Loy Norrix Career Prepped Crocker for U-M Success, Law Degree Pursuit
By
Pam Shebest
Special for MHSAA.com
July 29, 2021
KALAMAZOO — After graduating from University of Michigan in 2018, Davis Crocker suddenly found himself surrounded by green, white and Spartys.
With a degree in sports management from the Maize and Blue, Crocker is currently enrolled at Michigan State University’s College of Law in East Lansing.
“The first few months with all the green and Spartan heads, it’s a little bit of a culture shock,” Crocker, 25, said, laughing.
“I get the occasional comments every now and then. I try to be respectful.”
He has some backup. His brother, Reed, is on the MSU tennis team.
The Loy Norrix alumnus credits his four years playing high school tennis as “the kickstart to everything at Michigan and at law school now, balancing tennis and school with the team aspect, the coaches, the teammates.
“It laid the foundation for who I am now. My work ethic and leadership stem from that time.”
While many top tennis players opt out of high school tennis to concentrate on USTA tournaments, Crocker combined the two.
He said three things influenced his decision.
“First, that team aspect,” he said. “I think that’s so valuable. I played team sports when I was a kid, but when I just focused on tennis there weren’t as many opportunities for that. I enjoyed that aspect.
“Two, I felt I needed to give back to the school in some way. They were very flexible with my travel, my practicing and everything. I felt like doing things under their name was probably not enough, but at least a little bit.”
The third was that he just enjoyed being around the guys and going on road trips.
“The winning helped,” he added, laughing.
Winning, indeed.
He ended his high school career with some impressive numbers, enough to earn him the Michigan Mr. Tennis Award his senior year, when he went undefeated at 30-0.
His four-year record was 108-9, with seven of those losses his freshman year.
Loy Norrix did not qualify for the MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division 2 Championships as a team those four years, but Crocker did individually and won the No. 1 singles title his sophomore, junior and senior seasons.
“When I won the state championship that third time (in 2013), that meant a lot out of the three,” he said, reminiscing. “The guy I played in the finals ended up playing at Arizona State.”
Crocker, the top seed, defeated second-seeded William Kirkman from Midland Dow, 6-3, 6-1.
Telling defeat
Art Williams, who coached the team all four years, said one moment was indicative of Crocker’s work ethic.
“During Regionals of his junior year, Davis was rolling through the draw as usual. On the final day, in the final No. 1 singles match, Davis struggled with his opponent,” Williams recalled.
“I rarely had to coach Davis through a defeat; it just rarely happened. But on this day something was off. His father told me Davis was dealing with a very upset stomach.”
Williams said Crocker made no excuses, but after losing that match took the time to walk to the net to shake his opponent’s hand.
“The story does have a happy ending though,” Williams added. “Even with the loss, Davis still qualified for the state tournament and proceeded to win his second state title by defeating the very same player (Portage Central’s Billy Heckman) he lost to just two weeks before.”
That Regional loss was Crocker’s last defeat of his high school career.
Crocker graduated early from Loy Norrix in January 2014 and headed to University of Michigan that same month.
He said high school tennis prepared him for a much different type of tennis in college.
“It helped a lot because college took the team part to even more of an extreme,” he said. “In high school, you’re only together for three or four months, then you see each other in the hallway.
“In college it’s pretty much year round. You’re either communicating or practicing or competing. I think just laying that (high school) groundwork made the transition easier.”
He said he is happy he had that extra semester at Michigan before actually competing.
“The levels were higher. With my teammates, I’m not the top guy any more. I’m just one of 12,” Crocker said. “There are no easy games at that level. You have to bring your ‘A’ game every time.”
By his senior year, Crocker was an ITA Scholar-Athlete, Academic All-Big Ten, Big Ten doubles indoor champion with Harry Brown and co-captain of the tennis team.
While at U-M, he spent three seasons as assistant to Loy Norrix coach Bill Jenkins and, before entering law school, spent a year as an instructor at West Hills Athletic Club in Kalamazoo.
After playing so much tennis, Crocker took a break from sports.
“I was mentally done with it, but now I feel ready to play a little more and be involved with the community,” he said.
“These last six months I started hitting a bit and training a little more. I did a couple tournaments recently.”
Following family traditions
Crocker’s dad, grandfather and uncle are U-M grads, and his great-great-grandfather graduated from what was then the Detroit College of Law.
Currently, his dad and uncle are partners in Crocker & Crocker, a law firm started by his grandfather in Kalamazoo.
