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Natchez High tennis wins district titles for first time
Published Thursday, April 24, 2008
Two Natchez High girls doubles teams won the district championship in their event. That was the first time in NHS history for that to happen. The winners, from left, Y’lani Hayes, Sydney Brooks, LaKeisha Washington and Cagney Brown.
NATCHEZ — The Natchez High tennis team had a historic performance at the district tennis tournament in Byram.
Never before had a Bulldog tennis player won a singles or doubles championship at the district tournament.
But that changed this year, as two NHS girls doubles teams took the top spot and advanced to the state tourney.
The No. 1 doubles team of Cagney Brown and LaKeisha Washington and the No. 2 doubles team of Y’lani Hayes and Sydney Brooks went undefeated in both rounds to become district champs over teams from Terry.
While Hayes and Brooks won the championship in straight sets, the team of Brown and Washington had to work for the title.
They lost the first set of the championship match and were down 4-1 in the second set.
However, they rallied back to win the second set 7-5 and then claimed victory with a 10-8 win in the third set.
“I went over and talked to them after they got down 4-1 in the second set,” Natchez tennis coach Amy Smith said. “They were frustrated with the way they were playing. After that, they came out on a mission and came back to win the second and third sets. I couldn’t be more proud of them.”
Brown was spent after the match, but said the exertion was worth it.
“It was exhihlarating and overwhelming and in the end I was exhausted,” Brown said. “But it was worthwhile. It feels great because I am a senior and won’t be playing for the Natchez High tennis team anymore.”
The Bulldogs finished second in the team competition to Terry. They finished above Jim Hill and Wingfield.
“It has been a good year for us,” Smith said. “It’s the first time we’ve ever had any individual team be district champions. It’s definitely a big plus for us. I’m very pleased.”
The two girls doubles teams will be competing in the State Tournament in Jackson on May 7 and 8.
Comments
Posted by JECS (anonymous) on April 24, 2008 at 7:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Congrats young ladies. You have made history in, and for your school. God Bless you all, and please stay focused on your future.
Posted by drawpaintsing (anonymous) on April 24, 2008 at 5:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Congratulations you beautiful young ladies! I wonder why this article isn't swarming with comments. Here we have something positive coming from a public school, and we don't even have ten comments. You ladies keep your heads up, stay in shape, and become some more beautiful women. Your future looks bright.
Posted by Incognito (anonymous) on April 24, 2008 at 5:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Congrats!!
Stay calm and don't be overwhelmed by the stage. Play the game that got you there and you will each do well.
Posted by iomo (anonymous) on April 24, 2008 at 8:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Congratulations girls! Keep it up!
I agree drawpaintsing!
Posted by ijohnson (anonymous) on April 24, 2008 at 8:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
What a wonderful thing to see . . . District Tennis Tournament CHAMPIONS -- for the first time EVER!!!!!!! Now, that's an awesome accomplishment.
Stay strong as a team and individually. Always make sure your academic standing is above average and you give everything you do 100% in effort. Hopefully, you all will be rewarded with full scholarships to a college or university of your choice. CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!
Posted by dangyankee (anonymous) on April 24, 2008 at 11:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)
You . . .
Posted by dangyankee (anonymous) on April 24, 2008 at 11:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)
go . . .
Posted by dangyankee (anonymous) on April 24, 2008 at 11:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)
girls!!!
Posted by dangyankee (anonymous) on April 24, 2008 at 11:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)
drawpaintsing, I'm trying!
Posted by dangyankee (anonymous) on April 24, 2008 at 11:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Still haven't made it to 10 comments?
Posted by dangyankee (anonymous) on April 24, 2008 at 11:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I've tried tennis a couple of times, just enough to get some tiny inkling as to how difficult it is to become proficient at the sport, and how much work and time and energy and dedication it would take to become outstanding at it. Y'all girls have put in that work and time and energy and dedication, and we all should be proud of you for it. Yay!!! for you!
Posted by drawpaintsing (anonymous) on April 25, 2008 at 12:15 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Dangyankee, you got me laughing! Well, I did say 10 didn't I?
You have me going to bed with a smile on my face.
Good night, Dangyankee!
Posted by ijohnson (anonymous) on April 25, 2008 at 10:36 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Well, if one of these teenage girls had stolen a pair of earrings from Wal-Mart, there would be 200+ comments posted on here about how awful they are and how terrible their parents are at parenting. Their morals would be questioned and any educational endeavors they may have would become non-existent in most of these folks' minds.
They love anything negative they can get their hands on, especially if it involves a transgression involving the Black community. Now, that's MY opinion based on my experience on THIS forum.
As for ((dangyankee)), I don't know if his/her antics with the postings are meant to be playful or done out of spite!?!?!?! (I guess a review of his/her previous posts would be a good indicator of his/her true intentions. Wish I had time to check them out but I don't. Good day!
Posted by dangyankee (anonymous) on April 25, 2008 at 9:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Okay, ijohnson, that's the second time (that I remember) you've accused me of . . . SOMEthing in these pages. Last time was when I asked if weather would postpone that First Friday thing, and you accused me of "blasting" someone or something. Now, my "antics" (do you know what that word means, by the way?) with the postings here very clearly are "playful" in intent, to use your word. How "spite" (spite of what? or of whom?) could be read into them is beyond me. So fill me in: What's your problem, here?
If I want to attack someone or something with my postings here, I'm generally pretty straightforward about it. There was nothing to attack about this article: These girls accomplished something fairly remarkable, and, if anything, drawpaintsing was right in saying that more people should have taken notice and commented about it (I'm hoping they get the recognition they deserve in "real life;" these comments don't matter nearly as much as that), because you're right, too: If they had stolen earrings from Wal-Mart, this section would be boiling with comments, at least 200 or more, all saying the same stupid, um, "stuff."
Maybe, as Julie Finley pointed out in a recent column, we (Americans in general, maybe people in general) are quicker to see and react to "negatives" than to "positives." And you're also right in that some white people pounce on any transgression involving the black community, presumably because it reinforces their stereotypes, validates their prejudices, etc. This works the other way, too, black on white; it is the same with "young" vs. "old," or "south" vs. "north," "nurses" vs. "doctors," just about any "vs" you can come up with. Prejudice is always a 2-way street. Always. If you can imagine a 2-way street that ultimately goes nowhere.
And, just so you know, a review of my previous posts would be no indicator at all of my "true intentions," because I HAVE no "intentions," in any kind of strategic way, with these posts. They are purely reactive, sometimes to a whimsical degree. I have no "motive," ulterior or otherwise.
Here I was, happy that I had given drawpaintsing something to smile about (which really did make me smile, too), and you, ijohnson, try to mess it all up. What is with you?
Posted by MszSydney (anonymous) on June 4, 2008 at 8:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Thanks everyone for all of your support!!!
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