The amazing career of tennis ace Peoria Richie Woods

PEORIA — Julia Wojtowicz can fly, once arrived at her high school tennis club in a helicopter and played with world-ranked stars Caroline Wozniacki and Serena Williams at Madison Square Garden as a child played tennis together in front of 18,000 spectators.

But Saturday morning during the Dunlap Invitational, she experienced something she never calculated.

The Ridgewood senior and No. 1 singles player calmly defeated Bloomington Central Catholic’s Francie Kostelnyk, 6-0, 6-0, before walking out. At the Chitwood team’s tennis court, the celebration begins.

She just won her 100th career varsity match despite having a COVID-shortened season early in her career and playing each opponent’s best player at the No. 1 singles spot. Won a championship. At the end of the day, she won again and ended the weekend with 101 points.

She looked surprised as she received a celebratory cake, flowers, balloons representing the number 100 and a sign, surrounded by coaches, family and teammates past and present.

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“I didn’t even realize I was winning so much,” Wojtowicz said. “I stood there and couldn’t take it in. My friend Shikha (Agarwal) had over 100 and I know how excited she was to get there.

“It’s hard to absorb this.”

Dunlap star Agarwal also reached the 100-game milestone this season. Last September, she defeated Wojtowicz 3-6, 6-2, 10-3.

Reaching 100 wins is rare in high school girls tennis, especially in the Peoria area.

“I’m blessed to have a player of her talent and history,” Ridgewood coach Terry Cole said. “She’s the best player I’ve had the pleasure of coaching on this women’s team and the best player I’ve ever seen here.

“No matter what we ask her to do, she can do it. She’s a great player.”

Soon, it might all be over for her.

“The End of Tennis”

Wojtowicz can play college tennis. But after Richie Woods completes the stretch of the season and final sectional and state tours, she’s leaning toward calling time on her career.

“I had NCAA Division II and III offers from all over the Midwest,” she said. “But I just didn’t think I was going to play. I thought high school would be the end of my tennis career.”

Cole said there was no question she was a college player.

“Julia is a dynamic player. She was ranked No. 1 in singles at the collegiate level for four years, so she had a very difficult schedule, I think the toughest schedule in the state south of Interstate 80. But here she is with 100 wins and counting.

“But from the moment we met her, we knew she was special.”

That was after she finished eighth grade in New York and moved to Peoria with her family. Her aunt coaxed her into trying out for the Ridge Woods tennis team. So Wojtowicz showed up at school and introduced himself to Cole.

“‘Okay, let’s try it now,'” she recalled Cole saying. “I didn’t have shoes, I was just wearing my Air Force uniform. I didn’t have a racket. Nothing.”

Wojtowicz borrowed a racket from Cole and held her ground as Cole fired at her.

“She wore tennis shoes and used my equipment to beat me,” he said. “I said, ‘Well, yeah, you can play for us.’ “

Bronx, Tennis and Helicopter Tour

Wojtowicz grew up in the Bronx, New York, with her mother, Kasia, and her father, Tomasz. He is a professional table tennis player in his native Poland and a helicopter pilot. He still returns to his native Poland to teach at a flight school. Today, he serves as a pilot for OSF Life Flight in Peoria and also serves as a crop duster.

“She has been with me all my life flying,” Thomas Wojtowicz said. “She knows how to fly fixed-wing aircraft and she’s very comfortable with that.

“When she was five years old in New York, I started trying to push her to play tennis.”

He played tennis and would take Julia with him.

“He hit me over and over again,” the Ridgewood senior said.

The family moved to Peoria in July 2020 when the pandemic hit. Richie Woods welcomes his star tennis player.

In 2021, Wojtowicz finished in the top 12 at state as a sophomore. Last season, as a junior, she switched from singles at the end of the regular season to doubles, partnering with Reynolds for the state meet. They finished third in the IHSA Class 1A state finals, a historic effort.

The Richwoods duo is the third duo from the tri-county area to advance to the IHSA girls tennis state finals — joining two other duos from Richwoods.

The Richwoods doubles team, consisting of Emily Ransburg and Debbie Snyder, finished third in the state during the 1986-87 school year. A decade ago, Richwoods’ Sue Moore and Cindy Reiman finished third in the state in 1976-77 and finished second the following season.

These results are from a single-level system; women’s tennis in 2016 was divided into two levels.

“We had a great season last year, finishing third in the state with Olivia, and she was a great partner,” said Wojtowicz, who shares the 2022 ” Magazine Star Women’s Tennis Player of the Year. “My serve was strong and Olivia had a presence at the net and she was dominant on all her shots. I thought we worked well together and played well together.

“We’re moving up to Class 2A this year, so we know our road is going to be a little tougher. But I think we have a chance.”

more:Richwoods duo becomes part of Peoria history at IHSA girls tennis state finals

There is a story about Wojtowicz’s freshman year at Richwoods. It was tennis division time and she was supposed to be heading to Geneseo to play.

The rides failed. The driver becomes unusable. Options and time are running out.

“I don’t want to be driving a mobile bus in the wind taking me and a player to division,” Kerr said with a laugh. “Julia’s dad said he would take us by helicopter. I called (a ranger) and said, ‘Hey, would you mind if we took a helicopter to the subdivision?’ I got a yes because they thought I was kidding .”

So Tomasz Wojtowicz flew her and Cole in a helicopter to the area and got permission to land nearby, which must have been an amazing scene.

Madison Square Garden 18,000 people

In 2016, 10-year-old Julia Wojtowicz stepped onto the court at Madison Square Garden and took a racket from Caroline Wozniacki.

Wozniacki has been the world’s number one female player for 71 consecutive weeks. She was born in Denmark and is of Polish descent – like Wojtowicz – her mother was a member of the Polish national volleyball team and her father was a professional soccer player.

In 2016, Madison Square Garden hosted World Tennis Day celebrations, and Wozniacki played Serena Williams in an exhibition match between the world’s top ranked players. Stan Wawrinka and Gael Monfils – two other of the greatest footballers in the world – will also take part.

As part of the celebrations, four children were chosen as “lookalikes” and enjoyed a “day in the life” of their tennis heroes, from clothing, hairstyles, equipment and everything a professional player goes through.

“She had no idea what a great opportunity this was,” said her mother, Kasia Wojtowicz.

Julia Wojtowicz, then a fourth-year student, played the role of Wozniacki and performed in front of 18,000 spectators on the court.

“It’s an exciting day,” said Julia Wojtovich. “I was just a little kid, but I never forgot anything.”

She has had quite a tennis journey. Whether she plays in college or ends her career in high school, she will have over 100 wins and countless game memories.

“I love the competitive aspect of the game, it’s fun for me,” she said. “I really like Singles because you’re on your own. It’s all up to you and what happens is your responsibility.

“Is this all over? I don’t think too much about it yet, I just want to enjoy it.”

Dave Eminian is a Journal Star sports columnist covering the Bradley men’s basketball team, Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. You can contact him at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @icetimecleve.