Revved Up: Haugen swaps dirt bikes for tennis racquets at Montana

Motocross… and tennis. One of those things is not like the other.

Motocross is a sport that requires nerves of steel and a thirst for speed as you maneuver a 300-pound machine around a dirt track and over jumps that launch you 20-plus feet in the air. It's a dusty, adrenaline-fueled pursuit where human bones are the most fragile part of the equation.

Tennis, on the other hand, is the sport of kings. It's the sport of Wimbledon whites and strawberries and cream. A sport of power and precision in its own right, but also one of grace and inward focus.

The common thread? It's you against the world out there, and winning is tough without independence and a fierce competitive streak.

The other common thread? Grace Haugen, the newest addition to the Montana women's tennis team who grew up splitting her time between the dirt race tracks and the grass tennis courts around her home town of Cowichan Bay, British Columbia.

Now Haugen has officially parked the motorcycle and picked up the tennis racquet, having recently signed a national letter of intent to play for the Grizzlies in the fall of 2021.

It's not the most typical combo of sports for a kid to play, but Haugen says the love of motocross is in her blood, with her dad even building a motocross track in the back yard, while her love of tennis came when the local club started offering free lessons.

From there, she was hooked.

"I'm a super competitive person. Tennis and motocross are both mental. They're kind of similar that way, but very different too," said Haugen.

"My dad is a car guy. He races everything. He went to nationals for motocross when he was younger and raced stock cars until I was six. So, I was always around the track, and it was a natural thing for me to get into.

"But tennis I like because I have to train each day to get better or else you won't, at all. So, I like the drive I have to have to try to be better."

That drive has served Haugen well on the tennis court. As a U-16 player, she won a provincial championship in doubles and singles before taking second in doubles and sixth in singles at the Canadian nationals.

Consistently ranked in the top-four age-grade players in B.C., she most recently won the back draw at the 2020 U-18 provincial championship in March and comes to Missoula currently holding a 9.26 Universal Tennis Rating (UTR) – already the second-highest rating of anyone on the team.

For Montana head coach Steve Ascher, it's no surprise she excels on the tennis court and on the motocross track. For him, that multi-sport ability was one of the reasons he wanted to bring her to Montana.

"You're always looking for someone that does other things because I think you learn so much about yourself by pursuing other disciplines. But how good is dirt biking? That's an aggressive - bike falls down in the mud, and I have to pick it up and keep going – kind of sport. I really like that," said Ascher.

"She is really competitive. I like that about her too. She wants to be out there playing, and she's a good overall athlete. She's hungry and has a ton of upside in her game."

It's one thing for Ascher to find a diamond in the rough, but convincing the young star to commit to Montana (sight unseen due to the Covid-triggered NCAA recruiting dead period) is another.

It turns out Ascher had a secret recruiting weapon already in the area: former Grizzly standout Hannah Sulz, who grew up playing at the same club as Haugen on Vancouver Island and helped sell Montana to Haugen at an early age.

"I've always kind of known about Montana through Hannah. She introduced me to Steve and was always putting my name out there and talking to me about the program. So, it was always on my radar for schools I wanted to go to. It's always been one of my top choices," said Haugen.

"I love the facility, the school is so nice, and I really like the girls on the team. They're all really nice too. I was looking at a few other schools, but Steve was my favorite coach I talked to, and Hannah really recommended the family environment."

With the second-highest UTR on the team behind All-Big Sky senior Julia Ronney (and by default, one of the highest UTRs in the league), Ascher believes Haugen has the tools and competitiveness to make an impact for the Grizzlies early on.

"I think she can contribute right away. She's good in both singles and doubles, so she's going to be able to compete," he added.

"She also fits into the culture really well. Everyone is connected now and is pushing each other, and I think she's going to push right away for a place in the lineup."

Montana opens the 2021 spring duals season on January 16 at Gonzaga.

University of Montana Athletics

Revved Up: Haugen swaps dirt bikes for tennis racquets at Montana

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