MCC Tennis Exntends Winning Streak

From School Reports

The Meridian Community College tennis teams were back in action this weekend for a doubleheader. On Friday morning, MCC men played Gadsden State from Gadsden, Alabama at Snead State CC. With windy conditions, low temperatures, and the long drive, MCC got off to a slow stary. Down on all three doubles courts at one point, the MCC duo of Jason Pimenta/Breno Goncalves defeated Matt Wade/Paul Taylor 8-3. 

Gadsden State led the match after the men’s doubles 2-1 as MCC’s Harrington/Butler lost 8-3 and the three team of Champion/Hollis lost to Cavender/Millsap 8-6. The men’s singles was cinched early with wins by MCC’s Pimenta who defeated Matt Wade 6-0, 6-1; Breno Gocalves defeated Kevin Triplett 2, 2, while MCC’s Noah James finished quickly with a 3, 2 score against Jacob McAllister. Will Irvin at five clinched the match with a 2, 3 win over Kyle Cavender. Sam Butler lost the two court against Paul Taylor 6-3, 6-3. Walt Harrington won at six singles against Chris Millsap 7-5, 2-6, 10-3 to give MCC a 6-3 decision.

In women’s action on Friday, MCC played Snead State at Boaz, Alabama. In what was probably the most exciting match of the day, Paige Gibson/Shelby Zachry (MCC) were down 3-6 at one doubles. They staged the come-from-behind win with a 9-8 set score by winning the tiebreak 8-6. Snead took the number two doubles with Hannah Mathis/Morgan Thompson defeating MCC’s Jordyn Hull/Alden Hartley 8-4. MCC’s three team pulled out an 8-5 win over Olivia Sharpton/Alexis Daniels 8-5. MCC took four of the six singles courts to force a 6-3 decision. MCC’s loss came at one singles and six singles. 

At one singles, Paige Gibson, who played one of the best matches of her career, lost a close match in a third set tiebreak to Alesha Triplett 6-4, 4-6, 12-10. Taylor Miller lost at six to Morgan Thompson 6-3, 7-5. 

 
Meridian’s Zachry defeated Katy Beth Bole 1, 0 at two; MCC’s Kyra Holway beat Alexis Daniels 2, 3 at three singles..In an awesome match at four singles, Hayden Hill defeated Olivia Sharpton 1, 2; Jordyn Hull finished out the singles with a 3, 2 win against Hannah Mathis.

On Saturday, MCC played a dual match at Northeast Park against rival, Mississippi Gulf Coast CC. The men won 6-3. Jason Pimenta/Breno Goncalves blew an early 5-2 lead to tie the one doubles at 6-6 before pulling the win out 8-6. Meridian’s Walt Harrington/Sam Butler stepped up big to come from down 6-3 and pull out the 9-7 win. MCC’s three team of Will Irvin/Noah James lost 8-5. MCC’s men took a 2-1 lead into the singles matches. Jason Pimenta finished up at one singles with a 1, 0 win against Skyler Flowers to increase MCC’s lead to 3-1. 

Will Irvin cruised to a 1, 0 win at five singles against Brett Bowen to make the score 4-1. With Breno Goncalves down a set at two, Sam Butler stepped up and clinched the match win a 3, 4 score. Noah James lost at three to Noah Tippen 3, 2. 

After dropping the first set but winning the second, Breno Goncalves claimed the win at two when MGCCC’s Sam Blackburn was retired by his coach with Goncalves leading 7-1 in the tiebreak set. With the score 6-2, MCC’s six player Walt Harrington lost 3, 0. Meridian’s men are 8-0 on the season.

The women improved to 8-0 as well with a 7-2 win over MGCCC. 

Meridian lost the one doubles court and the one singles court. Gibson/Zachry came out a little flat after the thrilling victory on Friday and just never could get in sync. They lost 8-2. MCC’s Gibson lost at one 1, 0. MCC won the other two doubles courts with victories by Hull/Hartley (8-1) and Daugherty/Miller (8-2). 

In singles, Zachry won 1, 0 against Kendra Soley at two; at three Kyra Holway defeated Jasmin Sartin 0,1. At four singles, Hayden Hill won 0,0 while teammate Jordyn Hull took the five singles 1,1. Taylor Miller rounded out play for the day with a 4, 4 win at six singles to give MCC the 7-2 win.

