Senior Shine: Northern Illinois

Oscar Pawlus, Grant Community High School

What will you miss most about high school tennis?

The bond we had as a team. All the players are so closely connected, there was never a dull moment , especially during the bus rides. Shoutout Boton for all the post dub food trips!

What are your plans for playing tennis after high school?

I plan on playing in college whether that be at the NCAA level or in a club program

What one item do you have to have in your tennis bag no matter what?

A visor. I have to have my visor at all times

What is your high school coach’s most memorable saying?

“I’ll look into it” - Max Boton

Did you prefer singles or doubles and why?

I prefer doubles because it’s nice to have that other person watching your back, plus attacking at the net is my favorite thing to do

Chase Versten, Harry D. Jacobs High School

What one item do you have to have in your tennis bag no matter what?

An extra tennis racket

What is your go-to shot on court?

Poaching in a doubles match

Who is your favorite tennis player?

Rafael Nadal because I like his mentality and how he controls his opponent

What are your hobbies outside of tennis?

Like to play basketball

Did you prefer singles or doubles and why?

Doubles because you had one of your teammates with you to keep your head up

Nick Nassos, Neuqua Valley High School

What one item do you have to have in your tennis bag no matter what?

I always keep a post-it note in my tennis bag that says “Have Fun.” I’m a very competitive person so I keep it there as a reminder and it helps me to never get mad at myself when I make a mistake on the court and to move on.

What are you most proud of in your high school tennis career?

I am most proud of how my junior year ended. My doubles partner Saahil and I won conference in three sets and I was proud of how we stayed focused through the entire match.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

The best advice I ever received was that even when it is just me on the court, I am still representing the entire team. This kept me motivated to act mature on the court because any bad actions by me would make the entire team look bad.

Did you prefer singles or doubles and why?

I prefer doubles because it is more fun to win when you are doing it with someone else. Also, I love going to the net and that happens much more in doubles than in singles.

Do you have any superstitions on the tennis court?

In my head, the score was always 1-1 15 all. This is because I did not want to play any different based on the score. Whether it was a super close match or a blowout, I always want to play my hardest and by pretending this was the score, I was able to always put in max effort.

Daniel Sowa, Cary-Grove High School

What will you miss most about high school tennis?

I will miss competing with my friends every single day and seeing how everyone starts to come together as the season goes on. I'll miss the conference and sectional tournaments because everyone gets into every point--definitely a team atmosphere.

What are your plans for playing tennis after high school?

After HS I plan to play tennis at Lewis University and pursue a degree in Aviation Flight Management to become a pilot.

What is one song that will always make you think of your high school tennis team?

My junior year I always listened to Dani California by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I always seemed to play well with it stuck in my head so that song makes me think of tennis season.

What are you most proud of in your high school tennis career?

I'm proud of making it to state for my second time. My partner and I were down in the qualifying match to a team that was playing lights out tennis, but he helped me refocus and we ended up winning in the 3rd set. I was proud of how we handled ourselves in that 3rd set to persevere through that match.

What is your go-to shot on court?

My go-to shot is my big first serve. I love the feeling I have when the ball goes down into the court at a good angle to kick the ball higher against my opponent.

Hunter Glassford, St. Charles North High School

Andrew MacQuarrie, Jefferson High School

Story submission:

Andrew is a seven year tennis participant. He played for three years at RESA Middle School and 4 years at Jefferson High School, Rockford, Illinois. It is a pleasure to watch Andrew put a point together on the tennis court. Andrew plans to continue his tennis career as he continues his education in college.