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06/15/2017 12:00 AMJason Raunikar joined the Westbrook boys’ tennis team as a sophomore and has seen a steady ascent up the ranks in the three subsequent seasons, culminating with a superb final act this spring.
Jason, a senior who also played soccer for the Knights, was a doubles player in his first year on the tennis court and then moved up to the singles lineup as a junior last season. Playing the No. 5 singles position this year, Jason notched a perfect regular season record of 19-0, while helping Westbrook go 20-0 en route to its first Shoreline Conference title since 1999. Jason later joined forces with fellow senior Dylan Martinson to play doubles at the Class S State Championship, where they won one match to help the Knights finish tied for third place. On top of all this, Jason was recently named Westbrook’s Most Valuable Player for the season.
“[Head Coach Dan Shapiro] put a lot of stress on mental toughness, and I took that to heart. I played each match one point at a time, and it helped me play each match the best I could,” Jason says. “It means a lot to go 19-0, and it’s a nice way to go out as a senior. It was nice to accomplish something that everyone was supportive of and progressively improve from last year to this year.”
Jason says the switch from playing doubles to the solo circuit was beneficial for his all-around game. Although some people might not like having all the pressure on them, Jason thrived in the face of that responsibility.
“Doubles is so much different, but then I moved to singles. It was a big step up, and it helped me,” says Jason, who will attend UConn in the fall. “It helped, because it helped improve my mental toughness and made me a better player. I also started to play against better people, which also helped.”
Jason doesn’t believe that a strong backhand or lightning-fast lateral movement are the most important components when it comes to being a solid tennis player. Instead, he feels that the cheers one hears from those teammates on the other side of the fence are also of the utmost importance.
“You have to have a solid background with the people around you on the team and not feeling pressure from them,” he says. “You have to have the ability to lose, but know you will still be supported. You also have to feel you are a part of the team and not better than them. Even with playing in individual matches, teamwork is huge.”
Coach Shapiro says that Jason has never been afraid to take on a challenge in the high-pressure moments. A great example of that came when Jason won a three-set match against an Old Saybrook opponent to clinch his team’s win over the Rams, as well as the Shoreline Conference title for Westbrook.
“In terms of tennis, Jason played as hard as any member of my team. Lots of players lead with their words. Jason leads with his actions and by example. He was focused, and he exceeded even my highest expectations,” says Shapiro. “I knew that we had a chance to win the Shoreline championship for the first time since 1999, and then when we started 10-0, I thought we had a legitimate chance to go undefeated. Instead of shying away from discussing it, I openly discussed it with my team. Jason had the unique experience of having the match tied 3-3, and having split sets with his Old Saybrook opponent. So the outcome of the match, our ability to be the Shoreline champions, and our chance at the undefeated season rested on Jason’s shoulders. Jason played a brilliant set, winning 6-2, and securing a 4-3 victory over Saybrook. I saw the look in Jason’s eyes. He did it for himself, and he did it for the team. He used his big serve, his strong ground strokes, and his unlimited energy to get the job done. Seeing a big smile on his face after the match was a particularly nice moment. He’s one of those kids who you know is on the right path. I’m excited for him as he moves on from Westbrook.”
While Jason has seen plenty of team success with Westbrook boys’ tennis, he says that the past three years have also proved pivotal on a personal level in terms of readying him for anything that life throws at him.
“Westbrook tennis has been a huge part of my life. This team allowed me to play tennis matches without any pressure,” says Jason, who thanks Coach Shapiro, Westbrook boys’ soccer Head Coach Gerald Carlone, and his entire family. “It also helped me not feel overwhelmed or stressed about things in life, and it helped me overcome things.”