The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net    

OVER the past few weeks, Bahamian Davis Cupper Michael Major Jr has been holding his own as the number one player for the Howard University Bison men’s tennis team.

Major Jr, now in his sophomore year at Howard University, lost a heartbreaker 6-3, 6-7 and 7-10 as the Bison lost to Temple University on February 7. He then won 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 as they won over UDC University on February 15. And he won 6-3, 6-3 in their team loss to Mt St. Mary’s on February 21.

For the 18-year-old Major Jr, the mixed results were good to keep him focused on the task of playing at the collegiate level. 

“I would say over the past few weeks I’ve been playing some really solid tennis,” he said. “Focusing and really being meticulous with the areas of my game that I know need improvement.” 

It has also forced him to work that much harder to be successful. 

“Really putting in the extra whether that be with weights, running extra or mentally,” he pointed out. “I definitely expected to be performing at this level because I know the work I put in.”

And that has kept him grounded playing at the No.1 seed on the Bison’s team. 

“There’s definitely pressure playing number one because you are playing really high-level competition,” he stated. 

“But I know the trust my teammates and coaches have in me, so I don’t necessarily see it as pressure but more so as motivation.”

Things are just starting to heat up for Major Jr, who admitted that he’s looking forward to the road ahead of him, both on and off the court, as he prepares for tennis and his studies as a human performance major at Howard University. 

“Next for me are more matches against other schools, conference championships in April and Davis Cup during the summer as well as trying to play some futures tournaments,” he summed up. “School is going really good.”

The Bison are 2-4 overall and will be back in action on Sunday.

They will play on the road at Eastern Forida State College in Melbourne, Florida. 

They will play 10 more games before they head to the MEAC Championships in Cary, North Carolina, from April 24-26. 

The 6-foot, 2-inch son of Bernadette ‘Chips’ and Michael Major Sr, who came out of Windsor Academy, said the sky is the limit as far as his future in the sport goes.