BOZEMAN — Imagine winning 276 games and only dropping nine in your high school tennis career.
That's individual games — not matches. And Gallatin's Mason McCarty doesn't have to imagine it, because he went 88-0 in his time with the Raptors.
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The four-time state champion holds 18 school records, and the list of his accolades goes on and on. McCarty's coach, Colter Curey, described the career he's had as a dream.
"You never expect anyone to play that well and for so long," Curey said. "It was incredibly cool to see him start as this 5-foot, 2-inch freshman to a 6-foot, 2-inch senior (who showed) up and (won) every single match ... 88 times."
McCarty said the key to his own consistency throughout the years was practicing a lot.
"I definitely put in the work to be in the position where I'm at," McCarty said. "Definitely training a lot, training all year. But (it's) putting in the work that gets you the results."
And according to his coach, McCarty works harder than anyone in the state.
"He puts in the time before and after practice," Curey said. "In the gym, he eats healthy, he does everything right to put himself in a successful position to win every time."
McCarty said Curey's support has meant everything to him.
"I couldn't imagine playing for anyone else," McCarty said. "He's ran a great program and he's been supportive of me no matter what I'm doing in life, on and off the court, so it's been great having him with me."
McCarty's desire to play tennis came from watching his two older sisters play when he was young. Maicy and Meg McCarty both won titles at Bozeman High and both played college tennis.
"They're kind of my big motivation and why I (started playing) and why I wanted to continue playing," Mason said. "Just seeing what they accomplished (makes me) want to follow in their footsteps."
And just as his sisters did before him — Meg is currently at the University of Kansas after transferring from Montana State — Mason McCarty committed to continue his career at the college level.
He will suit up for the University of Montana beginning this fall, a team that Curey thinks is a great fit.
"It's a great coaching staff (and) a really solid team," Curey said. "I couldn't be more excited for him to continue his career at a really high level. Not a lot of Montana players get to play at the (NCAA Division I) level, and I just can't wait to watch him for the first time."
McCarty is looking forward to playing for Jason Brown, who started recruiting him early on in his career.
McCarty, though, grew up as a Montana State fan.
"I'll (have to) switch over some gear, for sure," he said with a smile. "But I'm definitely excited for it."
Curey said McCarty has left a legacy that anyone would dream of accomplishing.
"He's set the bar for the whole state," Curey said. "Everybody's going to use Mason McCarty's name now as the standard for excellence and for playing the best tennis in the state."
McCarty looks forward to spending time with friends and family this summer before he heads to Missoula in the fall.