“I was always in that (law) environment when I was a kid,” Crocker said. “It lines up with all my interests like reading and writing and history. With sports business, I would like to do something potentially with sports and the law.
“I’ve also thought about compliance or something like that with the NCAA, which has changed a lot even since I first got into law school.”
He also has been working with his dad in telecommunications law.
“There are so many different areas that it can be overwhelming,” Crocker said. “I’ll sort that out in the next year and a half (before graduation).”
As for high school, Crocker has some advice for those in any sport:
“When you first begin, don’t be overwhelmed by the situation, just embrace it. You will look fondly back, even on those times when you are maybe teased by the older guys. You appreciate it later on because you grow so much from it.”
2020-21 Made in Michigan
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PHOTOS: (Top) Three-time MHSAA Finals tennis champion Davis Crocker has begun playing competitively again while also working toward a law degree. (Middle) Crocker unleashes a serve during his No. 1 singles title match in 2013. (Below) Crocker stands at the scoreboard during his championship match at the 2012 LP Division 2 Finals. (Top photo by Pam Shebest; middle and below photos by High School Sports Scene.)
Marquette Boys End Negaunee's Reign, Claim 1st Finals Title Since 2009
By
Adam Hinch
Special for MHSAA.com
May 29, 2025
ESCANABA – For the first time Wednesday, Escanaba hosted the Upper Peninsula Division 1 Boys Tennis Finals.
And for the first time in 16 years, Marquette finished as champion, edging Negaunee by three points as the Miners sought to add to their two-year title streak.
Marquette scored 17 points, followed by Negaunee with 14, Kingsford with 13, Escanaba with seven, Ishpeming Westwood with four and Gladstone with one point.
“I’m super proud of these guys and the effort they have put in,” Marquette coach Karl Thomsen said. “The work they have put in over the last three years to get the program back where it used to be really shows up in the results this season.”
In singles action, Chase Thomsen of Marquette picked up the championship at No. 1 defeating Kingsford’s Gavin Moore 6-2, 6-3.
“I was definitely a little nervous for this match coming in,” Thomsen said. “After seeing how they were hitting in the other semifinal, I think I channeled it well and played the best tennis I have played all season.”
Thomsen had a bye in the first round and knocked off Ishpeming Westwood’s Jaxon Alderton 6-4, 6-1 on the way to the championship match.
Kingsford’s Landon Adam picked up the championship at No. 2 singles defeating Negaunee’s Ethan Harris 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. Adam also had earned a three-set victory over Escanaba’s Connor Howes 2-6, 7-5, 6-2.
Negaunee’s Kolten Store picked up the No. 3 singles championship, defeating Kingsford’s Evan Grimes 6-3, 6-2 after previously downing Brant Veeser from Gladstone 6-1, 7-5. Elan Chu of Marquette emerged with a hard fought three-set win over Negaunee’s Max Larson in the No. 4 singles final after earning a three-set win over Escanaba freshman Chris Economopoulos 6-2, 5-7, 6-2.
“It was a special moment for all these kids,” Karl Thomsen said. “They watched Negaunee celebrate last season, and it drove them to keep working and it was our goal coming into this season to capture the U.P. Finals.”
In doubles action, Marquette claimed three flight championships. At No. 2, Lucas Belkowski and Conner Henry defeated Escanaba’s Adam Prey and Caden Fulsher in two sets 7-6(5), 6-3 with the first set going to a tie-breaker. Belkowski and Henry also had defeated Jayce Patron and Xavier Grondz of Westwood 6-3, 6-2.
Sentinels Connor Dunn and Winston Leonard earned the No. 3 doubles title clincher over Negaunee’s Hank Tincknell and Vince Tincknell 6-3, 6-2, and teammates Kane Bush and Bode Helman claimed the No. 4 flight with a deciding win over Clark Robb and Andy Yu of Kingsford 6-2, 6-0.
At No. 1 doubles, Kingsford’s duo of Isaac Lebouef and Jacob Crockford defeated Negaunee’s Nolan O’Dovero and Easton Guenette 6-4, 3-6, 6-4. The Flivvers pair also defeated Andrew Lord and Alex Morgan from Escanaba in the semifinals 6-2, 6-2.
PHOTOS (Top) Marquette’s Chase Thomsen prepares to serve during a match Wednesday at No. 1 singles. (Middle) Kingsford’s Fletcher Hulkkonen follows his serve during a singles match. (Photos by Adam Hinch.)