Mason maintains Mustang spirit

Larry Mason '73 still feels at home watching the program he once led continue to grow.

Mason has been connected to Morningside since moving to Sioux City as a toddler. By age 10, he was attending tennis matches. He later enrolled, graduated, and eventually returned as both a tennis and cross country coach.

Today, Mason continues to contribute as a strategic advisor for head men's and women's tennis coach Alex Struck. He remains a daily presence on campus, whether working out in the Hindman-Hobbs Center or attending practices and matches with the same stat sheet he once carried as head coach. He jokes that this is his 19th year back at Morningside after retiring from full-time coaching.

"It's really a thrill," Mason said. "A lot of my friends kind of laugh about this. I've been retired from the school system now for almost 20 years, and yet every day I still think about what we can do to make Morningside tennis better. So it gives me something very worthwhile to do. I get an awful lot out of it."

Mason enrolled at Morningside in the Fall of 1969, knowing from an early age that this was where he wanted to attend college. He played for the Mustangs through 1973 and became one of the top players in program history.

Mason played No. 1 singles all four years, finishing with a 32-16 record to set the school mark for singles wins at the time. He also went 27-18 in doubles, giving him 59 combined victories — another program record. As a junior and senior, Mason posted nine-win seasons in singles, and he teamed with Russ McComsey for an 11-2 doubles record in 1973, setting a single-season school record.

"Russ was two years younger than me, but we were very close friends and had a good record, finishing second in the North Central Conference at No. 2 doubles that senior year," Mason said. "I'm very proud that I had wins during my four years over all the other North Central Conference schools, at least the ones that I played."

His preparation to succeed on the courts started early. Growing up attending Central High School events, Mason knew sports would always be part of his life — first as an athlete, then as a coach.

"When I was getting ready to play college tennis, I started creating drills with some younger players so we could all get better," he said. "In my first two years, our coach had other responsibilities, so I worked a lot on my own and tried to help guys like Doug Wood improve, too. Tennis is one of those sports where you need good competition to grow. Later on, I had more guidance, but it was always more of a conversational relationship than a top-down approach."

Mason carried that same approach into coaching, and the results followed. After a successful run at North High School, he returned to Morningside as head coach of both the men's and women's tennis programs from 2008 to 2017.

He compiled a 98-69 record over 10 seasons, guiding the program through one of its most successful stretches. The Mustangs posted six straight winning seasons, including a 53-17 mark over his final four years. In 2016-17, both the men's and women's teams set single-season school records for wins, and Mason was named GPAC Coach of the Year after leading the women to conference regular-season and tournament titles and a return to the NAIA National Championship.

He also earned GPAC Coach of the Year honors in 2014 after guiding Morningside to its first conference titles and national tournament appearance.

Eventually, Mason knew it was time to pass the torch to someone who could carry Morningside tennis forward. One day, while watching a high school match on the Mason Family Tennis Courts, he crossed paths with former Mustang Alex Struck '16. Mason watched closely as Struck coached his high school team and believed his style, charisma, and passion for the game made him a natural fit to lead the Mustangs.

A few days later, Mason — alongside Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics Jim Sykes — approached Struck about the head coaching position. Struck accepted in June 2021 and has led the Mustangs since.

Mason has remained close to the program, offering guidance to both the student-athletes and the coaching staff.

"To have 'Mace' still be a part of the program is really cool, and he's still on our staff," Struck said. "To see him continue the impact he has is a really neat thing to see."

That impact is visible this season. Heading into spring play, the men's team was ranked No. 13 — its highest ranking ever — with a 10-3 record and five wins in six home duals. The women earned a No. 20 ranking in the opening ITA NAIA poll, the only GPAC team listed.

Even through the decades, Mason sees similarities between today's student-athletes and the ones he competed alongside years ago.

"These kids are just like we were," Mason said. "They're searching for the same things, thinking about their futures, enjoying their favorite sport. That's what gives me the greatest pleasure — watching them grow. I've been fortunate to be around Morningside athletes for more than 60 years, and I see that same desire to make the world a better place."

For more than six decades, Mason has watched Morningside tennis evolve from player, to coach, to mentor. The courts may look different and the rankings may carry more national weight, but Mason being there to witness it is more than enough.

This story appeared in the February edition of the Mustang Standard, our new monthly athletics newsletter. To subscribe, click here.