Freshman tennis player ends season 20-7 overall
By Dan Truttschel
Correspondent
East Troy High School freshman Dayne Lindow advanced to the Sweet 16 of last week’s WIAA Division 2 State Boys Tennis Tournament, the third straight year an East Troy player accomplished that feat.
The program’s first-ever state qualifier as a freshman, Lindow avenged two losses earlier this season to McFarland’s Carter Johnson with a 6-3, 1-6 (10) victory in the first round.
“The match was similar to Nick Bourdo’s last year, where he avenged a loss to Martin Luther and then beat him at state,” East Troy coach Dave Lindow said. “Dayne came out confident and competed well. Carter played tentatively early, and Dayne took advantage of it.”
The tiebreaker was back and forth, as it was tied at 3-3 and 6-6. Lindow fell behind, 9-7, but held off two match points, followed by a third at 10-9 before he reeled off three straight points to earn the win.
“I thought Dayne showed his competitiveness and never showed any signs of nerves,” Lindow said. “That’s pretty good for a freshman playing at state. I was really proud of him.”
Lindow’s state run ended in the next round with a 1-6, 0-6 loss to Appleton Xavier’s John Horak, who eventually finished fifth overall.
“(Horak) is at a different level, and that’s the level we will try to get to next year,” Lindow said. “We played an outstanding match getting three games. It was nice to see Dayne hit some winners against a player of (Horak’s) level.”
For the season, Lindow was 20-7 overall.
“Gaining experience at the state level is so valuable for an underclassman,” Lindow said. “I’m sure it fueled the fire once again to try and get back there next year.
“It is always an awesome experience watching kids compete at state. It was truly special to watch my own son compete and play well in both of his matches.”
