Norman Native Playing Crucial Part

May 9, 2013

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Nick Papac and Lawrence Formentera were down 5-1 in the doubles tie break. OU and Baylor had split doubles at the No. 1 and 2 positions. It was up to Papac and Formentera to clinch the doubles point for the Sooners and swing the momentum in Oklahoma's direction heading into singles play in the Big 12 Championship finals.

"That was far and away the most intense thing I've ever been a part of in athletics," Papac said. "I've definitely never had that many people watching a match of mine."

Down a couple games in the doubles match, the Sooners' No. 3 tandem fought back to force a tie breaker. However, they quickly fell behind 5-1. It looked for a short moment like the Bear duo would once again be victorious.

"We probably weren't favored in that match to win it," OU head coach John Roddick said. "Nick and Lawrence lost 8-3 to that team in Waco."

But then Papac and Formentera came back with the help of a little Sooner Magic. Baylor double faulted. The OU duo surged and claimed the doubles point for the Sooners, bringing a vital team point to begin singles play.

"Nick had a lot of energy and excitement at the end of that," Roddick said. "I had to actually calm him down in the locker room to get him ready to play singles."

After the match was over and the Sooners had won their second consecutive Big 12 Championship, reporters circled Papac. On Monday, his photograph was front and center on the cover of the sports section of the Norman Transcript. It was unlike anything Papac had ever imagined regarding his career at OU.

"I was out of the lineup at the beginning of the year and I would have never dreamed I would help the team win the Big 12 tournament," Papac said. "It wouldn't have even crossed my mind, especially in doubles. That's really crazy."

Papac was born in Norman, Okla., somewhat by accident. His parents lived in California at the time. His mom was visiting her family in Oklahoma and Papac came earlier than expected.

Papac's parents went back to California after that, but he and his mother returned to Norman when he was four after his father died. It was in Norman where Papac discovered his love for tennis.

"It was totally random and just for fun," Papac said. "I was playing three other sports at the time. I went with my friends to Westwood Tennis Center with a toy racket and we were just messing around."

After that, Papac started playing tennis more and more. Finally, he asked his mom for lessons because he wanted to start taking it seriously.

"I took a lesson and it just never stopped," Papac said. "I never looked back from there."

Papac and his mother moved back to California to increase his training. Unlike most tennis players, who start at a very young age, Papac did not begin playing until he was 13.

"It was really frustrating for me in the beginning," Papac said. "I wanted to get good and I wanted to play all these tournaments. So I jumped right in, and I would get destroyed by these kids that had been playing since they were four or five."

His mother helped him keep his positive attitude. She reminded him that the kids that were beating him had a lot more experience. She encouraged him to keep working hard and told him that he would get there eventually.

"I just stuck to it," Papac said. "It never seemed like hard work to me. It was fun for me, training and trying to get good. I always did it out of enjoyment for the sport and fun. I never viewed it as a trial."

Papac's hard work finally paid off and he was able to play college tennis. However, it was not at his dream school, the University of Oklahoma. It was at Fresno State, a school he enjoyed but in which he felt no emotional connection.

He was in touch with Roddick while in high school, but Roddick was not convinced OU was the right fit for Papac. With the team's sudden surge in talent level--they reached the Elite Eight in 2010 for the first time in school history--Papac said he would have had a tough time playing at OU.

His freshman year at Fresno State brought even more improvement to the tennis late-comer. He won a lot of matches, especially toward the end of the season. Papac decided to carry that momentum to Oklahoma.

As a Norman native, Papac always had a strong enthusiasm for OU and the Sooner state. He had a lot of family and friends in Oklahoma, and his mom was even once crowned Miss Oklahoma. He wasn't offered a spot on OU's roster, but he took the chance and enrolled at the university.

"I just wanted to come home, basically," Papac said. "Norman is home, and I felt OU was a better fit for me. I just came and said, I'll do anything I can do to be a part of the team."

It isn't hard to notice Papac's passion for OU.

"Growing up here, I'm a Sooner," he said. "I have a huge sense of pride I feel for the University of Oklahoma. I consider myself very lucky to just be here. Whatever I can do to help the team doesn't feel like hard work for me. It's fun."

