Byline: DAN LARSON dlarson@madison.com 608-252-6170
Jonathan Schwerin's vantage point on the tennis court is just a little above that of his competition.
And it's not just because the Madison East senior usually is the best player on the court.
At 6-foot-6, Schwerin usually is the tallest player, too.
But it wasn't always that way.
'I came in as a freshman at 5-7 (and) I expected to get a lot bigger because my dad is 6-4. But I didn't expect to get to 6-6,' said Schwerin, whose doctor told him 6-2 probably was as tall as he would grow.
The Purgolders' top tennis player, who is seeded fourth in the WIAA Division 1 individual state tennis tournament that begins today at Nielsen Tennis Stadium, has taken full advantage of the growth spurt.
Blessed with the ability to start his serve higher than most, Schwerin (18-2) has turned his height into an intimidating weapon.
'At 6-6 I can basically hit whatever serve I want. It's going to be a lot bigger and after it bounces it's going to come up a lot higher,' he said.
'Not many people are used to that kind of serve. It's tough to return, and I think that a lot of guys get demoralized because it's such a big serve and a big weapon.'
East coach Jamey Vorlander, who has coached Schwerin all four years and known him through tennis activities for 10 years, agrees: 'To watch that serve coming at you, it's pretty big and (it's) hard for a lot of those boys to return.'
Schwerin's growth spurt came mostly between his sophomore and junior year, when he jumped from 6-2 to 6-5. He was able to take advantage of it to earn the No. 7 seed at last year's state tournament en route to a fifth-place finish.
Still, Schwerin - a four-time state qualifier who will attend Marquette in the fall on a partial tennis scholarship - wasn't satisfied.
'I really wanted to go further, but I had to play Nelson Vick (of Milwaukee Marquette), the eventual winner, so that wasn't an easy task,' said Schwerin, who wouldn't face No. 2 seed Vick this year until the championship match.
'I just want to try a lot harder this year and see how far I can go. I think that if I'm playing at my top level of tennis, I'll be hard to beat.'
Joining Schwerin at the tournament in singles competition for the Purgolders will be junior Connor Gilmore (20-1) - a three-time state qualifier - and sophomore Stratton Gilmore (20-0).
The doubles teams of Noah Kroencke and Duncan Skinner (13-3) and Josh Goodwin and Nick Pomplun (8-5) - both teams qualified for state last year - round out the field for East, who along with Homestead, Milwaukee Marquette and Glendale Nicolet, lead all teams with five qualifiers.
'I think we're going to go in very ready and we're very hungry,' Vorlander said.
'It's a good field (but) I think we have a good draw.'
WIAA BOYS TENNIS
What: State individual meet.
When, where: Today through Saturday, Nielsen Tennis Stadium.
CAPTION(S):
STEVE APPS - State Journal
Madison East's Jonathan Schwerin was 5-foot-7 as a freshman. The 6-6 senior is
the fourth seed at the WIAA Division 1 state tournament.
CORY SCHAEFR - For the State Journal
'I just want to see how far I can go,' Madison East's Jonathan Schwerin said.
'If I'm playing at my top level, I'll be hard to beat.'
