Dane Paulsen has continued his growth in tennis. He's hoping to become a state champion this season.
Photo courtesy of Christine Paulsen
The "Great Dane" isn't going to win any fancy dog shows, but he is favored to win the New Mexico state tennis singles championship this spring.
Otherwise known as
Dane Paulsen, the
Manzano (Albuquerque) senior has won all eight of his singles matches this spring, twice defeating his No. 1 challenger,
Eli Echt-Wilson, a senior from
La Cueva (Albuquerque). While winning the early season Albuquerque Public Schools City Tournament he posted a 6-2, 6-2 victory. Later this spring he won by a score of 4-6, 6-1, 6-1.
Although he plays for Manzano, Paulsen actually attends East Mountain (Sandia Park), which does not have a tennis team.
Paulsen, who carries a 3.3 GPA and will play next fall at Wheaton College in Illinois, dabbled in basketball, football, baseball and swimming as a youngster before choosing tennis. He definitely was born with athletic genes, as his mother (Christine) played college and some professional tennis, his father (Mark) played a couple years in the NFL before suffering a serious knee injury and two older brothers played football, one of them (Jesse) at the University of Oklahoma. Christine now is a pro at the Lobo Tennis Club, while Mark was the strength coach for 30 years at the University of New Mexico.
Dane Paulsen, Manzano
Photo courtesy of Christine Paulsen
Christine, who has tutored Dane since he could hold a tennis racquet, explained why he did not follow the football path of his father and older brothers.
She told MaxPreps, "He was a great receiver and runner, but did not like being tackled."
He was not a natural as a beginning tennis player at age 8 and did not get serious about the sport for another three years.
Christine acknowledged, "He was probably a late starter for most kids. At 12 he began playing in tournaments. He had lots of losses. He kept saying, 'When am I going to win a set? When am I going to win a match?' That's all I heard."
Home-schooled until he was in ninth grade, Paulsen played USTA matches during those early years, once rising to No. 7 in the Southwest age-group rankings. Today he is No. 10 in 18-and-under, which includes New Mexico, Arizona and El Paso, Texas.
Though a tremendous work ethic he was able to play No. 1 at Manzano as a freshman and has held that position for four years. He was 8-3 as a freshman and sophomore and 8-1 as a junior when he placed third in the state tournament.
He pointed out, "I play every single day except Sunday (during the school year), about 4 1/2 hours a day. Mostly through the summer I play from 8 to 11 and 1 to 6."
He also spends several weeks each summer training at the Southern California Tennis Academy in Seal Beach, California. The rest of his outside training is spent at the Lobo Performance Tennis Academy in Albuquerque.
Paulsen is most proud of being named the Northern New Mexico Tennis Association Player of the Year for 2014. Another major honor was representing the southwest as a member of the Junior Davis Cup team. He also has enjoyed playing against the nation's best juniors during the Winter Nationals in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Describing his strong points, Paulsen says, "I'm pretty focused, mentally strong and aggressive. I'm a baseline player and the majority of my points are won at the baseline. My serve has gotten a lot better and it definitely is one of my strengths."
He has an all-around game, but if he has a weakness it's probably strength because he has just 150 pounds spread over his 6-foot frame and is constantly trying to put on weight.
"Have you had your milkshake today?" he often hears at home.
Paulsen's major goal remains winning that elusive state championship. With that title or not, his future is bright because as his mother puts it, "His volleys are just going to improve as he gets bigger and stronger. His serve is about 100 mph, but as he gets a little stronger it's going to be around 120."
