This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
07/19/2018 12:00 AMPat Markovics couldn’t have asked for a more memorable senior year at The Morgan School. After winning a state championship with the boys’ soccer squad, Pat achieved another piece of history by becoming one of the first two athletes to make All-State for the tennis team.
Last fall, Pat aided the Morgan boys’ soccer team throughout its drive to the program’s first state championship in 53 years. As a member of the tennis team this spring, Pat posted a regular-season record of 12-6 playing No. 2 singles for the Huskies. After that, Pat teamed up with senior captain Matt Newfield to compete in the doubles tournament at the Class S State Championship, where the tandem advanced all the way to the final to solidify their All-State bids. Pat, who also qualified for the 1-2 singles draw at the Shoreline Conference Tournament, completed his season with an overall record of 15-8.
“Being All-State is a great feeling that I’m still trying to wrap my head around,” says Pat. “It was awesome to do it, and it’s something Matt and I wanted to do since last year. It’s an awesome feeling to have your name on a banner in the gym.”
Pat’s kinship with Newfield goes way back to the days of their early childhood. They also played No. 2 doubles together during their sophomore seasons. Pat and Matt’s familiarity with one another led to success on the doubles court this year as each athlete often knew the other’s next move before they even made it.
“We’ve been good friends since kindergarten and, on the court, we knew where the other would be,” Pat says. “We’re almost the same player, because we are both tall and lanky. We’re able to cover the court on our own, and sometimes we would both play the net.”
Pat knew that playing in the Class S State Championship would be his final ride as a Huskies’ athlete. Consequently, he and Newfield did everything they could to keep the train rolling, while providing plenty of support for each other during trying times.
“Since states started, we knew each match could be our last here, so we just wanted to make sure we kept playing,” says Pat. “We also calmed each other down all the way up to the final match.”
Throughout the course of his senior season, Pat diversified his skill set when it came to his methods of attacking the ball. Pat upped his game up by returning his opponent’s offerings with quality shots, while also providing a nice service game for Morgan.
“I worked a lot on my ground strokes this year. [Head Coach Chris Zawadski] has helped me improve with those a lot since freshman year, because I wasn’t too powerful at first,” Pat says. “I also got better at my slice and also with my serve with a good spin second serve.”
Pat hopped around the Huskies’ lineup by playing No. 5 singles in his freshman year and then moving to No. 2 doubles as a sophomore, before holding down the No. 2 singles position for the past two seasons. While Pat has seen time at several different spots, Coach Zawadksi says that one constant is his determination to win, achieve goals, and be the best teammate he can be.
“Patrick went into senior year as a captain with the goal of seeing his name on the banner for the All-State Team, and he achieved that goal. Patrick put in hours before and after practice with the goal of making it to Yale to play for the championship,” Zawadski says. “Patrick has been a rock. He always willingly did what was asked, and each year he got better. He led by example and went all out at practice. He made sure his teammates were working and always helped recruit kids for the team. He will be very much missed by his teammates and even more by me.”
While Pat came a long way on the court during the past four years, he also learned the values that come with leading a team and making an impact on the future generation of Morgan tennis players.
“I wouldn’t trade the experience here for anything,” says Pat. “I grew a lot over the course of the past four years. It was nice mentoring the younger kids and help carry on the Morgan legacy.”