Performance: Dow's Varun Shanker
October 20, 2016
Varun Shanker
Midland Dow senior - Tennis
Shanker finished an incredibly successful and in ways unprecedented career Saturday by winning the No. 1 singles championship at the MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division 2 Final while leading the Chargers to their first team championship since 2013. Shanker became the first No. 1 singles champion for his school's prestigious program since 1999 and finished 32-1 this season in earning the Michigan National Guard “Performance of the Week.”
This was Shanker’s third season at No. 1 singles; he also won No. 3 singles as a freshman as Dow earned a fifth straight Division 2 team title. The next fall, Shanker became the first sophomore captain in Chargers history, and as a sophomore and junior he made the Division 2 semifinals at the top flight. But this fall was special; Shanker’s only loss was to Birmingham Groves’ Gabe Liss, who Shanker came back to beat two weeks later, and total his season sheet included victories over four of the top-six seeded players in Division 2 and three of the top five at the Division 1 Final including eventual champion Steven Forman of Troy. Shanker had 11 wins over players considered among the top 100 in their age groups in the Midwest, including a 7-6 (6), 3-6, 7-6 (8) nail-biter over Kalamazoo Loy Norrix freshman Reed Crocker in Saturday’s championship match. Shanker finished 115-19 over his four varsity seasons.
Shanker followed into the program his brother Vikram, a 2014 graduate who remains tied for second in MHSAA history with 132 career doubles wins and who was named an MHSAA/Farm Bureau Scholar-Athlete Award winner as a senior. Similarly, Varun has a 4.0 grade-point average (4.79 weighted) and is a National Merit Scholarship semifinalist. He’s been part of teams that have won three first-place A.H. Nickless Innovation Awards and a total of $135,000 in scholarship and grant money for work in water purification by electrodialysis, piezoelectric devices and microbial fuel cells. He’s contemplating studying biomedical engineering as he considers opportunities for academics and tennis at the next level.
Coach Terry Schwartzkopf said: “As Dow’s only three-year captain in history, Varun demonstrated the character, drive, determination, and dedication needed in order to claim a championship. In terms of community, he has organized beautification projects within Midland and participated providing free tennis clinics in the tri-cities. He has handled grant applications for team income, ordered inventory including uniforms and warm-ups, and handled media relations. As for athletics, we have had talented teams who won championships based on the depth of talent. This year, it was based upon work and improvement. Varun spent the offseason corralling kids, encouraging them to train, and even offering rides when needed. During season, he would work daily with players individually, deconstructing and rebuilding pieces of their game. He ... worked more as an assistant coach than a player. Varun unified, inspired, and took players to task when needed. He had no issue calling out players due to lack of effort and praising those who worked hard. In 17 seasons as a coach, Varun is without a doubt the strongest captain I have ever had. There was never a single time in four years where I questioned his loyalty to the program, his drive to succeed, or his willingness to give all he had to help his team succeed. In fact, I have never wanted a player to win a championship more than him because that was never his focus. From the beginning, his focus was team. He was content that if he played his best he would be satisfied with his outcome, provided the team was successful."
Performance Point: “Coming into the tournament as the one seed, there’s always a little pressure,” Shanker said. “For me, this year was different. This year, I knew, was my chance, that I could do something special. That I could fulfill my dream of always winning the one singles position. I knew I’d have tough opponents to play in the tournament, but I definitely came in with a focused mindset, and obviously it’s tough to not reflect on that last match, those last few points. … I was down two match points, and he literally needed one point to win twice. I want to say my back was against the wall; that’s as close as it’s going to be. To me, it was about believing. I saw my teammates cheering for me; I saw my coach. I saw it was (about) way more than one match, but all the support, and I was able to find it in myself to get a little bit tougher and mentally to be able to pull it out. The support was unbelievable.”
Dow dynasty: “It’s been unbelievable. We had a tradition of excellence here when I came in as a freshman; we had won four consecutive state titles. When I finally joined the team freshman year, I was finally able to understand why it’s like that. Coach instills hard work and preparation, and that was the reason we were able to achieve that. As my career progressed, I was able to learn what some of the things are that are able to make us successful, what some of the things lead to. During my four years, we had a lot of ups and downs – that’s definitely fair to say. My sophomore year, actually, we were supposed to win the state title (Dow finished third). It was a little bit of a letdown to walk away, but that definitely fueled the next few years. We learned how to get back up and dust ourselves off.”
