Ada High School athlete Andrew ‘Drew’ Lillard started tennis in the fifth grade as a way to stay in shape during the spring for wrestling season, but ended up finding another sport he loved. Now a junior in high school Drew is a dedicated student and athlete. 

“Drew is an excellent tennis player and an amazing student. He has a perfect 4.0 GPA and is at the top of his class,” said his tennis Coach. 

Staying on top of his work and game is all about time management. For Drew he knows his grades do and always will come first, but he also tries to dedicate as much time as he can into tennis. 

“I try to manage my time the best I can by always getting my work done while I am still at school so I can focus on tennis afterwards. If there is an assignment I still need to finish I have to cut my tennis time short to complete the assignment. Anytime I have left afterwards is when I do extra activities,” said Drew. 

Sports for Drew is not just about staying in shape and being active; he has learned a lot over the years that help him in his everyday life. 

“Sports have taught me you need to give your all to get a good result,” said Drew. “With no hard work you will not gain anything.” 

So far in his tennis career Drew’s biggest accomplishment was getting sixth place in 5A – 2 singles. And his favorite tennis memory was getting runner up at Braver 1 Doubles.

Even with all those accomplishments Drew still has one big goal in mind this season, to get to that podium at state. 

When Drew is not studying for his classes or hitting balls on the court he enjoys staying active in the gym, attending church, and of course spending time with his friends and family. 

Drew has an amazing support system in his family and his two siblings, Jake and Sam. 

“They come to my matches regularly even though they think watching tennis is boring,” said Drew. 

Even though Drew is still a junior he has plans for the future. Once he graduates he plans to get his basics and hopefully accomplish that while playing tennis. After getting his basics he plans to attend medical school.