Pete Nau has worked his way to the number one singles flight for the men's tennis team. After Olaf, Nau wants to work his way to becoming a doctor.

Regardless of the career he ends up with, Nau knows he will do, something with kids. "I don't know what it will be, but I hope to end up in med school and I'm going to take the next year off to do research at the University of Iowa." The senior biology major with a concentration in molecular biology has done an excellent job of going with the flow and has excelled by taking advantage of the opportunities presented to him.

It's not diagnosing a cold, but Nau is going to be a camp counselor in Kansas this summer‹"It's a chance to be outside and do something different. I was a camper as a kid and it'll be fun to play with the kids." It's just another opportunity to gain familiarity with an age group that he could potentially be working with some day.

Nau has grown into his leadership status. Nau progressed to the number one singles position after taking second in number two singles last spring. Teamed with former student Jon Campbell, the duo claimed the title for flight one doubles. While Nau's tennis resume is impressive, he is realistic about what his experiences mean.

"It's a lot of fun," said Nau. "I really pay a lot of attention to the team and I don't have any illusions of being a national star." This is evident in his attitude about playing doubles. "I've always liked doubles because [players] can be really good together without being good as individuals."

Nau's current partner is junior Karl Wilbur. There has definitely been an adjustment on Nau's part so that his game fits with the stylistic differences of Wilbur. "Karl and I have known more and more what the other is going to do and it has really helped us play better," said Nau. "Karl's much more offensive [than Campbell] and this year I need to be more consistent‹it's not bad, just different."

Nau has been a solid presence for this young team. He lost his sophomore season when it was cancelled for team infractions. Although he was upset with how the situation was handled, Nau gained perspective by having the year off. "It was unfortunate," he remarked. "It was a no-win situation and more disappointing than anything because we had two seniors who were conference champs and it was such a let down."

Nau spent more time with friends and focused on his studies. Yet the need for tennis has given Nau a positive activity to turn to. Life outside of the classroom has been one of the best aspects of Nau's experience at St. Olaf. "Tennis has given me an outlet from school," he said. "I can turn my brain off and do something I love doing."

"Pete has been a consistent, dependable player," said Men's Tennis Coach Scott Nesbit. "He is always at practice. He is always giving a good effort. He has been a good example to his fellow teammates of combining athletics and academics."

Now, Nau's final season has reached the conference tournaments. The team has been playing very well and Nau has noticed a lot of maturity with the younger guys. Not surprisingly, being an example for first-years Dan Cohen, Ted Nagel and Tom Nagel has given Nau the opportunity to help them grow.

Nau is a testament to the belief that success follows those opportunities. If this is the case, the men's tennis team is in good hands.