Vikram’s lead: “My brother has had the biggest impact on my life, sports, academics – pretty much every facet of my life, and I do credit him for a lot of this. Growing up, the first reason I picked up a tennis racket was him. I was always big into swimming, but ever since he picked up a racket, I followed suit. He’s a great supporter and has always been a great coach for me.”
Name on the shirt: “High school tennis always has been one of my most favorite parts of the year. Being able to combine the team element to (tennis), it’s hard to describe, but it really enhances it being able to share the process with a group of teammates, both practice and competition. It truly does become a team sport. Representing my school and the community has been a favorite part of high school, rather than just playing as an individual on the USTA circuit. The community in Midland has helped us a lot in becoming great athletes, especially the Midland Tennis Center. Being able to represent playing for my school, it allows me in a certain way to represent the great things they’ve helped us (accomplish).”
Dr. Shanker: “I’m not sure whether I want to go into biotechnology; I definitely always have aspired to be a doctor. I just love that being a doctor, you’re able to help people, but you’re also on the cutting edge of science. That always has been really intriguing to me.”
- Geoff Kimmerly, Second Half editor
Every week during the 2016-17 school year, Second Half and the Michigan National Guard will recognize a “Performance of the Week" from among the MHSAA's 750 member high schools.
The Michigan Army National Guard provides trained and ready forces in support of the National Military Strategy, and responds as needed to state, local, and regional emergencies to ensure peace, order, and public safety. The Guard adds value to our communities through continuous interaction. National Guard soldiers are part of the local community. Guardsmen typically train one weekend per month and two weeks in the summer. This training maintains readiness when needed, be it either to defend our nation's freedom or protect lives and property of Michigan citizens during a local natural disaster.
Previous 2016-17 honorees:
Oct. 13: Anne Forsyth, Ann Arbor Pioneer cross country – Read
Oct. 6: Shuaib Aljabaly, Coldwater cross country – Read
Sept. 29: Taylor Seaman, Brighton swimming & diving – Read
Sept. 22: Maggie Farrell, Battle Creek Lakeview cross country – Read
Sept. 15: Franki Strefling, Buchanan volleyball – Read
Sept. 8: Noah Jacobs, Corunna cross country – Read
PHOTOS: (Top) Midland Dow's Varun Shanker follows through on a return during his No. 1 singles championship match Saturday. (Middle) Shanker shakes hands with Loy Norrix's Reed Crocker after securing the title. (Click to see more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Greenhills Succeeds in Drive for 5
By
Pam Shebest
Special for MHSAA.com
October 21, 2012
KALAMAZOO – Coach Eric Gajar knew his Ann Arbor Greenhills team needed just one win on the second day of competition to clinch its fifth consecutive MHSAA Lower Peninsula title, but that was one fact he tried to keep from his players.
“We didn’t tell those guys that, but they’re smart guys, so they’re starting to figure it out,” Gajar said during Saturday’s semifinals that were played inside because of inclement weather.
“We didn’t really give them the full story, but they started counting and knew we only needed a couple points.”
On a team loaded with experience, it was the only freshman, Juan Martin-Dyer, who won the team’s first match of the second day to clinch the championship.
Martin-Dyer, the top seed, defeated fourth seed Jake Johnson of Lansing Catholic, 6-0, 6-2, in the No. 3 singles semifinal before losing to Kalamazoo Christian’s second seed, Brad Plaiser, 1-6, 6-2, 6-2, in the championship match.
“I had no idea, actually. I had no idea at all,” Martin-Dyer said of the clincher. “It feels good. It’s not just me, though. All the guys won (Friday). It’s all about the team. I only won a few points.”
No. 1 singles was the only flight without a Greenhills finalist.
Top-seeded Michael Sienko, of Williamston, was a player on a mission, defeating second seed Chance Conley, of Portland, 6-1, 6-0.
The two faced off in last year’s No. 1 singles final, with Conley coming out the winner. They also play in the same league, the Capital Area Activities Conference White.
“I was really disappointed last year at the result, and I thought I should have won the match,” Sienko said. “But he won it, so I was really working hard to win the final match this year, and I did.
“I think I played well. Maybe I rose to the occasion. I just focused a lot, stuck to my game plan, and it worked.”
