Feb. 8, 2010

By Josh Pate
UTSports.com

The load looks a bit like this: Compressible Flow, System Dynamics, Thermodynamics, Propulsion and Astronautics.

It's daunting for any student, and certainly for a student balancing priorities outside the classroom. But the challenge is what Davey Sandgren loves.

Welcome to the life of an aerospace engineer major at the University of Tennessee. That's just a small sampling of the kind of courses Sandgren has taken while seeking his degree at UT and while competing on tennis team.

"What I hope to do with this degree is design jets, for either NASA or Boeing," Sandgren said. "In the classroom, it's a lot of work with several physics classes. It's hard, but it's rewarding because I enjoy that sort of stuff."

No, he didn't walk into UT and pick one of the most difficult academic majors just to make it interesting. He's always been influenced by aeronautics as family and friends worked in the industry and held flying close to heart. And Sandgren has never gotten rid of the love for planes.

He's also been able to successfully manage the delicate balance of a major academic investment witha demanding tennis schedule. It sets quite the example for his peers on the tennis team, and even for his coaches.

"Doing aerospace engineering while being as committed to tennis as he is, I know it's been overwhelming at times for him," said Tennessee head coach Sam Winterbotham. "It's one of those things where he has challenged and pushed himself so well over the last four years. Most guys reach that point in the road where they have to make a decision to back off one or back off the other.

"What I think just really speaks to Davey's character is that he hasn't backed off either. It's very impressive."

Sandgren has started another successful doubles season with John-Patrick Smith. They lead UT with a 17-3 record and are currently ranked No. 7 nationally by the ITA. Their most recent victory -- a quick 8-2 win over the 23rd-ranked pairing from Middle Tennessee -- was their 56th as a team. The win moved them alone into third on the Vols' all-time list for doubles wins.

Wrapping up his time with the Vols doesn't mean his tennis career is over. He hopes to play past college because, just like airplanes, Sandgren has been around tennis his whole life. When his family moved into their home in Gallatin, Tenn., when Sandgren has young, the house came with a tennis court in the backyard.

"We've worn it out," Sandgren said, speaking of himself and his brother, Tennys, who joined the Vols as a freshman in January.

Literally, the Sandgren bothers wore down their court. So, with some help from their father, they resurfaced it.

"We do everything to that court ourselves, and resurfacing is not fun," Sandgren said of the three-day process. "You have to water blast it with a pressure washer to get all the dirt off. Then you lay down the first layer, then put the sanding and coating on, then cover it again. It is a lot of back-breaking work. The guys that do it for a living are impressive."

The backyard couldn't hold the two brothers for long. Davey came to UT, and Tennys has been touring the globe playing international tournaments in preparation for his college debut.

So for the first time since the days in the backyard in Gallatin, Davey will get to share a court with his brother.

"I've missed him since I came to college," Davey Sandgren said. "He's been traveling around the world playing tennis, so I haven't had time to hang out with him too much, so I'm really looking forward to spending time together on and off the court."

Not too much time off the court, though. Those final round of physics classes -- and the homework that accompanies them -- await. Sandgren, however, is ready.

"I want to play pro tenniswhen I get done with college and see how it goes," Sandgren said. "But if that doesn't work out or when it's time to get a job when I'm done, I want to do something I enjoy."