With tennis season already a month in, Lee’s #1 seeded men’s player Dimitar Pamukchiyan is delivering yet another dominating campaign. Opponents around the country have to come to respect and fear his game, after a brilliant performance in the national tournament last May, a run that placed him in the national ranks for singles and doubles.

Pamukchiyan’s competitive fire on the court, like his favorite tennis star, Andre Agassi, is breathtaking: you don’t just witness his intensity, you hear it as well. But just how Pamukchiyan arrived at Lee, and eventually as leader of the tennis team, is as amazing a story as the forehand winners he constantly lands in his matches.

Pamukchiyan was born in Bulgaria where his father was a tennis coach. He quickly picked up the sport and by the age of 12 was fully engrossed in the game. When the time came for college, an opportunity opened for him to attend school in Minnesota where his former coach had been before. From there, Pamukchiyan applied to different schools and was finally accepted at Lee.

Knowing virtually nothing about Lee, Pamukchiyan arrived on campus with his belongings and trusted racket in the fall of 2005. During the course of one afternoon, Phil Cook, Lee’s admissions director, spotted Pamukchiyan asleep on a bench outside the student union and started talking with him about possibly joining the tennis team.

“Phil Cook told me to come try out,” Pamukchiyan said.

After talking to Lee’s tennis coach, Tony Cavett, Pamukchiyan put together an impressive display at practice, finally having the chance to show off his formidable skills. Pamukchiyan didn’t quite know what to expect from his new team but he was immediately placed in the top three seeds. Now after two and a half years, he has developed into the catalyst of the men’s tennis squad, working his way up to the #1 spot.

Pamukchiyan is a business major and works frequently outside of class.

“I go to school till 12:00 p.m. and then practice from 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. After that I go to work, then study for classes,” said Pamukchiyan.

Whether or not he decides to go pro remains to be seen. To make a life in the professional tennis world requires a great deal of money and time for travel. With a degree in business, Pamukchiyan will have all kinds of options, but he will always be remembered as one of the best to ever play tennis for the Flames.