Sienko won a MHSAA title at No. 2 singles as a freshman, but “this means a lot more to me.”
Conley said he figured Sienko would be out for revenge.
“He had an urge,” Conley said. “He wanted to get me back. He had something I didn’t have, and he wanted it badly.
“Mikey was on top of his game. My coach said he only made four unforced errors the entire match. There’s nothing you can really do to compete with that.”
Kalamazoo Christian’s Plaiser said losing at No. 3 singles was not an option, since it’s his senior year.
He played at No. 1 singles last year, but he’s in the Army reserve and during the summer was at basic training. He joined the team halfway through the season.
“I didn’t play tennis for 11 weeks, so they put me at No. 3,” he said.
“This is my last tennis match of high school, and I couldn’t lose it. I couldn’t lose it.”
Dropping the first set, “I don’t know if I was nervous,” he said. “I don’t know what it was. I wall-balled like every other ball so bad. After that, I just pulled it together.”
K-Christian coach Bryan Keeley said he knew Plaiser could pull out the win.
“He wasn’t hitting shots that he usually was hitting,” Keeley said. “His opponent had him on his toes, and he started missing a lot of his volleys that he usually would hit.”
Keeley said he talked to his player after the first set, and Plaiser said he knew what he had to do to turn the match around.
“That’s what you see in maturity out of your seniors and expect of your captain,” Keeley said.
Greenhills won the other six flights for 36 points, double the 18 of second place Comstock Park.
“The key was I got almost everybody back,” Gajar said. “We had a big target on our backs.
“I have a very experienced roster. I have a freshman (Martin-Dyer) who went right to No. 3 singles and a guy (Paul Reed) who transferred in last year (from St. Mary Catholic Central) and sat out a year, then went to No. 1 singles. It really allowed me to bulk up the doubles guys. We were deep. This is as good a team as I’ve had.”
Gajar said in spite of clinching the championship with the first semifinals win, the players were still very motivated, as evidenced by their exuberant cheers for their teammates during the last two doubles matches on court.
“There are some guys who have been playing for a while that are looking at trying to get their first individual titles,” he said. “The other thing that’s got them a little bit motivated is they’ve looked back at some of the past teams we’ve had and looked at their point totals and wanted to lay claim to out-distancing them.
“We told them to get through the semis for the team and go to the finals for yourself.”
Comstock Park’s No. 2 doubles team of Wil Douma and Ryan Schall won their semifinals match, 6-1, 6-4, over Ludington’s Sam Nellis and Justin Markham to earn the point needed for their team’s second-place finish.
They lost to Greenhills’ top seeds, Adhi Rajaprabhakaran and Nick Sandhu, 6-3, 6-1, in the final.
“We had no idea,” Douma said of the importance of his point. “We just went out there and played. Freshman year, I broke my neck when I was in eighth grade playing football, so I just walked on to play tennis. (Schall) picked it up his sophomore year.
“When we walked off the court, our two coaches were standing right there. They were like, ‘You guys just clinched it for us.’ We were pumped. No one ever thought we’d be there today.”
Schall said he wasn’t very happy to play inside because “I’ve never played indoor tennis. But once, we started, I started liking it a lot. No wind, no weather. Everyone’s on fair ground.”
Comstock Park coach Pete Luczyk said the program has turned around, making it to the MHSAA Finals for the first time.
“Honestly, four years ago, we had five returning JV players and that’s all we had,” he said. “Over the past four years, it’s been just a culmination of everything and the kids just going nuts.
“One of the best stories of our team are the twins, Dylan and Tyler Fink. They’ve played No. 1 doubles all four years and have amassed probably 70 first doubles wins over those four years. For them to be in the semifinals and lose to Ann Arbor Greenhills, 6-4, 6-3, is simply incredible.”
Talking about comparisons to the pro doubles specialists Mike and Bob Bryan, “We’ve heard that comparison for four years now, so we’ve gotten used to it,” Dylan Fink said.
“When we started as freshmen, a lot of us didn’t have a lot of experience. Now there are (eight) seniors who started as freshmen, and it’s been great to see how we’ve all grown as a team.”
For the twins personally, “For our first time at states, to make it to the semifinals is great,” Tyler Fink said. “We’re really glad our team made it this far. We really couldn’t have done it without every member of our team pitching in for this win."