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As soon as Malcolm Harrison signed with Northwest Missouri State, long-time head tennis coach Mark Rosewell knew he'd hit the jackpot.
Harrison was a state champion at Rockhurst High School in Kansas City and was one of the top junior college players in the country at Johnson County Community College.
With his immense talent, there was no question in Rosewell's mind Harrison was destined for stardom at the Division II level.
"He's what they call in the business an impact player," said Rosewell.
During his brief two-year career at Northwest, Harrison has been every bit as good as anticipated and then some.
Last year, Harrison was named the MIAA Player of the Year and led Northwest to the MIAA Championship.
Harrison has performed at an even higher level this year and has the Bearcats in position for another conference title.
Harrison (34-2) has already set the program-record for singles victories in a season.
All but two of his victories this spring have been in straight sets.
Rosewell says it’s the most dominant season he's seen in 27 years at Northwest.
"We've had some good players at Northwest, but I'll tell you what, this season he may be No. 1," said Rosewell.
Harrison, who boasts a 57-5 career singles record, always knew he had the ability to be one of the premier players in Division II.
And as the wins piled up early in his career, Harrison’s confidence soared.
"I had played with guys that were professionals and I had played a very high level of tennis," said Harrison. "The issue wasn't really me coming in and being successful. It was just me trying to help the team as many ways as I could. I figured I would do alright and then winning 10 straight matches just lets you know you can be pretty good. Once I got confidence in successive matches, it kind of fueled me to do well this season and last season."
For the complete story, pick up a copy of today's Maryville Daily Forum, or subscribe to the Daily Forum's e-edition.
As soon as Malcolm Harrison signed with Northwest Missouri State, long-time head tennis coach Mark Rosewell knew he'd hit the jackpot.
Harrison was a state champion at Rockhurst High School in Kansas City and was one of the top junior college players in the country at Johnson County Community College.
With his immense talent, there was no question in Rosewell's mind Harrison was destined for stardom at the Division II level.
"He's what they call in the business an impact player," said Rosewell.
During his brief two-year career at Northwest, Harrison has been every bit as good as anticipated and then some.
Last year, Harrison was named the MIAA Player of the Year and led Northwest to the MIAA Championship.
Harrison has performed at an even higher level this year and has the Bearcats in position for another conference title.
Harrison (34-2) has already set the program-record for singles victories in a season.
All but two of his victories this spring have been in straight sets.
Rosewell says it’s the most dominant season he's seen in 27 years at Northwest.
"We've had some good players at Northwest, but I'll tell you what, this season he may be No. 1," said Rosewell.
Harrison, who boasts a 57-5 career singles record, always knew he had the ability to be one of the premier players in Division II.
And as the wins piled up early in his career, Harrison’s confidence soared.
"I had played with guys that were professionals and I had played a very high level of tennis," said Harrison. "The issue wasn't really me coming in and being successful. It was just me trying to help the team as many ways as I could. I figured I would do alright and then winning 10 straight matches just lets you know you can be pretty good. Once I got confidence in successive matches, it kind of fueled me to do well this season and last season."
For the complete story, pick up a copy of today's Maryville Daily Forum, or subscribe to the Daily Forum's e-edition.
