Geoff Hiscox tossed and turned the night of March 19. For some reason, the Bowling Green tennis star couldn’t sleep.
“It was really strange,” Hiscox said. “Something just didn’t feel right. I had to take some codeine just to fall asleep.”
Little did Hiscox know that by daybreak the true nightmare would transpire. Hiscox recalled that morning.
“Vitek (Wild) came up to me and said that we had to be at the Ice Arena at 4 p.m.,” Hiscox said. “He said that Coach (Jay Harris) told him the program was going to be cut. I seriously thought he was joking. I didn’t believe him or at least I didn’t want to believe him.”
Hiscox didn’t want to believe that the great career he had already established with the Falcons would come to an end. Only a junior, Hiscox ended the fall season ranked as the 70th best player in the country. He led the team with a 10-3 singles record and advanced further than any Falcon in school history at the ITA All-American Championships where, after a strong run, he lost to the 13th-ranked player in the country.
That day, just as Wild had predicted, BG Athletic Director Paul Krebs stood in front of the tennis team and told them the news. The 37-year-old program was finished after this season. The men’s swimming and diving and indoor and outdoor teams would follow as they discovered that their programs were also cut.
“Honestly, it was worse to hear how it came through Coach (Harris),” Hiscox said when the team met with its leader beforehand. “He was crying. We heard that it had been pretty much in the works for the past three years, but we had also heard that we were pretty much safe. It was a slap in the face.”
The motivation, drive and focus that had propelled Hiscox to the top of his game was gone for the time being.
“The rest of the week I had no motivation to do anything,” Hiscox said. “For at least three days, I was in a state of shock. I had so many friends call and tell me how sorry they were for me. Two of them even cried.”
“We all have had to totally refocus. It’s hard when you’re competing for a MAC Championship and news like this hits you. Now we’re determined, though. We want to show Krebs what we’re about and show him that he made a bad decision.”
Not only has Hiscox had to refocus on his tennis game, but also divert his attention to figuring out exactly what to do with his future in tennis. Hiscox said he went through the first week debating whether or not to transfer. He said he almost made up his mind to stay here with his friends and end his collegian tennis career. The weekend after the announcement was made, Hiscox talked with his parents and decided that transferring would be his best option.
“I’m going through the recruiting process all over again,” Hiscox said. “It’s kind of like high school, but now that I have proven myself in college, I have a lot bigger schools looking my way. I?m looking for a team with a good coach, a substantial scholarship offer and one that will make the NCAAs.”
Contending schools like Michigan, Alabama, Notre Dame and Nebraska are all interested. Hiscox has yet to make a decision, but he cannot stress enough the job that Harris has done helping him find a school.
“He’s incredible,” Hiscox said. “He loses his job at the end of the year and has a baby on the way, yet he flat out said that the team comes first. He’s already called over 30 schools for me. I couldn?t ask for more than that.”
Next season, the Orange and Brown that Hiscox has said he’s worn so proudly over the last three years will be replaced another school’s colors. Despite holding some animosity toward the athletic program, Hiscox said he will always cherish his time as a Falcon.
“BG has been my life for three years,” Hiscox said. “It will be hard to move on, but I’m excited about what lies ahead for me. I’ll always keep my eye on BG, though.”
