Luke Menne: Staying Close to His Roots

It was an easy decision for defender Luke Menne to spend the past four years of his career with the Spartans. The senior grew up and played high school soccer in Grand Ledge, Michigan, a short 20-minute drive west of East Lansing.

Menne has been a Spartan fan his whole life. He spent his childhood going to sporting events, walking through classrooms and hanging out on campus with his mother, a Michigan State alumni.

"It was honestly kind of a no brainer once I got the opportunity to play here. It was like a dream come true once I knew it was a possibility to play for Michigan State; it's what I wanted to do. As soon as I got the opportunity I jumped right on it," Menne said.

Aside from growing up as a Spartan, he also loved the fact that MSU is like a home away from home.

"It's a great atmosphere here. You can make it as big as you want, as small as you want, I'm close to home. I can go be with my family on the weekends, and that's important to me," Menne said.

Last year, in his junior season, Menne appeared in three games and tallied 11 minutes on the field. In that season, MSU made an impressive run to the Elite Eight, which has been Menne's favorite memory so far in his career.

"Last year's season was a deep run; it was fun. It's cold out here every day, but it doesn't seem cold when you're out here with your buddies. It's a different atmosphere once you start going deeper into the year; it's a privilege to be out there," Menne said.

Menne has appeared in one game this season against UC Riverdale, totaling six minutes on the year. He believes his team is going to accomplish something great this season.

"Honestly, we can do anything. Coach Rensing says all the time that we are one of the most talented teams. We just have to work together as a team," Menne said.

His positive attitude and motivation allow him to drive his teammates to achieve their goals.

"I try to keep people on track; I know my role on the team. Go out every day and practice hard, push our players, because as soon as you let off, one person lets off, everybody lets off. You're only as strong as your weakest link, so you've just got to keep pushing everybody forward," Menne said.

As Menne's senior season draws towards the end, he has taken the time to reflect on how important the game of soccer has been to his life.

"Soccer is like the backbone to my life. When I was growing up and in high school and ever had a bad day, I would just go play soccer. I don't know what I'm going to do without it to be honest. It's kept me going, it's given me opportunities, allowed me to see the world different ways, get to see places I wouldn't get to see, meet people I wouldn't get to meet. It's meant everything to me," Menne said.

Players Mentioned

Luke Menne

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