Minnesota conjures up three things: a lot of lakes, snow and hockey.

Tennis is not hardcore Minnesota, but do not tell freshman tennis player Justin Haag that.

A native of Eden Prairie, Minn., Haag tried many X-Games sports and hockey.

“(I like) being on the lake a lot, water skiing, wake boarding, wake skating and tried bare footing,” Haag said. “I have done a lot of winter sports, cross country skiing in high school and snowboarding. Pretty much like the X-Games.”

His reason for doing such extreme sports may surprise some.

“I like it because it is real relaxed,” Haag said. “You can do it with your friends and not have to think about anything. It is something you kind of just go out and enjoy. Maybe try something new that day, like a new trick. (It is good) not to have something on your shoulders all the time.”

Haag has done many crazy things, according to him, but he has also played more normal sports, too. Among those are basketball, baseball and soccer.

“Oh, and hockey, I don’t know how I forgot that,” Haag said.

Though he played all those sports and extreme activities, his true passion has always been tennis.

“Division I tennis was pretty important to me,” Haag said. “Ever since I was little, I wanted to play D-I tennis. Eastern offered a scholarship and that was pretty big for me.”

Eastern also gave him a good place to enjoy college life.

“It was weird because I was looking for a big school and surprisingly I liked this school a lot,” he said. “It is a good community here; it is like a private school. I liked that a little bit. I like how all the sports teams here have a little community.”

Haag is currently 8-3 this season in singles competition and 5-4 in doubles. As a team, there are eight doubles wins this year.

“Doubles have always come natural to me,” he said. “I would say doubles can be more fun since you have a partner; but I don’t know, singles are just as important because it is one point all by yourself.”

Haag said he has worked hard to get his team the most points possible and plays all out each match.

“I basically self-motivate myself and push myself and believe that I am better than my opponent,” he said.

“The best part of my game is I try to find a way to win regardless if I think the player I am facing is considered better or not. There is always something you can break down mechanically. Serving and volleying is pretty much a 1-2 punch for me, like that is my go to if I am in trouble.”

Haag said he needs to be a leader on the team even though he considers all of his teammates leaders. He also is a leader off the court.

His mother Audrey is diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), a chronic, often disabling disease attacking the central nervous system (which includes the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves).

His record may be an indication of playing hard for his mother.

“Every match I win, I put $50 toward Multiple Sclerosis,” Haag said. “That is mostly dedicated to my mom. She has been getting better and better with it. She walks with a cane, but she is fortunate she is not in a wheel chair.”

Unfortunately, not everyone is as lucky and some people lose their ability to walk.

If you are interested in donating to the cause or want to find out more about MS, you can visit the site for the National MS Society.

Dion Martorano can be reached at 581-7944 or dmmartorano@eiu.edu.

Freshman tennis player Justin Haag is a native of Eden Prairie, Minn. As a way of helping others including his mom, who was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, he donates $50 for every match he wins to benefit research.(Amir Prellberg/The Daily Eastern New

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