*By Lily Durston*
Marching together in matching red bandanas and yelling tirelessly, tennis coach Jasen Gohn and Wayne’s Army filled the stands at the annual Legg Mason tennis tournament this August to support professional tennis player and friend of Gohn, Wayne Odesnik.
Though cheering at tennis matches usually remains polite and subdued, Wayne’s Army let loose, cheering wildly after each point and heckling Odesnik’s opponents.
“Tennis is typically a quiet sport, but I’m a rabid fan,” Gohn says. “We go crazy; I like to have fun with it.”
Gohn created Wayne’s Army three years ago after meeting Odesnik at Legg Mason.
“I met him through a mutual friend and came to watch his matches,” Gohn says. “I started assembling what I like to call Wayne’s Army. He gave me his number and contacts me every year when he is competing in the area.”
Sophomore Sam Woodbury is one of the founding members of Wayne’s Army and has gone to the tournament to cheer on Odesnik for the past three years.
“I come out every year to watch the matches,” Woodbury says. “It a pretty important tournament in the tennis world.”
After winning his first match against Paul Capdeville, Odesnik faced Russian tennis star Igor Andreev, who is ranked second in Russia and 24 in the world.
“He was definitely the underdog,” Gohn says of Odesnik, who is currently ranked 77 in the world for singles. “But every breakpoint we were there yelling, screaming and cheering him on.”
Referees scolded Wayne’s Army for its rambunctious activity multiple times, but the group was not deterred. High-fiving Odesnik at halftime and heckling Capdeville, Wayne’s Army continued cheering throughout the match. Behind this energy, Odesnik was able to pull off the win.
Odesnik has won a combined nine singles titles in Challenger and International Tennis Federation Men’s Circuit events. The ITF provides entry-level professional tournaments that allow players to compete before eventually reaching higher-level tournaments.
Odesnik’s world ranking automatically qualifies him to compete in the tournament. A yearly Legg Mason competitor, he offered Gohn free tickets in exchange for support and fans.
Gohn offered Odesnik a Whitman jersey, but Legg Mason rules prevented him from wearing it while competing. Immediately after upsetting Andreev, though, Odesnik put on the jersey and a roar of applause from the Whitman students and their families in attendance filled the stadium.
“It was awesome to see Wayne throw on the Whitman jersey,” Gohn says. “After the game he thanked me and told me that our support definitely helped him win.”
*Photo Courtesy Of Jasen Gohn
