Ben Murphy
Sports Scene
If H.H. Dow senior Jonathan Gurnee had written the story of his high school tennis career, he may have sold himself short. The truth is, his three straight team state championships, two individual state titles, and 141 career wins (an MHSAA record) is hard to believe.
“It’s like a fantasy come true,” said Gurnee, who lost just 11 matches in his career. “Three years in a row, it’s awesome, something I will never forget. That has been the goal, this has been the dream that we’ve had.”
On top of helping lead the team to its third straight title, Gurnee also won the individual state championship in no. 2 singles this year. His other title came in 2009 when he won no. 4 singles as a sophomore. He was twice the state runner-up, as a freshman in no. 4 singles and as a junior in no. 3 singles.
“It’s one of my greatest accomplishments at Dow High,” Gurnee said of the career wins.
“Could not have asked for more,” head coach Terry Schwarzkopf said of his senior player. “However, I want it known that his goal for the season was a team championship regardless of outcome. So to avenge his only loss to achieve not only a team championship, but also his second flight championship, was the perfect ending. Watching it go down while sitting and talking surrounded by his family was surreal.”
It isn’t just victories that Gurnee has taken away from the game of tennis, either.
“I think tennis had really helped me grow as a person,” he said. “Not just on the court, but it has taught me many life lessons. You are out there by yourself on the court, you have to think independently and stay positive. That really has influenced me as a person.”
As for what led to his success on the court, Gurnee credited a strong serve, that he developed over the years, and a positive attitude.
“It can be a lot of pressure, the ones who have success are the ones who push forward and stay positive and train like it’s going to be the last day,” he said. “You have to put yourself in challenging situations in order to get better. You’re not going to get any better just fooling around… Tennis is a really mental sport so staying positive and working hard is crucial. I really just think it comes down to the mental aspect. Who wants to win more?”
His coach sees these, as well as other factors, playing a role in his success on the court.
“He obviously has God-given talent,” Schwarzkopf said. “He took the time to develop that talent. He has a family structure that supports him and provides stability and focus. For the first three years, he just used brute force to go through his opponents. This year, however, he developed the strategy aspect of his game. He learned to adjust to conditions and opponents. That is what took him from good to great.”
Gurnee has played tennis since he was a six year old at the Midland Tennis Center, and he began competitive play at the age of 10. Now that tennis is in his blood, he doesn’t plan on stopping any time soon.
“I am interested in playing in college, I’m undecided on where,” Gurnee said. “That’s pretty much where it’s at right now, I’m just applying to schools and deciding where I want to go.”
Even if his collegiate career doesn’t turn out as favorably as his high school career, his coach will always remember Gurnee’s playing days at Dow.
“There are a lot of memories that spring to mind,” Schwarzkopf said. “He leaves [with the] single most wins in history, second in 6-0, 6-0 victories in the state of Michigan history, most tournament wins in Michigan history, and ties for most wins in a season. What words can be said to capture that impact?”