Both teams will be back in action at Northeast Park on Tuesday against Jones County Junior College in a 2:00 p.m. match at Northeast Park. MCC returns to Northeast on Wednesday for a matchup with Hinds CC. Both teams will finish out the week before spring break with matches at Northwest CC and Northeast CC on Friday, March 4.

Lou Hart Named NJCAA Men's Golf Hall of Fame Inductee

From School Reports

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The 2016 inductees into the NJCAA Men’s Golf Coaches Association were announced Monday. This year’s class is headlined by the first female member in former Meridian (Miss.) golfer and coach Lou Weddington Hart. She is joined by former Kansas City Kansas golfer Robert Russell, McLennan (Texas) coach Vince Clark and Bridgestone Golf tour representative Todd Corum.

Widely recognized as the most prolific female golfer in the history of the Magnolia State, former Meridian student-athlete and coach Lou Weddington Hart becomes the first woman to be inducted into the NJCAA Men’s Golf Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

Arriving at Meridian in 1970 – two years prior to the enactment of Title IX – Hart became the first female to play for a men’s golf team in the state of Mississippi. Despite the historical significance of her participation, it was her success on the golf course that earned her recognition. Hart’s talents propelled the Eagles to consecutive Mississippi Association of Community & Junior Colleges (MACJC) conference titles in 1971 and 1972. Her accolades extended to the classroom where she received the H.M. Ivy Award from Meridian – the institution’s highest honor for a student’s achievements in the classroom and community.

In 1972, Hart transferred to Florida State where she earned an athletic scholarship playing for the women’s team. After claiming women’s state amateur titles in 1972 and 1973, Hart qualified for the 1974 AIAW Golf Championship – a predecessor of the NCAA Women’s Golf Championship.

Over the course of three decades as an amateur golfer, Hart compiled nine Mississippi Women’s Golf Association state amateur titles. She was a quarterfinalist at the 1978 Women’s Southern Golf Association (WSGA) Amateur Championship, qualifier for the 1979 USGA National Women’s Amateur Championship and two-time medalist in the USGA Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship in 1987 and 1991. At the 2003 USGA Senior Women’s Amateur Championship, Hart earned a tie for sixth place after the 36-hole qualifier.

Returning to Meridian in 1994, Hart assumed the position of head coach for the Eagles men’s golf team. During her tenure, Meridian compiled seven NJCAA Region 23 championships and claimed a runner-up finish at the 1998 NJCAA Division II Men’s Golf Championship – the highest finish in program history. At the time of her retirement from Meridian in 2006, Hart had coached 12 NJCAA All-Americans, eight regional medalists and four NJCAA Academic Student-Athlete Award winners.

A charter member of both the Meridian and MACJC halls of fame, Hart was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 2007 – joining her father Hunter George Weddington to become the first father-daughter duo in the hall’s history.

MCC Baseball Stays Red Hot With Sweep

From School Reports

The Meridian Community College Eagles returned to action on Saturday afternoon at Scaggs Field by playing host to Jefferson Davis Community College out of Alabama and the home team continued its early season success. MCC completed a sweep of the visiting Warhawks on Saturday by final scores of 4-1 and 6-5. The Eagles moved to 7-1 overall with the sweep, while Jeff Davis dropped to 2-4 overall for the season.

MCC will return to action on Sunday afternoon with a road trip to Mobile, AL to take on Spring Hill JV in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. The Eagles only managed one hit as a team in Game One on Saturday against Jeff Davis, but one hit is all MCC would need to secure a 4-1 victory. The Eagles scored all of its runs in the fifth inning and got a solid pitching performance in the process from sophomore Austin Harrison. The former Neshoba Central star tossed a complete game for the Eagles and notched five strikeouts in the outing.

MCC scored its first run of Game One on an error by Jeff Davis in the fifth inning and freshman Luke Criag would clear the bases moments later with a three-run double to pace MCC to the win.

The Eagles needed all the offense it could muster in Game Two to escape with a 6-5 win to sweep the doubleheader from Jeff Davis. MCC had to claw back from a 3-1 deficit in the fifth inning to eventually take a 4-3 lead. MCC started the inning by scoring a run on a wild pitch and Craig would come up with another big blow to tie the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the fifth inning. Craig smashed a double to the gap in left field that chased Kyle Bayles home from second base to bring new life back into the green and white. Nate Romans would put MCC up for good in the game with an infield single later in the inning to give the home team a slim 4-3 advantage.

