THRISTINA Harwood’s name will always ring a bell at its mention following her exploits at the recent Fast5 Netball World Series in New Zealand recently.

She’s no longer an obscure figure. She is a star on the rise.

Harwood, who walked away from the tournament with the Most Valuable Player Award, said it all came as a pleasant surprise

when measured against the other high-quality individual performances at the tournament.

“I was very surprised when I heard that I am the MVP of the series,

I mean there were so many outstanding players”, she beamed in addressing the Jamaica Observer’s Sports Club yesterday.

“It’s an awesome feeling knowing that my hard work paid off.”

Harwood recalled happily the path of the proverbial hard road, and particularly her dexterity in balancing school and training.

“I would normally get up early in the mornings and head to classes, sometimes I have late classes so it makes me late for training,” she explained.

When she does not have class, the second-year student in the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of the West Indies can be found sharpening her shooting skills at the UWI Bowl located on campus. At times, she would be up as early as 6:00 in the morning launching the ball.

“Even when I am not there she would text me saying, ‘coach I’m doing five hundred (shots)’,” said national coach Oberon Pitterson-Nattie, who also addressed yesterday’s forum.

In her favoured goal-attack position, Harwood, who stands at 5ft 11inches, was dwarfed by many girls in the tournament as far as height goes. But in terms of heart, team commitment, shooting ability, she towered above them all.

“It’s hard sometimes, because the other girls are tall, but I have confidence in myself to always get the ball to my teammates or to pull a shot off,” she said.

While Harwood was surprised at being adjudged the tournament’s outstanding individual performer, coach Pitterson-Nattie had longed forewarned the budding player.

“I told her (Thristina) before the championship that she will win that award,” said the coach.

But Harwood is no stranger at the awards game, having copped the MVP title at the Under-21 Championship that took place in Glasgow, Scotland, earlier this year.

Following her exploits in the far-flung country of New Zealand, the netball starlet is on active rest, which means she has no national team assignments, but will still be in practice/competition as she represents the UWI Pelicans in the inter-college tournament.

But rest from national duty will be short-lived, as Harwood and her teammates will be back on the court to prepare for their January 2014 tour of England.