Papac redshirted during his first year at OU. He was part of the team, but he did not contribute on the court as the Sooners won their first conference title in 20 years.

Then came the 2013 season.

Papac did not play at all in OU's first two matches of the season. He saw the lineup at the No. 5 spot in the match against Harvard during the ITA Kick-Off Weekend, but the Sooners won the championship before Papac even had a chance to finish his match. He saw the court again just two more times during the next two months, playing against California in the middle of February and Wake Forest at the beginning of March.

Then things began to change. He saw playing time both singles and doubles beginning March 28 for every remaining match of the regular season and the Big 12 Championships, except two that he missed due to injury.

He and Formentera started reeling in wins at the No. 3 doubles position, a spot where OU struggled throughout the season.

"We have pretty different game styles, but we mix together well on the court," Formentera said. "The one thing we both share is that we bring a lot of positive energy."

An unlikely doubles pair on paper, Papac attributes the duo's success to their fun relationship on the court, the coaches' strategy and their California backgrounds.

"He's from southern California, and I played most of my tennis in northern California," Papac said. "There's a huge rivalry and camaraderie with NorCal vs. SoCal. We have a combination NorCal/SoCal playing at three doubles, so we always like to talk about that."

Papac also played singles in those seven matches, rotating between the No. 5 and 6 positions. It was his win over Baylor's Roberto Maytin that put the Sooners back in the lead, 3-2, in the Big 12 Championship, after OU fell behind at the beginning of singles.

"Nobody probably would have thought he'd be playing right now, but he's one of the hardest workers I've ever seen," Formentera said. "That's one of the reasons he's shining right now. I'm pretty sure he's just going to continue to improve and move on in his tennis career."

Papac's teammate and close friend Ryan Proctor echoes that statement.

"He's probably the hardest worker on the team," Proctor said. "It's amazing how hard he works every day. He's been a really valuable addition since he transferred here last year because of his enthusiasm and competitiveness in practice."

Papac's coach has taken notice of that attitude as well.

"Nick is consistently one of the hardest workers in practice every single day," Roddick said. "He's done a great job of not only catching up, but solidifying himself as a guy who can play in our lineup. He has won some big matches for us this year because of that."

Roddick also notes the importance of Papac's position as the hometown hero.

"Nick brings a lot of energy in his attitude and excitement to be a part of the team just from growing up in the area," he said. "He understands what OU is all about, and it's something he's excited to be a part of. That excitement definitely bleeds into the rest of the team."

A fellow Oklahoman, Proctor has enjoyed watching a fellow Okie crack the Sooner lineup.

"It's always special when you can have a hometown kid on the team," Proctor said. "It's nice for the fans to have that local kid to rally around and it's nice for the school to know they're bringing in kids that grew up here. Every young tennis player dreams of playing college tennis, and being able to do that at your hometown's big university is really special to him."

Nobody understands that feeling better than Papac himself.

"I try and stay conscious of it every day," he said. "I hate when I take it for granted. It's so incredible. Just growing up in Norman, I can't explain how big of a deal it is. To be able to go to this school, there's just nothing like it. I consider myself blessed, that's all it is. It's everything for me."

Heading into NCAA Championships, of which Papac is even more aware.

"If you would have told me in high school that I would be playing for a college team that was hosting an NCAA regional, I honestly would have laughed at you," he said. "I never would have dreamt of being a part of this experience, being a part of a team that is this good. We just won the Big 12, which was our first goal, but now we have to keep working hard and stay focused. Our second goal is to make the Sweet 16."

Papac and his teammates face No. 74 Wichita State to begin regionals. The Sooners swept the Shockers at the beginning of the season, but Wichita State is coming off a win over No. 31 Drake in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Championship.

If OU wins on Friday, they will play the winner of No. 24 Auburn and No. 39 North Carolina State Saturday, May 11. If they advance from there, the Sooners will make a Sweet 16 appearance for the first time since 2010.

Through hard work, dedication and passion for OU, that is something Papac will try to help the Sooners achieve.