TUCSON, Arizona — Arizona Wildcat tennis coach Clancy Shields has recruited all over the world, but he had never heard of Colton Smith's hometown of Tenino, Washington.
"I had to find Tenino on a map," said Shields. "It's not easy to find."
It's about 75 miles south of Seattle, and about 40 miles from indoor courts.
"He definitely saw a lot of good stuff in me," said Smith, referring to Shields. "And, I saw a lot of good stuff in the program."
"There's no good tennis players within hours of him," added Shields. "It rains nine months out of the year. How are you a good tennis player? It's shocking."
Perhaps Smith surprised his opponents as well. He's led the Wildcats in wins in his first three seasons, helping them win the Pac-12 tournament in the conference's final season.
"He has incredible frustration tolerance," said Shields. "When things don't go his way, he can put it in the rear view mirror and move forward. That's really hard in this sport."
Smith has been eligible to compete in ATP challenger tours, and recently, he picked up his victory in the Cleveland Open.
"That was probably one of the coolest weeks of my life," said Smith. "Playing those guys at that level and to be able to be successful in some of the biggest matches in my career so far."
The very next week in Tucson, Smith then set the Wildcat program record for most singles wins in a career, a mark that currently stands at 98.
"That was always something that was in the back of my mind," said Smith. "Something I was always chasing so to have it come together over three or almost four years now is amazing."
Now ranked 262nd in the world, the tennis star from the small town of Tenino isn't far from the sport's biggest stages. Colton Smith has put himself on the tennis map thanks in part to what he's done in Tucson.
"He's on the Mt. Rushmore of Arizona tennis," said Shields. "What he's down here on and off the court. Being a leader. He makes everybody on our team better. We're so fortunate to have him, here."
