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07/22/2022 11:34 AMJonah Freund proved a huge asset to the Westbrook boys’ tennis team with his ability to shift around the lineup. Whether competing in singles or doubles, Jonah thrived at whatever position he was playing for the Knights during the past few seasons.
After helping Westbrook post a record of 21-1 while playing No. 1 and 2 doubles teams last year, Jonah fortified the Knights’ lineup in the No. 3 singles spot as a senior captain this season. Jonah’s strong performance on the singles court helped Westbrook have another great campaign that featured 16 victories and a deep run in states.
Jonah grew up playing soccer and continued with the sport during his time at Westbrook. However, when it came time for Jonah to get involved with high school athletics, he wanted more than just a soccer career. Thanks to his mother, Jonah’s desire to play tennis turned into a reality.
“Freshman year, my mom kind of pushed me to play tennis, because she said that was one of her regrets in high school in not playing,” says Jonah. “She picked it up later in life. I just kind of fell right into place.”
After splitting time between JV and varsity as a freshman and then seeing his sophomore season get canceled, Jonah enjoyed a breakout year in his junior season. The Knights typically have a small group of players filling out their lineup, but Jonah believes that their courage and fight have proved big factors in helping the program achieve success.
“It’s a smaller team. The last two seasons, we’ve had just enough kids to put together a team,” Jonah says. “Everyone has to pull their own weight on that team and lift each other up. Because of that, it creates a sense of community that sometimes you don’t feel in Westbrook sports, because of the records that we sometimes post. Because we can win, we can do well, and be successful as a team, I think it really brings a sense of camaraderie that might not be found in all of Westbrook sports.”
Jonah and his teammates formed a strong squad that advanced to the Class S state final last year and then made it back to the semifinal round this spring. Entering his senior season, Jonah wanted to establish himself as a reliable replacement for the team’s graduated seniors in an effort to help Westbrook continue its string of successful campaigns.
“We lost four or five seniors, and we didn’t know how we would be able to rebuild. With me and the other seniors that were coming up this year, I think it was our goal to not let down and to build on the success we had,” says Jonah. “We went against some pretty formidable opponents. We made as good of a run as anyone could have hoped for.”
Jonah posted a regular-season record of 14-1 while going up against some stiff competition at No. 3 singles this year, playing his best tennis as the postseason drew closer. The Knights also hit their stride down the stretch on their way to netting a record of 14-2 for the regular season. Jonah felt proud about how both he and his teammates competed as the year unfolded.
“The last little stretch of our season right before Shorelines, those last couple matches probably stood out to me the most,” Jonah says. “As a team, we went back against some teams that we didn’t know if we would beat for a second time. We beat them once already in a season, but to beat them twice says a lot more about the team as a whole. Leading up to Shorelines, I was building up that anticipation to play Shorelines and to make that run to states.”
Jonah represented Westbrook in the Shoreline Conference 3-4 Singles Tournament and then helped the Knights win two matches in the Class S State Tournament to advance to the semifinals in his senior season. Head Coach Dan Shapiro heavily relied on Jonah this year and was impressed with the character that his senior captain displayed on the court.
“I think his two biggest attributes are his heart and his putting the team first,” says Shapiro. “Jonah was an enormous part of the greatest two-year run in Westbrook boys’ tennis history. As a coach, you can’t ask for anything more than a kid like Jonah.”
Jonah has put a lot of energy into making a difference with Westbrook’s tennis and soccer teams. Jonah’s appetite for competition helped him finished his high school tennis career with a stellar senior season.
“I think I’m just an overall pretty competitive person. Based on my competitive nature, I’ve fought through all of the sports I’ve played in my life,” Jonah says. “Being an athlete and having a competitive nature really pushes me to succeed in sports. With that in mind, it’s allowed me to have that success on the tennis courts, as well.”
Jonah will be attending Syracuse University with hopes of continuing his soccer and tennis careers at the club level. Jonah takes academics seriously and wants to continue striving to be best version of himself as he moves on from Westbrook. Jonah’s time with Knights gave him a once-in-a-lifetime experience that taught him about the importance of teamwork and community.
“Being from such a small school, you have a lot of kids who play multiple sports. Because of that, everyone dips their toes in different aspects of the Westbrook sports scene,” says Jonah. “Playing on the soccer team with
30 other guys is a different atmosphere. With tennis, you still got a bare bones team, but it’s still a sense of community, because everyone has the will to push forward and try to win. The sense of community that Westbrook brings, having so many multi-sport athletes, is something that I’ll miss.”