Texas A&M
The Battalion
ports
Wednesday, August 31, 1983/The Battalion/Page 17
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by Joe Tindel Jr.
Battalion Staff
You can start when you’re
barely old enough to pick up a
racket. You can practice every
day for as many hours as you
want and you still might not be
come a visible enough player to
be recognized.
You have to do some very
visible things.
A couple of years ago, Mark
Smith had all the right tools. He
hit the courts at age nine and he
had the ability to build. But until
a sudden awakening of enthu
siasm during the summer of
1982, Smith wasn’t on the course
that would eventually bring him
to Texas A&M.
“I played tennis for all those
years,” said the Aggies’ highly
touted freshman. “I’d play, but I
wasn’t just really 100 percent
into it. But after last summer,
playing the nationals (National
Hard Court Championships),
that summer is when I really got
started and I really wanted to
play in a high league.”
A class 5A state singles cham
pionship victory over two-time
defending champ Denny
Bishop this spring brought long-
awaited recognition to Smith, a
product of Austin High.
Smith continued to impress
college scouts over the summer
with a victory over Richey Re-
nenberg of Houston, the 12th-
ranked junior singles player in
the world, for Texas Sectional
Singles crown.
Smith became the first player
to win both the UIL state crown
and the Texas Sectional Singles
championship since 1973.
“He’s a talented and a very
dedicated kid,” says David Kent,
head coach of the Aggie netters
and victor in a tough recruiting
battle with Texas to get Smith.
“He’s a Horatio Alger story. A
few years ago nobody paid any
attention to him, and he just
worked hard, sacrificed and pul
led himself up by his bootstraps.
“I was fortunate to get on him
early. I got him down here and
stole him away from the Univer
sity of Texas and a bunch of
other places. We’re real lucky to
have him and I think he’s going
to be the star of the future.”
Now Smith is one of five solid
freshmen on Kent’s young team.
The freshman’s reason for
choosing the Aggies was nothing
complicated.
“I like the dorms and I think
the facilities here are a lot bet
ter,” Smith said. “They’re
(Texas A&M and Texas) both
top 20 schools, and I think
A&M’s freshmen are a lot better
than Texas’ freshmen.
“We’ve got five top-of-the-
line freshmen. They’re really
tough, plus the people coming
back are strong, too. So I think
we’ll have a good team.”
A-nd, evidently, the extra
effort Kent put out in recruiting
Smith didn’t hurt.
“(Texas) was the first place I
visited on my recruiting trips,”
Smith said. “They didn’t recruit
me near as hard as A&M did.”
Smith’s older brother played
for Texas A&M three years ago,
but knee problems limited his
career to only a year, Smith said.
Add to that the fact that his
mother is the secretary of the
Texas Tennis Association and
it’s easy to see where some of his
enthusiasm came from.
Still, Smith says he’s his own
man, and his decision to attend
John Newcombe’s Tennis
Ranch in New Braunfels last fall
may have been a key factor in his
eventual rise to recognition.
The name of the academy’s
program was “Competitive
Edge,” and it was led by the for
mer coach of Newcombe, the
former pro from Australia. In
order to attend the academy,
Smith said, he left Austin high
for the fall semester and went to
school in New Braunfels.
“It (the Ranch) really paid
off,” Smith said. “That was the
most intense tennis I’ve ever
had. I expect college to be the
same. That’s (the academy) was
where I improved the most. I
expect to improve a lot here,
too.”
He says he expects to improve
enough to break into the Aggies’
top six singles players this sea
son, but he admits the job will be
tough.
“To play in the top six I have
to play better and consistent as
well — not just play good one
tournament and not play good
in another tournament,” he
said. “You never can let down.
Everybody’s so good.”
While singles may be his forte.
Smith said he thinks he can help
out in doubles as well because his
playing style is ideal for both
games.
“My game is based on serving
and volleying,” he said. “In dou
bles, that’s all it is — serving and
volleying. So my singles game is
very adaptable to doubles. I play
good doubles and I like dou
bles.”
Kent may like doubles and
singles better if his prize plays
up to his expectations this fall.
John
wagner
Search is on at Texas
for ‘missing link’ QB
BEFORE WE JUMP head-first into the 1983 Southwest Con
ference football season, there are two misconceptions that need
to be cleared up.
•The conference is strong from top to bottom.
•The Texas Longhorns can win the SWC with Bevo at
quarterback.
The first goes without saying. Any conference with Rice and
TCU is not that strong. The coaches just like to say it is. Makes
’em sound tough.
The second may take a little explanation.
Ever since the Longhorns’ 1982 season-ending reign of
terror (they defeated six straight opponents by a combined
^score of 199-60), talk of Cotton Bowls and national champion
ships has swirled around Austin like a hurricane.
UT has enough depth to send its third-string to a bowl game.
Returning starters, possible starters and hopeful starters are
flocking to Memorial Stadium in such numbers that coach Fred
Akers might consider fielding two teams — as in Texas I and
Texas II. Scrimmage games would resemble Super Bowls, with
the winner automatically taking the conference crown.
THERE’S ONLY ONE minor detail left to take care of
before UT fans can make reservations in Dallas. The Horns
need a quarterback.
With the graduation of Robert Brewer, Akers finds himself
searching for the missing link. The right man could possibly
mean Texas’ fourth national title. The wrong man might lead to
a terribly disappointing season for fans who aren’t used to being
disappointed. They think their team is going to win. It better.
With that in mind, Akers opened up the QB competition.
Apply in person. Form one line to the left, have Social Security
cards and chinstraps handy. Job objective: Lead the Longhorns
to No. 1.
Without realizing it, however, Akers created a monster.
There were more quarterback candidates in Austin than frater
nity houses, and the list grew daily.
Let’s meet the candidates.
YOU CAN START with last year’s backup to Brewer, Todd
Dodge. Dodge took over for Brewer when the latter broke his
thumb practicing for the Horns’ Sun Bowl appearance. That
break helped end UT’s six-game win streak, as North Carolina
dropped Texas, 26-10.
See HORNS page 19
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