MCC Tennis Receives National Rankings

From School Reports

The Meridian Community College tennis program closed out the fall season with the highest ITA ranking the men’s program has garnered as a DI program. In the national Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings released on November 16, Meridian men were ranked #11 in the nation. Meridian’s men closed out the spring 2016 season after the NJCAA national tournament ranked #17. Meridian’s Jason Pimenta, who won the Southern JUCO Oracle/ITA Regional Championships in both singles and doubles, ended the fall season ranked #12 in the nation. He and doubles’ partner, Breno Goncalves, another returning sophomore, finished the fall ranked #7 in the nation as a doubles team.  Breno also finished with a national single’s ranking at #46. These two are joined by five other returning sophomores, who have contributed much to the program’s success last season and this fall: Noah James, Meridian; John Taylor Champion, East Webster; Nathan Hollis, Lafayette County; Will Irvin, Starkville High; and Alex Vaughn, Oxford.  Will Irvin and Jason Pimenta won All Region honors last season. Oxford High School’s duo of Will Swindoll and Callen Shinall have made huge contributions to the program in their first semester. They are ranked #23 as a doubles team. Will has played the #3 singles position most of the season and has been very successful.  Callen, returning from shoulder surgery his senior season, has played extremely well early in the season with this type of injury.  He has played the number four spot most of the season at singles and the number two doubles. 

Meridian’s women finished the fall season ranked #18 in the ITA DI end-of-season rankings. The girls have struggled this season with injuries but have played extremely well under the circumstances. They finished this fall as the highest ranked team in the MACJC/Region XXIIII with a win over a very competitive Gulf Coast team November 11.  This match was played with two of our returning sophomores out of the single’s lineup-Jordyn Hull and Hayden Hill. An East Webster graduate, Hayden, who played very well at regional ITA’s, is injured and has been out since the first of November. Freshmen Micah Gray, French Camp; Rachel Sollie, West Lauderdale; and Katherine Mitchell, Brandon really stepped up in this final match to help pull out a 5-4 decision. Sophomore teammates who were a part of the Region XXIII/MACJC championship team in the spring 2016 season are Shelby Zachry, Madison Central; Jordyn Hull, West Lauderdale; Kyra Holway, Alabama; and Taylor Miller, Texas.  Both teams will return to action February 3 with matches against Belhaven and February 4 with University of West Alabama.