THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - After a successful two-year career at Tyler (Texas) Community College where he was part of a men's tennis National championship team, Jesse Knighthad a decision to make as to where to go next. While he had opportunities to play at Division I or II schools, he ultimately grasped onto Cal Lutheran after learning of the opportunity to play high-level tennis while getting an outstanding education.

CLU allowed Knight to study business administration as a major and sports management as a minor while competing in one of the top men's tennis conferences in the country for a Kingsmen team that has been ranked during both of his campaigns.

"Cal Lutheran was a school I really liked, tennis helped to sell it, and it turned out to be a great match for me," he said.

The Kihei, Hawaii native played primarily doubles in his first season at Cal Lutheran in 2014 before transitioning into a key singles player for the Kingsmen this season as a senior. Whether clinching matches for the team, which he has done often in 2015, or spending time with his teammates, Knight has enjoyed his time in Thousand Oaks.

"Being a tennis player here is one of the greatest decisions I have made," he went on, "I couldn't imagine being just a student now that I have been a student-athlete. The group of friends that are built in with being an athlete and the connections you develop make all the hard work worthwhile."

There has indeed been a lot of hard work, from studying to tennis conditioning, but he has succeed all-around.

"I don't think there is one particular moment I will remember over another, but I won't forget the amount of pain our coaches put us through when trying to get us in better shape or the good times my teammates and I shared on and off court," Knight finished.

The Kingsmen are nearing the end of their regular season with just three matches remaining before the SCIAC Championships, which are scheduled for May 1-2.

During the course of Division III Week (April 6-12), CLUSports will be distributing a series of student-athlete related materials via Social Media (links below) and on www.clusports.com.

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