EDWARDSVILLE – Zach Trimpe has had a fantastic career for Edwardsville High’s tennis team, and as he enters his senior season, he’s all ready to go to the next level.
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Trimpe signed a letter of intent to attend Butler University in Indianapolis in a ceremony on Thursday afternoon, where he’ll play for the Bulldogs in a very competitive Big East Conference.
Trimpe’s reasons for signing with Butler are varied, both athletically and academically.
“I like the campus, everything about it was really nice,” Trimpe said in an interview following the ceremony. “The coach was great. His philosophy was just to improve every player in every aspect of their game so that they could become a better tennis player and compete for Big East championships. That’s what I like to hear, and that’s what I like to see. And then, when I saw the team, they love to work hard. So that’s what I like.”
Trimpe also considered Southern Methodist University in Dallas and Drake University in Des, Moines, Iowa, but felt that Butler provided the best opportunity for him to become the best player that he could be.
“It all came down to where I could go to be the best tennis player I could be,” Trimpe said.
Butler has an outstanding business school, and it’s something Trimpe could major in but will keep his options open. And the academic side of the school was also very attractive to him.
“They have an outstanding school of business; I might be considering that,” Trimpe said, “but I’m not too terribly sure. They have a great resume of good academics, so we’ll see.”
Tigers coach Dave Lipe sang the praises of Trimpe’s time with Edwardsville.
“Well, Zach’s career isn’t done, but 75 percent of it is, and it’s been remarkable,” Lipe said. “Highest finish ever in singles, the highest finish ever in doubles. He brings a daily intensity to everything we do, whether we’re working out, or whether we’re on the court, he is a 100 percent effort guy. He’s a phenomenal tennis player and a great kid. I’m ecstatic for the Trimpe's, I’m very happy for all of them. Zach has worked hard for a decade. This is not something, not a sport he just picked up in high school; he’s been working hard for a really long time, and it’s been his dream to play at a Division I school that plays a tough schedule where he can continue to develop. And I believe he’s found that in Butler, which is an outstanding academic and athletic fit for Zach. As a coach, I couldn’t be happier, as a friend of the family, I couldn’t be happier. I’m very proud of Zach.
“I’m not taking credit for his career by any means,” Lipe continued. “A lot of people have worked with Zach along the way, and I’m one of them. His impact on our program has been – you almost run out of words. He is the preeminent player in the history of our program. He’s been a major culture shaper in terms of setting expectations, showing kids how to work hard. He inspires his teammates, he inspires me to work harder, to be more organized. He has left an indelible and perfectly positive mark on our program, and I’m very optimistic about the future for Zach. I’m grateful that Butler gave him the opportunity, and I’m confident he will be able to flourish, and I’m very happy for him, and I have a lot of confidence that he’s going to happy at Butler, too.”
Trimpe himself had no preference where he plays for the Bulldogs.
“You’ll play singles and doubles, but I’m just working right now to make that top six lineup,” Trimpe said, “and hopefully, the top three for doubles, because they play six singles, and then three doubles, so we’ll just see, and hopefully, I can be one of those six guys.”
The Bulldogs will have a new coach this season in Daniel Pollock, who joins Butler from Utah, where he was an associate head coach. Trimpe will draw upon the lessons from each of his coaches in playing for Butler in 2020.
“I mean, they’ve all given so much input into my tennis game,” Trimpe said, “and just my lifestyle, too. Dave’s given me the opportunity to be a tennis player, and my parents (Trevor and Dina) have done so much for me. I can’t thank them enough. They travel with me, obviously, they take care of me all the time, and they’re always there to coach me when I don’t have anyone there. They’ve always been helpful.
“And then my coaches,” Trimpe also said. “Troy Bray, one of my old coaches when I was younger, Dave Reinhardt, and then, especially, my other uncle, Bob Lombardi, and Kyler Updike, they’ve all helped me along the way, being hitting partners or whatnot. But they’ve all given me some insight to become a better tennis player.”
Trimpe just wants to make his team better in whatever role he plays.
“Honestly, I just want to make the team better,” Trimpe said. “That’s all I’m about, being a team player. If that’s being number six on the team, or being number three on the team, it doesn’t really matter, as long as I’m contributing. Or even if I’m not playing, I just want to become the best tennis player.”
And the Big East’s lineup, which includes schools such as St. John’s in New York, DePaul in Chicago, Villanova in Philadelphia or Georgetown in Washington, will provide Trimpe with top-notch competition.
“They don’t call it the pretty Big East,” Lipe said, “they call it the Big East. It’s a great conference. I didn’t realize, honestly, that Butler was in the Big East. Just talking to Trevor out in the hallway, and I said ‘what conference are they in?’ He told me the Big East, so we went down a list of the schools that are in the Big East. I feel like he’ll be playing some international-level talent in Butler, and Zach rises to the talent level. Zach rises to playing with stronger players. Given that opportunity, I think that’s one of the critical components to the puzzle. Why it makes such a good fit for him is that he’ll be able to go there, and continue to develop. I’m just very happy for Zach, and I’m very proud of Zach, and I’m very, very happy for the Trimpe family, for the Trimpe’s and the Lombardi’s. His grandparents and all of his cousins. It’s emotional for me because I’ve known Dina basically my entire life. So this just isn’t any kid, this is a kid that I’ve known his entire life, and this is a family I’ve known and respected and revered for my entire life. It’s more than a kid on my team. He’s a really important person to our program, and our relationship is very personal.”
But before Trimpe goes on to Butler and the Big East, there’s one more season left at Edwardsville High and the Southwestern Conference. And he’s got some big plans for the 2019 season.
“Like I’ve told a lot of people, I’m just looking for that state champion in singles,” Trimpe said. “I think it’s possible, I think it’s doable. Also, I hope that we can get a state trophy as a team. So that would be a great way to go out.”
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