They say that tennis is a gentleman’s sport. Connor Garnett ’19, captain of SCU men’s tennis, helps make the case for that.
An unspoken challenge of the game is the fact that there are not referees on every court. “Calling your lines” then becomes an honor system. Niall Angus, head coach of men’s tennis, acknowledges: “One of the toughest aspects of any sport is to attain the right balance between doing what is required to win without jeopardizing your integrity as an athlete.”
To Garnett’s credit, not only did he post a 14-4 singles record during the season, he was also recognized by the conference for his on-court leadership and overall character. Proof: He did not get any of his calls overruled during the year.
Crediting his father for his poise and integrity, Connor says, “As a junior, my dad would always come and watch. Whenever I made a bad call when I was younger, he would get mad, so I had to make sure as I got older that I was really careful with my calls, because that was the main thing he cared about when I was playing.”
In June, Garnett travelled to Redondo Beach, California, to receive his 2016–17 WCC Men’s Sportsmanship Award.