Mike Czarnecki grew up a University of Michigan fan. When the Flint native was ready to play college tennis, there was only one place he wanted to go – Ann Arbor. Unfortunately, the Wolverines’ coaching staff told him he wasn’t good enough to wear the Maize and Blue. “That stuff happens all the time,” said Czarnecki, who lives in Winston-Salem, N.C., but is still a UM fan. He knew he was good enough to compete at Michigan and it didn’t take him long to make his case. Two years later, when he was getting ready to transfer from Cincinnati, the Wolverines offered him a full-ride scholarship.
Still stung by the program’s previous rejection, he turned them down. “I was thankful, but I told them no thanks,” Czarnecki said. “I proved my point.” Since he first picked up a tennis racket, Czarnecki’s play was always well beyond his years. He worked hard early on, training at Flint Tennis Club. He captured the Flint City Open in 1967 at the age of 13 and a Western Closed title in Indianapolis when he was 17. He also won a national junior badminton crown. As a freshman at Flint St. Matthew in 1969, he won a Class C-D regional championship at No. 1 singles. He advanced to the semifinals of the state tournament. Czarnecki played at Central High the next two years where he not only won back-to-back Class A regional titles, but he became the first City tournament champion at the top flight in 1971.
He left Central after his junior year and transferred to Midland Dow to be closer to his personal coach, Jim Swift, who was the coach at Northwood University in Midland where he was able to train year-round on the school’s indoor courts. Czarnecki played for Dow during his senior year and advanced to the Class A state championship match where he lost 6-3, 7-5 to Victor Amaya of Holland High.
He signed with Cincinnati after high school and played two seasons for the Bearcats. During his freshman year, he posted a 29-4 mark at No. 3 singles and his team won 33 straight matches. He qualified for the NCAA tournament both years and advanced to the round of 32 during his first season. Before transferring to Wake Forest, he even beat the top two players from Michigan. He competed at No. 1 singles for the Demon Deacons during his junior and senior campaigns and qualified for the NCAA tournament both seasons. Czarnecki continued to play well after his collegiate career. He won the North Carolina state title in the early 1980s and he is a six-time city champion in Winston Salem.
“When he was at his peak, he was so good he was head and shoulders above the other players.” said his father and former Powers Catholic boys coach, Ed Czarnecki. “He was able to turn it up a couple of notches when he wanted to.” Sometimes he turned it up a little too much. Mike Cznarecki’s top weapon was his serve. During a state tournament match at Flint Swim and Racquet Club, he hit a serve so hard that he tore a tendon in his right shoulder that required surgery. “The guy calling it (match) had trouble seeing where it (serve) landed,” Ed Czarnecki said. “His strokes were strong enough so somebody couldn’t serve and volley against him. He was overpowering.”
Mike Czarnecki said he doesn’t play much tennis anymore. He is the vice president of Sales and Marketing for Microfibers, inc. in Winston-Salem, a position which requires a great deal of traveling. He said while he plays more golf than tennis, he hasn’t forgotten what tennis has done for him. “I had a lot of fun playing tennis,” Czarnecki said. “It took me to a lot of places.” Like the Greater Flint Area Sports Hall of Fame.
“It’s quite a nice honor,” said Czarnecki, 53. “You don’t expect getting something like that growing up doing what you enjoy doing.”
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