MCC would score a couple of insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth inning that would prove to be extremely important down the stretch of the game to make the score 6-3. Jaylon Keys smashed a solo home run over the wall in left field and Craig would add another RBI on a double to give MCC a three-run lead heading to the seventh inning. Jeff Davis was able to scratch for a couple of runs in the seventh, but MCC was able to close out a 6-5 win in Game Two.

Craig and Keys led the way at the plate in Game Two with two hits apiece, while Baylor Obert added a single. Kyle Bayles and Eason Weeks also picked one single apiece to round out the offense for MCC.

Spencer Price picked up the pitching win out of the bullpen and collected seven strikeouts in just over two innings of work. Former West Lauderdale star Ryan Lane drew the start in Game Two and pitched just over four innings and gave up three earned runs.

MCC Tennis Sweeps Past Faulkner State

From School Reports

The Meridian Community College tennis teams returned to action on Tuesday afternoon by playing host to Faulkner State Community College at the Northeast Tennis Center. MCC came away with an impressive sweep of Faulkner State to continue its early season momentum. 

Meridian women’s tennis made a clean sweep on the day losing only fourteen games in all six singles matches and giving up 6 games in the doubles.  

At number one doubles Paige Gibson/Shelby Zachry won 8-3 against Iesha Peoples/DK Davis.  At two doubles, Jordyn Hull/Alden Hartley took an easy win over Rebecca Porche/Olivia Stacy 8-1. 

Jami Daugherty/Taylor Miller cruised past Abby Eubanks/Aaron Jones 8-2. In singles action, Paige Gibson took the win over Peoples 6-1, 6-2, while doubles partner, Shelby Zachry, defeated DK Davis 6-3, 6-1.  Number three Kyra Holway and number four Hayden Hill picked up a couple of doughnut wins over opponents, Rebecca Porche and Olivia Stacy, respectfully.  

At number five singles, Jordyn Hull eased past Abby Eubanks 6-2, 6-3. Taylor Miller picked up a quick win at six over Aaron Jones 6-1, 6-1. The women are now 3-0 on the season.

The men’s matches were a little tighter in the doubles creating an exciting matchup.  

Jason Pimneta/Breno Goncalves fought hard to take the victory 9-7 over Aaron Rose/Keegan Lowry. At two doubles, Sam Butler/Walt Harrington took an early lead but then struggled to pull out the win against Andre LI/Brian Cochran 8-5.  Meridian’s three team of Nathan Hollis/John Taylor Champion fell to Faulkner’s Robby Talmadege/Ross Kimble for the only loss on the day.  

In singles, Meridian’s Jason Pimenta won 6-3, 6-4.  Breno Goncalves defeated Keegan Loury6-1, 6-4. At three, Noah James took the first set 6-4 but then cruised through the second set 6-0 to take the win over Brian Cochran.  At four singles, Sam Butler  won against Robby Talmadge 6-2, 7-5.  

Will Irvin picked up the win at number five singles against Ross Kimble 6-0, 6-4. Walt Harrington pulled out the last match of the day at number six singles with a 6-3, 6-0 win over Garret Aendge. Meridian’s men are now 4-0. 

Meridian’s men and women play host to Holmes CC at 1:00 p.m. at Northeast Park on Friday, Feb. 19.  Meridian’s women will host a match on the MCC courts on Sat. afternoon at 1 p.m. against Central Alabama Community College.

MCC Softball Splits Home Opener

From School Reports

The Meridian Community College softball team opened the 2016 home portion of its schedule on Tuesday afternoon against Baton Rouge Community College at Tommy McDonald Field.

The Lady Eagles came away with a doubleheader split against the Lady Bears by winning Game One 6-5 and later falling in Game Two by a final count of 17-4.

MCC moved its overall record to 2-5 with the doubleheader split and will return to action this weekend by hosting the Rush Invitational Tournament. MCC will open play in the tournament on Friday afternoon at 1 p.m. against Shelton State and will later take on East Mississippi that afternoon at 3 p.m.

Anna Lloyd led MCC in a comeback effort in Game One on Tuesday against BRCC by going 4-for-4 with two doubles. MCC trailed 4-0 in the first inning and slowly fought back to escape with the one-run win. Keelee Ladnier went 3-for-4 with one double, while Shania Richardson came off the bench late in the game with a double that tied the game. Angel Thornton picked up the pitching win in Game One for the Lady Eagles.

MCC lost Game Two by a final count of 17-4. MCC only managed seven hits in Game Two and made five costly errors in the field defensively. Payton Fox suffered the pitching loss in Game Two for the Lady Eagles.