JACKSON, Miss. (WTOK) – The United States Tennis Association (USTA) of Mississippi is holding its annual award ceremony on Saturday, Jan. 27th at River Hills Club in Jackson. Three prominent members of the tennis community in Meridian will receive awards at the ceremony.

Longtime Meridian Community College head tennis coach, Wanda McPhail, will be inducted into USTA Mississippi’s Hall of Fame.

The Meridian Community Tennis Association (CTA) earned the Adaptive & Wheelchair award for their adaptive tennis clinic that helps teach the game of tennis to those with physical or cognitive disabilities. The director and president of Meridian CTA, Pete Mazzella and Toni Jackson, will receive the award.

Mazzella will also introduce McPhail before she is officially inducted.

“I can’t think of anybody more deserving from our area or, really in the whole state,” said Mazzella. “She’s done so much from starting West Lauderdale, which now is a great program. What she did with MCC is really unmatched of anybody I know.”

McPhail coached at MCC from 2000-2018. In her tenure, her teams won 15 Region 23 JUCO Championships and nine MACJC Championships.

“I have to say, in the beginning, you don’t set out to say I’m going to be in a hall of fame,” said McPhail.

McPhail asked Mazzella to introduce her at the event. Though, he gets to take home an award, too.

Mazzella also serves as the director of tennis at Northeast Park Tennis Center in Meridian. The tennis center is where Meridian CTA has held a total of six adaptive tennis clinics.

Their adaptive tennis program is the first registered clinic in the state of Mississippi.

“Toni Jackson and I have worked really hard to get this built. It’s kind of a joint passion of ours, it’s such a rewarding thing to do,” said Mazzella.

Jackson and Mazzella are looking to expand the program much more in the coming years.

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