By By Austin Bishop/EMG Regional Sports Director
May 4, 2002
When Wanda McPhail began putting together her first women's tennis team at Meridian Community College two years ago, she set some goals for herself.
The future came pretty quickly for McPhail and her Lady Eagles.
The six-member team will take part in the NJCAA Division II Women's National Tennis Tournament beginning Sunday at Texas A&M in College Station.
The Lady Eagles earned the bid to the National Tournament, which runs through May 10, by virtue of placing second in the Region 23 Tournament that was held in Meridian at the Northeast Tennis Complex. Copiah-Lincoln finished first.
The top two teams in each region, plus the No. 1 singles and doubles champions, are invited to the National Tournament.
College Station will be host to the NJCAA Division I, II and III Tournaments this week all at the same time.
The men's tournament, which MCC also qualified for, begins May 11 in Plano, Texas, a suburb of Dallas.
Leading the way for MCC are Charlotte Heidelberg of Pascagoula and Megan Chivas of Wiggins.
Heidelberg, a freshman, went 19-1 in singles this year is ranked No. 14 in the country among junior college women according to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. Heidelberg's only loss came in the second match of the season and was against an NCAA Division III opponent from Mississippi College.
Chivas, also a freshman, is ranked No. 32. She plays No. 2 singles and went 17-3.
Chivas and Heidelberg, the No. 1 doubles team for MCC, went 17-3 on the season and is ranked No. 7 in the country.
Heidelberg and Chivas won singles and doubles titles in the Region 23 Tournament.
Former East Webster standout Amanda Carden, who tore and ACL in November and didn't return until March, is the No. 3 singles player. Jill Hathorn of West Jones High School and Anna Bailey and Casie Joyner of West Lauderdale round out the team.