May 14, 2009

NORTHEAST INKS FOUR ALCORN COUNTY TENNIS ATHLETES

BOONEVILLE, Miss. – Northeast Mississippi Community College tennis coach Jeff Melson has announced that four athletes from Alcorn County will be part of the 2009-10 tennis teams.

Melson signed three players from Alcorn Central High School’s men and women’s tennis teams and inked one from Class 3A state champion Corinth High School.

Melson, who led the Northeast tennis team to the State Tournament in his first year at the helm, was able to ink Alcorn Central’s Meghan Dooley, Ben Ferrell and Matt Murphy to go along with his signing of Corinth’s Christina Puckett.

“This is a great day for Northeast tennis,” Melson said. “Northeast, since returning to Division I status, has shown an increased commitment to building not only a strong tennis team, but a tennis program that will compete for the State and Region XXIII titles year after year.”

Ferrell and Murphy teamed together for the boys’ doubles team at Alcorn Central while Dooley dabbled in the mixed doubles events for the Lady Bears’ tennis team.

Ferrell, also a member of the Alcorn Central football team, put together a 14-3 record on the year while teaming with Murphy and was selected to participate in the Mississippi Association of Coaches (MAC) All-Star Tennis Tournament in July.

Puckett helped lead the Corinth team to a 7-0 win in the team events at the state tournament when she teamed with Abby Lambert to knock off Newton County’s Cassie Munn and Claire Tadlock 6-1, 4-6, 12-10.

“These are four young women and men have proven their tennis skills on the court,” Melson said. “We are happy to provide them the opportunity to continue their education and tennis careers here at Northeast.”

2009 TENNIS SIGNEES (click on names for info and pictures)

Meghan Dooley
Matt Murphy
Christina Puckett
Ben Ferrell

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