Tucker in a long time, and we probably won't have another one like him in a long time," said Kauai High School athletic director Charlene Quinones. "He's industrious. He runs in the morning, rides his bike in the afternoon --all on his own. He's that kind of kid. He's very low-key, and he isn't always comfortable being at the center of attention."
