Former St. Edwards tennis star, Chase Bartlett, leaves legacy on and off the court
AUSTIN, Texas (BVM) 鈥� In early March, the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic became clearer. A new era of Zoom conference calls and limited social interaction dawned. Seniors faced a premature ending to some of the best years of their lives. And for one athlete, in particular, the extended period has provided an opportunity to reflect on four years of success both on and off the tennis court.听
Chase Bartlett isn鈥檛 your typical student-athlete. He left St. Edward鈥檚 University as a proud member of the graduating class of 2020. Completing four years as a stand-out player in the tennis program. He was a two-time All-American, Regional singles champion, ITA Tennis Division II Senior Player of the Year and St. Edward鈥檚 University Outstanding Male Athlete during his athletic career. In the classroom, the Frisco, Texas native graduated summa cum laude, with a final cumulative GPA of 3.99. So how would he sum up his time in Austin?
鈥淚 feel lucky to have spent [almost] four years at St. Edward鈥檚 University. While it was a terribly sad ending, I鈥檒l never take the friendships I made for granted. I鈥檓 grateful to have lived through several different meaningful experiences at St. Edward鈥檚,鈥� Bartlett said. 鈥淚 studied abroad twice [the second time was independent research for my thesis project], traveled and played as a varsity athlete, and studied hard in the honors program.鈥�
Bartlett’s 鈥榮ad ending鈥� refers to the university鈥檚 decision to cut six of its varsity sports, including men鈥檚 tennis. Using his platform as the school鈥檚 Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) president, he led a push to get those sports back. He used a series of videos on his social media and wrote a piece for the school鈥檚 newspaper, Hilltop Views.听
听Even though he knew he couldn鈥檛 do anything to change the university鈥檚 mind, Bartlet knew he had to say something.
听鈥淚 never felt an obligation to speak up about the school鈥檚 decision because I was the president of SAAC. If anything, I was more reactionary at first. I wanted to get as much information as possible before I said anything, and I certainly didn鈥檛 want to take the spotlight away from anybody who was affected by the decision,鈥� Bartlett said.
鈥淭here were so many athletes that had a stake in it that I waited to hear all of their opinions. Then I tried to help voice their concerns by putting all of the arguments into one place and sharing it publicly. I鈥檓 glad I could help, but I wasn鈥檛 trying to be a hero.鈥�
Following the shocking announcement, Bartlett became a recipient of the Martin Scholars program 鈥� named after university president George E. Martin 鈥� which allowed him to study abroad and publish research projects. However, despite some of the experiences for which he is extremely grateful, Bartlett feels let down by the actions of the school鈥檚 hierarchy in reaction to the pandemic and is apathetic about rumors of a rescheduled graduation later this year.
鈥淭he virtual graduation was less exciting than the normal commencement, Barlett said. “But I was able to spend it with my family, and we had a great party together. If the school hosts an in-person graduation ceremony, I doubt I will attend.”
It seems like a bittersweet way to conclude a largely enjoyable adventure. Bartlett was one of the undisputed leaders of St. Edward鈥檚 multinational tennis team for two years. Closing out his final year on the Hilltop as an All-American and playing a major part in the Division II school, becoming a national contender. Little did he know that his final season would be the last in the annals of St. Edward鈥檚, too.
鈥淭he pandemic was extremely stressful for the first few weeks. It was the worst ending imaginable for my team. We had a serious chance to win a national championship this year, and we finished ranked higher than any St. Edward鈥檚 tennis team in history,鈥� Bartlett said. 鈥淲ith that being said, it was unbelievably nice to spend time at home with my family. I moved back in, and it felt like a blessing to spend so much time with my parents and younger sister.鈥�
Now a freelance writer, he has used the extra time at home to look ahead to the future with anticipation. His unwillingness to stop playing the game, coupled with his excellence on and off the court, saw him commit to the University of Montana at the end of June.
At the time of the announcement, Bartlett said, 鈥淚 hope to play as much tennis as I can 鈥� I鈥檓 not ready to let it go yet and am looking forward to an exciting new experience.鈥�
Just as he is unlikely to forget the rollercoaster of four outstanding collegiate years, Bartlett鈥檚 impact on the Hilltop continues to be felt long after he left to start his next chapter.
