DALLAS (SMU) - SMU men's tennis head coach Grant Chen announced the signing of two student-athletes, Liam Krall and Callaway Clark, on Wednesday's National Signing Day.
 
"We are thrilled to announce that the No. 2 recruit from New York, Liam Krall, and top recruit from Dallas, Callaway Clark, have signed National Letters of Intent to play collegiate tennis on the Hilltop," head coach Grant Chen said. "Our vision at SMU is to continue bringing the best recruits to Dallas and developing them as student-athletes. Both are choosing SMU as they want to be part of bringing the program back to being a national contender while pursuing a terrific academic degree."
 
CALLAWAY CLARK
 

Callaway Clark commits to SMU giving the Mustangs one of the most highly sought-after players in the DFW area. Clark is a 4-star recruit with an 11.04 UTR (Universal Tennis Rating) in singles and 11.96 UTR in doubles. Clark has won three Texas Grand Slam Sectional Championships, one Texas Grand Slam Singles title and is the 16th-highest rated recruit in the state. Clark has been ranked as high as 39th in the nation.  He has posted numerous L3 Tournament titles during his noteworthy junior career. Callaway gained valuable experience at his future home complex, advancing to the finals at SMU's Summer ITA Circuit, knocking off several collegiate players and highly-ranked opponents. In his 2018-19 season playing with Dallas Episcopal High School, Clark took his squad to the SPC Championship Game. He was named SWC Player of the Year, not dropping a match all season (14-0).  Clark has been a standout doubles competitor throughout his career. He is a three-time winner of the Texas Sectional Doubles Championships and in 2019, won the National L2 Tournament in Dallas. As a sophomore, he earned a doubles title at the International ITF in Jamaica and an L2 crown in Chattanooga. He's been a national doubles quarterfinalist at both the Easter Bowl and Winter Nationals. Clark is set to join his hometown school in the Fall of 2020.
 
Grant Chen on Callaway Clark…                                               
"Callaway was a top priority when I arrived in Dallas. He is one of the most gifted athletes and is hard-working and focused on reaching his potential. He has worked very hard to get stronger and faster and has the ability to really play some elite tennis. His doubles skill sets are exceptional and will be a great leader in years to come. He has a tremendous work ethic will be looking to study business and/or psychology when he arrives. We are excited that Callaway will be staying in the Mustang family and proud to have a local Dallas product in SMU jersey next fall."

"Growing up in Dallas, I always cheered for SMU and knew I wanted to be a Mustang. When I started looking at colleges, I immediately felt a connection to the school. I'm super excited for signing day and to sign my NLI to SMU. The day is definitely the culmination of a lot of hard work paying off. I can't wait to get to SMU to start my next chapter and to continue to work hard to help the team succeed." –Callaway Clark
 


LIAM KRALL


 
Liam Krall hails from Bronxville, N.Y., where he's been a standout letterwinner for Bronxville High School. Liam is a 5 star recruit with an 11.96 UTR in singles and 11.42 UTR in doubles. Krall has been selected All-County on three occasions and All-Section twice. He was a critical part of the Bronxville squad that finished third place in the state in 2018. In his junior career, Krall has racked up several significant titles, winning both the singles and doubles titles at the USTA National Level 3 Championships in Fort Myers, Fla. over the summer.  He racked up two first-place L3 championships in 2018. Krall currently boasts a ranking of 54 in the U18 USTA National Rankings and is the second-ranked player in the East Region. He has reached as high as 15th nationally.  Most recently, Krall won the Eastern Sectional Super 6 Champion in October. Krall plans to join the Mustangs in the Fall of 2020.
 
Grant Chen on Liam Krall
"Very excited to announce that 5-star recruit Liam will be joining the team in August 2020. Liam is one of the top recruits from Eastern Region while having close ties with the DFW area. He has the tools to make an immediate impact with the team. He is strong and still tremendously raw in his potential. He will flourish in college on the court while pursuing a degree in sports management here at SMU's Simmons School of Education."
 
"I'm really excited to sign a letter of intent and start my career at SMU. SMU will better my tennis development and education. Coach Grant and Coach Ben were terrific in this process and it really was the best fit for me. Pony Up!" – Liam Krall