As an all-around great athlete, student, and person, Justin Sehlin is the athlete of the week at PV.
Sehlin fell in love with sports at a young age. He played and excelled at a multitude of sports, including soccer, basketball, and tennis. He played basketball in the AAU as well as on the junior high team, but eventually decided basketball wasn’t for him due to his height.
Sehlin played soccer on a travel team as well, beginning at 8-years-old and playing all the way until high school. But because of the conflicting seasons, Justin decided to instead pursue his true passion with tennis.
Sehlin began to play tennis when he was 5-years-old. Ever since then, he has loved the sport. Justin began playing varsity his freshman year and has been playing better ever since. “I love the grind, and tennis, for me, is a great combination of intelligence, skill, patience, hard work, and athleticism,” said Sehlin.
This year, Pleasant Valley is ranked second in the state for the tennis season. This puts a huge weight on Sehlin’s shoulders, as he is the top player at PV and an important part of bringing a state title to the school.
Coach Randy Brockhage has a lot to say about Justin as well. “I met Justin when he was very young at the PV Open tennis tournament I hold every summer. He was young then, but I could already tell he was going to be a good tennis player,” Brockhage said.
Over the time coaching him, Brockhage has seen Sehlin become a strong leader on the team. “His role on the team is number one, number one player, number one leader, and number at setting a good example for people to follow,” said Brockhage
Brockhage and Sehlin have had a close connection ever since Sehlin came to the high school. Sehlin has matured immensely over his 4 years in tennis, not only as a player, but as a person as well. Brockhage is happy to have Justin as a captain of the tennis team this year and hopes others can view him as a role model.
Be sure to stay tuned to the Spartan Shield and keep updated with the tennis team’s performance at the MAC, district, and state meets to see how Justin performs. “I think I am capable of winning it all,” Sehlin says. With his skills and determination, Sehlin is guaranteed to give our tennis team a great boost.
