Sterling’s Jack Nitz ready to take on state challenge

Jack Nitz can’t remember the last time he spent an entire day on the couch. It’s just not how Sterling’s top tennis player wants to spend his time.

For much of his high school career, Nitz has spent his free time on the move. He rides his mountain bike, jogs trails or works out at the gym. Oh yeah, he plays tennis. A lot of tennis.

Finding a hitting partner can sometimes be tough, but it hasn’t stopped him. He’ll head out to the Quad Cities to play at a club, while other times he heads to the courts in Sterling and works on footwork and his swings.

“Maybe some other kids might not want to work on these things without a partner,” Nitz said. “Footwork by myself, I love it. I’ve never had to be motivated by other people to get out and work on my game because I wanted to be good.”

Nitz played baseball, soccer, football and ran track growing up. But tennis was the sport that always came easiest. That much was evident this season as he posted a 28-0 record, earned a sectional title and was the only area player to secure a trip to the state tournament this week.

No one could touch him on the court, dominating most matches with ease. He dropped his first set of the season in a match at sectionals, then roared back to win the next two.

Nitz began his junior season on a similar trajectory, winning his first 26 matches. Nitz then dropped two matches at sectionals to finish at 26-2. Both losses came to players from Moline. One has since graduated and the other moved out of the area.

Sterling’s No. 1 still earned a spot at the state meet, but couldn’t compete after injuring his ankle in a workout before state. Nitz put himself through a series of suicide drills at Kilgour Park the Monday after sectionals, and severely sprained his ankle.

Nitz still traveled to the suburbs to watch the top players in the state compete, but he couldn’t shake the fact that it should have been him out there instead of behind the fences.

“I’m going to take it easy the next few days,” Nitz said. “I plan on being as mentally and physically ready as I can be. I’m mentally and physically stronger than I was last year. Each week that goes by I improve.”

Once Nitz’s ankle healed, he got right back to training for his senior year to make sure he would be at state. Mission accomplished.

What sets Nitz apart from his opponents are his serves. He puts a lot of spin on the ball, making it hard to hit a quality return. If his first serve doesn’t make it in, his second attempt is no slouch. It wasn’t always that way, but he knows how important it is to not give away points when serving.

“You have to get your serves in every time to be dominant,” Nitz said. “You don’t want to toss up a lob on your second serve just to get it over. It still has to be competitive. I’ve had to work hard at it because you want your serves to be automatic. It’s a game of perfection.”

Nitz came to practice Tuesday morning with what looked like it could have been a medieval club, if it weren’t made of plastic. It was a little longer than 2 feet, and the head had four plastic panels attached to it forming a plus sign.

The piece of equipment is heavier than a tennis racket, making Nitz’s normal racket feel lighter when he uses it. Think of an on-deck batter in baseball adding a weight to his bat before a plate appearance. It’s all about making his serves formidable.

He believes that’s where he’ll be able to stay the most competitive at state, as is preparing to face the toughest competition he’s faced in over 2 years.