The Tribune

OVER the weekend our collegiate tennis players took to the centre court, Sydney Clarke played in C-USA conference tournament and Peyton Anderson in the NSIC Tournament.

Shay’Tonya Missick, Jacobi Bain and Genesis Missick all played in the NAIA year end conference tournament.

Shay’Tonya Missick and the Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU) women’s tennis team earned the No. 3 seed in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Women’s Tennis Championship.

Missick and the Golden Bulls faced Genesis Missick and her No. 6 seed Livingstone College Blue Bears on Friday. In the #1 spot, Missick matched up against her sister Genesis Missick and led 6-3 when the Bulls clinched the win 4-0 in the quarterfinals. The match format consisted of three doubles followed by six singles (3-6 format).

In the semifinals, JCSU went 4-2 against Virginia State University (VSU). Playing in the #1 Singles spot, Shay’Tonya won 6-2, 6-2 against Ashleigh Charles.

In the #2 Doubles, Missick and partner Moyana won 7-5 over Pago and Burrows of VSU.

The JCSU Bulls advanced to the finals where they fell 0-4 to Shaw University. Shay’Tonya lost in singles 1-6, 2-6 to Dana Moreno and in doubles 3-6 with partner Moyana. Missick was awarded the MVP from her college for her great performance during the 2022/2033 collegiate tennis season. She was instrumental playing in the #1 spot and leading her team to the CIAA finals ending as runner up.

Bahamian Kofi Bowe was also awarded the MVP for his spectacular performance for JCSU for the 2022/23 collegiate tennis season.

Sydney Clarke played hard despite her UAB Blazers not advancing in the conference tournament.

Peyton Anderson and the SMSU Mustangs also were not able to advance.

Peyton and the No. 7 seed Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU) women’s tennis team had its season come to a close on Friday with a 4-0 loss to No. 2 seed Minnesota State in the quarterfinals.

For the 14th consecutive year, Jacobi Bain and the Xavier University of Louisiana men’s tennis is headed to NAIA nationals. They won the NAIA unaffiliated group tournament at XULA Tennis Center with a 4-3 win over the Saints.

Bain was instrumental this weekend playing in singles and rallying from dropping the first set for a 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory against Kyllian Savary from Our Lady of the Lake’s Saints.

The team will play once again in the Nationals which is slated for May 16.

The Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association congratulates Shay’Tonya Missick and Bowe on a great collegiate season and earning MVP honours from their school and Shay’Tonya Missick on a championship runner-up placement.

Congratulations are extended to Jacobi on the unaffiliated conference win and booking your ticket to nationals.

This will be Bain’s second consecutive trip with the XULA men.

“We congratulate all the tennis players for a great season - Shay’Tonya Missick, Elana Mackey, Sydney Clarke, Kofi Bowe, Anthony Burrows, Peyton Anderson and Genesis Missick along with those whose seasons have not yet concluded, including Jacobi Bain, Abigail Simms (WHAC) and Donte Armbrister (CAA Conference),” the BLTA said.