Tennis all-star match could turn into family feud
By By Marty Stamper/The Meridian Star
July 19, 2001
Attention, Richard Dawson. You might need to be in Jackson on Friday.
Four area athletes and one area coach have been picked to the 2001 All-Star Tennis Tournament which will be held at Parham Bridges Tennis Center in Jackson on July 20 at 1 p.m.
Making matters interesting is the fact that one player and one coach share a family bond and will be on different sides in the tournament.
Neshoba Central's Leigh Jackson is a member of the North girls' team, while brother-in-law Chad Bond of Newton County is a coach for the South team.
The other area selections for the tournament are John Kueven of Northeast Lauderdale, Rusty Parsons of Philadelphia, and Kelly Boutwell of Forest. Each are on the South roster.
Bond led Newton County to a tie for third place in the 2001 Class 3A state tournament.
Jackson reached the Class 4A state quarterfinals in girls' singles this spring. She was also the bronze medalist in the 18 under division of the 2001 State Games.
As for the family feud, Jackson will do her part to get the North team fired up for the matches.
Jackson will play at Mississippi College next year.
Kueven advanced to the Class 4A state semifinals in boys' doubles this year for the Trojans of Northeast.
Boutwell was the state runner-up in Class 3A girls' singles in 2001 after winning the state championship in 2000.
Other members of the North girls' team are Amanda Carden of East Webster, Class 3A state semifinalists in girls' doubles Anna Curlee and Rhiannon McKeel of Corinth, Class 1A mixed doubles state champion Meridith Muzzi of Greenville St. Joseph, and Class 3A girls' doubles state champion Brittany Scott of Shannon.
Also on the South girls' team are Class 3A girls' doubles state quarterfinalists Stephanie Stringer and Andrea Austin of Raleigh, Class 4A mixed doubles state quarterfinalist Megan Chivas of Stone County, and Class 5A mixed doubles state semifinalist Charlotte Heidelburg of Pascagoula. Heidelburg has signed with Meridian Community College.
Heidelburg won the gold medal in the Girls 18 singles division of the recent State Games with Chivas getting the silver.
Also coaching the South is Michael Van Winkle of St. Martin.
Members of the North boys' team are Class 4A boys' singles state quarterfinalist Timothy Alford of Kosciusko, Class 5A boys' doubles state runner-up Brian Enggano of Tupelo, Class 1A mixed doubles state champion Leo Jennings of Greenville St. Joseph, Class 5A boys' singles state quarterfinalist Eric Sanford of Starkville, and Joseph Mahaffey of Tupelo.
Also on the South boys' team are Class 5A mixed doubles state semifinalist Matt McElhaney of Pascagoula, Class 3A boys' doubles state runner-up Brian Moore of Raleigh, Class 4A boys' singles state quarterfinalist Andrew Rice of West Jones, Class 4A mixed doubles state quarterfinalist Adam Stone of Stone County, and Class 5A boys' singles state semifinalist Chris Walker of Northwest Rankin.
North coaches are Eddie Robinson of French Camp and Angelia Boisseau of Class 5A state runner-up Tupelo.
Marty Stamper is a sports writer for The Meridian Star. E-mail him at mstamper@themeridianstar.com.