COLUMBUS — The Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science, Mississippi University for Women and the city of Columbus held a very warm welcome for the MSMS tennis team on Wednesday, recognizing their championship-winning stay at the Mississippi High School Activities Association state tennis tournament.
“They had the entry on the bypass blocked and the Columbus police met us to escort us to the MUW gates,” head coach Troy King said. “People came out and welcomed us, and the kids were excited because a lot of them haven’t won a championship before. They were excited when they met us out there, and it was a good experience that we really enjoyed.”
MSMS’ Ryan Wu and Daniel Van claimed the Boys Doubles Championship while Adair Gaines and Darshai Kher won the Girls Doubles Championship.
The girls doubles team of Zuxia Li and Anna Anderson finished as finalists, falling just short against their teammates Gaines and Kher in the final match.
Other members of the team championship win include Aanya Banga, Noah Maksi, Vincent Young, Ramon-Munoz-Montiel, Yash Malhotra, Nora Scott and Vanessa Espino.
King and his wife, Tonya, have coached the MSMS tennis team for five years. They were runners-up as a team last year, so the championship win this year felt extra special.
“We put in a lot of work because we love the game and we love working with these kids,” King said. “We want them to have fun, and that’s what we told them this week. This is a great opportunity to take with you wherever you go in life, nobody can take this win from you.”
King has seen a growing interest in the team during his time at MSMS. He noted the number of kids who arrive at the school and have played very little at their previous school or weren’t on a team. That interest has helped to grow the team and build a winning culture.
“A lot of kids had friends asking about what it was like playing and winning a championship,” King said. “We had guys win the doubles championship, and both our girls teams reached the championship game. It was a big accomplishment for MSMS and for the kids. They told us they didn’t think they’d ever be part of something like this coming from their other schools. I think the other kids will see this and want to be a part of what we accomplished this past week.”
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