John was a multi-sport athlete competing in tennis and hockey. He was a varsity letterwinner in Boys Tennis for 4 years from 1974-77. He was a State Doubles Champion with Mark Jackson in '74 and '75 and again in '76 with Terry Wynne. In 1977, John had a record of 52-0, and was the State Singles Champion closing out his high-school tennis career. In his 3 years of varsity hockey, John was part of the State Championship Teams in 1975 & 1976, and played in the marathon 8-overtime game in '77 vs. Red River which ended in a 1-1 tie and was declared a Co-Championship. As a state champion in tennis and hockey his senior year, he made an appearance in Sports Illustrated's "Faces in the Crowd" section. To go along with the titles, John received All-Conference and All-State selections in both sports. John played both hockey and tennis for Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN.
John had many memories back in high school, "Being coached by my dad in tennis was a highlight, along with an undefeated season and winning the State Singles Championship in '77". Thinking back on the '77 Co-Championship in hockey, John stated "I always think back to what if..." His thoughts on what sets Central apart from other schools was, "The tremendous tradition of playing for GFC is what stands out most. We took a lot of pride in wearing those uniforms."
John currently lives in West Bend, Wisconsin with a career as a tennis pro since he graduated from college. For the last 28 years, he and his wife Jacci have owned Pleasant Valley Tennis and Fitness Club in Jackson, Wisconsin. John and Jacci have three kids, Alyssa, Joe, and Gina, who are all graduates of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is very pleased to be joining his father Serge, brothers Jim and Bill, and sisters Mary Ann and Carol in the Grand Forks Central Athletic Hall of Fame