Gow keeps making history at SCN

Though she did not fully commit herself to tennis until she was 13 years old, much later than many of her peers, Megan Gow's experience in the sport has been marked by an impressive series of firsts.

Last fall, the St. Charles North senior became the first player in the program's history to qualify for the state tournament in each of her four years. She was also the first to get there both as a singles player and part of a doubles team.

But her biggest achievement happened away from the court, as Gow has become the first member of the North Stars girls tennis team in the program's eight years to earn an athletic college scholarship.

Gow will be continuing her tennis career at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, which she feels offers her the best combination of educational and athletic programs, and setting.

"This is all kind of surreal," Gow said. "I always imagined playing college tennis, but this is like a dream for me."

Gow opened some eyes way back when she wound up with the No. 1 singles job as a relatively unknown freshman.

"Megan had an understated approach, but she simply won the position," St. Charles North coach Tim Matacio said. "When she came in as a freshman she really took to the sport."

That approach, coupled with her athleticism and determination earned Gow a great deal of success at the conference level and beyond, as she became the key member of an emerging program.

"She came along when we were just starting to build something, and she was here as we began to have some really good success," Matacio said. "Through it all, she was really the leader of the team."

But that leadership was put to the test last season when junior Annemijn Koenen emerged as the North Stars' top singles player.

"I knew going in that Megan's reaction to that situation was really the key to our entire season," Matacio said.

Gow responded by providing the North Stars with a nearly unbeatable one-two punch at singles, dominating opponents at the No. 2 spot, while providing the sort of leadership any team needs to be successful.

"That's an example of the effect that pressure can have on people," Matacio said. "Pressure will make a strong person stronger, and a weak person break. Megan showed that she's a person of strong character."

Gow not only took the shift to the two spot in stride, she also used it as an opportunity to work on her doubles game.

"Going into the season I knew Annemijn was going to be an awesome player," Gow said. "It was just tennis. I went out there and competed the way I always have."

After ripping through the Upstate Eight Conference, Gow teamed up with Liselot Koenen to form a state tournament caliber doubles team.

"I wanted to show college coaches I could play both singles and doubles," Gow said. "That's what you have to be able to do in college."

That effort impressed UW-Milwaukee coach Matt McCaskill, and was a factor in his decision to offer Gow one of the few scholarships the program had available for out-of-state athletes.

"A lot of girls trying to make the transition to the college game are proficient in playing singles, but their doubles game is lacking, and you have to be strong in both at this level," McCaskill said. "I see nothing but upside with Megan. She's a grinder, and a really coachable kid who has a true passion for the game. Megan's not just a talented athlete, she's also a quality individual, and that's something every coach is looking for."

McCaskill expects Gow will step right into a winning program that has seen steady improvement during his four years at the helm.

"She'll be part of the first group that will be made up entirely of players I recruited," McCaskill said. "I see her being in the bottom half of our lineup to start, but if she works hard, as I know she will, Megan should move up steadily from there."

McCaskill is also impressed by Gow's academic abilities, another big consideration in deciding which prospective players to reward with a scholarship. Gow is planning to become a teacher, and, to no one's surprise, a tennis coach.

"She's a very grounded person, and she's going to find a way to be successful, that's just who she is," Matacio said.

Gow will always be looked upon as one of the key players who helped St. Charles North's girls tennis program grow out of its infancy. Now she's ready and anxious to move on.

"It's really a special thing to know I was part of a growing program," Gow said. "I know I have a lot of work ahead of me, but I'm looking forward to having a new set of goals."