MCC Tennis Player Recieves Arthur Ashe Award

From School Reports

The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) recognized recipients of the 2012 Arthur Ashe Jr. National Leadership and Sportsmanship Awards along with the 2012 ITA Collegiate All-Star Team at the ITA Awards Luncheon hosted by the United States Tennis Association (USTA). The presentation took place in the President’s Suite Dining Room as part of Arthur Ashe Kids' Day activities (Aug. 25) at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, N.Y. Jon Vegosen, Chairman of the Board and President of the USTA, David A Benjamin, ITA Executive Director, and David Dinkins, former Mayor of New York City and a member of the USTA Board of Directors, were on hand to present the awards.

Meridian Community College was represented by Simon Bardwell of the men’s tennis team as the recipient of the 2012 ITA/Arthur Ashe Award for Leadership and Sportsmanship. Bardwell, a native of Beulah, Australia, helped led the Eagles to the 2012 Region 23 Championship and an appearance in the NJCAA Division I National Tournament. Bardell is currently a member of the tennis team at the University of West Alabama.

“He (Bardwell) had a remarkable career at Meridian Community College,” said MCC tennis coach Wanda McPhail. “He was one of the best leaders that I have ever had here at Meridian and he had been such a great representative of MCC.”

The ITA/Arthur Ashe Jr. Award for Leadership and Sportsmanship Award takes into account a player’s tennis accomplishments, scholastic achievements and extracurricular endeavors. Just as Arthur Ashe was a great player and humanitarian, this award (which dates to 1984) recognizes players who excelled on and off the court during their college careers. Sportsmanship, leadership and character are also important criteria.

Bardwell has been involved in many different organizations in the Meridian area which include: projects with the American Cancer Society in its fight against breast cancer, serving as a volunteer for the Salvation Army Christmas Angel Tree project, serving as a volunteer for Love’s Kitchen, and assisting in numerous tennis clinics on campus.

The 29th ITA Collegiate All-Star Team includes the nation's top-ranked men's and women's players from the year-end Campbell/ITA College Tennis Rankings at the NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA and NJCAA levels, as well as winners of the 2011 USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships and 2012 NCAA Division I Championships.

As the governing body of collegiate tennis, the ITA promotes both the athletic and academic achievements of the collegiate tennis community. The ITA, which is comprised of nearly 1,700 men's and women's varsity coaches representing over 1,200 institutions, administers numerous regional and national championships and the Campbell/ITA College Tennis Rankings for over 20,000 college varsity student-athletes at the NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA and Junior College levels. The ITA also has a comprehensive awards program for players and coaches to honor excellence in academics, leadership and sportsmanship. The official ITA web site is www.itatennis.com.