By Robert Wilson
RIDGELAND – Madison-Ridgeland Academy won its first MAIS girls tennis state championship in school history Thursday afternoon at Ridgeland Tennis Center.
And Patriot coach Jay Stroble was as surprised as anyone.
“It’s the greatest upset in MAIS history,” kidded Stroble, who finished his fourth season as MRA’s head coach and won his third consecutive state championship, winning the boys the last two seasons.
MRA had eight points to win the Class 6A division, and edged defending state champion Jackson Prep and JA, which had won eight straight before Prep won last season, which both had 7.5 points.
Sophomore Anna Morgan Anderson and eighth-grader Stella Fuller defeated Presbyterian Christian School’s Ainsley Biglane and Lacy Gray Montgomery 6-4, 6-3 to win the No. 1 girls doubles to lead MRA to the historic win.
Anderson is more known for her superb basketball ability. She led MRA to a MAIS Overall Tournament runner-up finish and was a first-team member of the Tatum and Wade/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson basketball team. Anderson suffered a broken hand during the Overall and has been recovering during tennis season but was able to play well enough to deliver a state title for her and her partner.
MRA sixth-grade Nora Lynn Guerieri lost to PCS’ Mazzei Miles 6-2, 6-0 at No. 2 girls singles and MRA senior Maggie Powell and sophomore Logan Phillips lost to Prep junior Bea Birdsall and sophomore Stewart Russ 6-4, 7-5 at mixed doubles.
“We were able to do score some points in each category,” Stroble said. “Our No. 2 girls doubles team (Anderson and Fuller) greatly improved over the past several weeks. We didn’t get Anna Morgan with us until about six weeks ago because of broken hand. She came along way in a short period of time. And Stella really started playing well the last three weeks. Maddie and Logan beat the No. 1 seed from Hartfield in the semifinals and that was big for us. Maddie played mixed for the past two seasons, and she was instrumental in us winning the boys state championships. Kinsey Griffin and Ella Eatherly lost in the No. 1 girls doubles semifinals and played well for us. Kinsey is a senior and it was her first year to play. Ella is a sophomore. They both played on MRA’s state championship volleyball team. Taylor Agent won a big singles match in the first round against Hartfield.”
“Even though our conference record going into the tournament wasn’t what we had hoped, we were still playing well, and we were progressing every match,” Anderson said. “Stella and I came together and played three great matches. I am proud of the way we never doubted ourselves and we knew from the beginning we could win it. Our competition was tough. Coming off my injury in basketball season, I didn’t know if I’d be able to play, but I am so glad I was able to come back and play in conference. The team brought their mental game today and I’m so proud of them how our team fought hard and brought energy in every match.”
Jackson Prep eighth-grader Charlotte Lucas defeated JA freshman Gloria Helen Scott 6-4, 6-4, for the No. 1 girls singles title.
JA senior Ellie Hogue and freshman Carolina Walker defeated Jackson Prep freshman Anne Fair Lucas and sophomore Ann Elise Walker 6-1, 6-2 for the No. 1 girls doubles title.
Jackson Academy won the boys state title by five points over Prep and won it for the first time since 2003.
JA senior Matt Thomas and sophomore Nicholas Jones defeated Hartfield freshman Noah Johnson and senior and Southwest Mississippi Community College commitment Camryn Reeves 6-4, 6-4 for the No. 1 boys doubles title and JA senior Willis Thigpen and senior Ian Hosch defeated MRA senior Beau Guest and sophomore Smith Street 6-2, 7-5.
Prep sophomore Reynolds Smith defeated JA junior William Wright Scott 3-1, retired to win the No. 1 boys singles championship. Scott suffered an injury and couldn’t continue.
PCS junior Porter Vance defeated JA’s Jack Satcher 6-3, 6-2 for the No. 2 boys singles championship.
Mary Rebecca Barry Jeffries – a former six-time state singles champion at JA who played college tennis at the University of Missouri – just finished her fourth year as head coach at JA. She is also a teaching pro at Bridges Tennis Center in Northeast Jackson. It was Jeffries’ third state title after winning two girls state titles her first two seasons at JA. JA’s Ronnie Rogers – who became the new head girls basketball coach at Central Hinds Academy earlier this month – won his ninth state title, one boys and eight girls, as an assistant coach.
“After two years of being runner-up by.a half point, I could not be more proud and happy for all of my varsity boys,” Jeffries said. “They have worked hard, and earned this state championship.”
