June 4, 2018 at 1:43 p.m.
Markus Johnson voted Hodag tennis MVP at banquet
Markus Johnson voted Hodag tennis MVP at banquet
Markus Johnson was voted the team's most valuable player during a banquet at Hodag Lanes. Overall, he was one of six varsity players honored with special awards at the banquet, which included honors for all five members of this year's senior class.
The banquet was held one day prior to Johnson's appearance at the WIAA Division 2 state tournament. Making it to state was the crowning achievement on a resume that included four GNC titles, conference player of the year honors this season, a sectional championship at No. 4 singles back in 2016 and a career 69-23 record.
"That's a lot of achievement, but the subplot to that is that he's worked hard to do that," coach Bob Heideman said. "I think as it went on, he embraced tennis a little bit more and I think you're seeing the fruits of his labors.
"Very early Markus exhibited a leadership in terms of seeing things, giving suggestions of how things should change and they're almost always spot-on. I think the team not only benefited from his play on the court but there was this foundation he was laying with his leadership."
Heideman quipped during the banquet that Johnson sometimes thought he was "a general among captains" on a squad that possessed five seniors. Four of those seniors - Johnson, Jared Haug, Jared Fabich and Grant Gilbert shared the captaincy this spring.
"It was a good problem because we had four players who had a wealth of varsity experience and each, in their own right, had an argument to be captain," Heideman said. "We decided to go with everybody and it worked out really well in terms of the seniors providing leadership throughout the season."
The fifth senior on the team, Cade Aschenbrenner, won the Kit Nienstaedt character award. He broke into the starting lineup this year and went 15-6 at No. 3 doubles with teammate Logan Oestreich.
"I think Cade toiled in the wilderness for several years, kind of searching for his role on the team. This year he just really matured," Heideman said.
Aschenbrenner and Oestreich finished with the team's best record this season. Oestreich, a junior, was voted the team's most improved player.
"Logan had a season of experience and we talked early that he was going to have to be a leader. They just both improved so much, I can understand now when they were 15-6," Heideman said.
The two other awards went to Haug and Gilbert. Haug was voted the team's Mr. Hustle and Gilbert won the three-setter netter award as the player who won the most three-set matches during the course of the season. He won the majority of those matches with Fabich at No. 2 doubles, but played won another three-setter when Johnson played No. 2 doubles with a sore shoulder to shore up the award.
The Hodags won their fifth straight Great Northern Conference title this spring, placed second in the subsectional round and fourth at sectionals. Heideman said many teams across the state would be very proud of sending five flights through to sectionals, like the Hodags did this season, but the team was slightly disappointed by that total, considering it advanced in all seven flights a season ago.
"It's a good thing. The Hodags' standards remain high in that everyone wants to get there," Heideman said.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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