Northeast Mississippi Community College Athletics

Ben Shappley enters the 2015 men’s and women’s tennis seasons at Northeast Mississippi Community College with a two years of experience under his belt.

The Tigers took a large leap forward during Shappley's second year as their head coach. Northeast claimed two victories over teams that appeared in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's (ITA) national poll, including No. 18 Holmes Community College and No. 24 Hinds Community College.

Northeast sophomore Micah Page also earned a straight sets victory over East Central Community College's Juan Miranda, who sat at No. 43 in the ITA's individual rankings at the time.

Shappley's emphasis on the classroom paid off for the Lady Tigers and Tigers during the 2013-14 campaign. Both ballclubs were selected as All-Academic Teams by the ITA and the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).

In addition, seven student-athletes were named ITA Scholar-Athletes for maintaining a grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 or greater on a 4.0 scale. They include Haley Brown (Iuka), Allie Downs (Booneville), Page (Tishomingo), Wesley Tye (Booneville), Erica Whitten (Booneville), Allison Wiltshire (Belmont) and Noah Wright (Booneville).

Downs was also one of five women's netters in the entire country to claim the NJCAA Pinnacle Award for Academic Excellence by compiling a perfect 4.0 GPA. She was Northeast's honoree for the prestigious David M. Halbrook Award as well.

Shappley’s Lady Tigers and Tigers have combined to win five matches during each of his two campaigns at the helm of Northeast’s programs.

The men ended 2013 on a positive note with a 7-2 victory over rival Northwest Mississippi Community College. The Tigers scored wins in four of the six singles competitions and swept the doubles matchups, with the top-ranked combination of Matt Lorick and Andrew Ferrell leading the way with an 8-6 decision.

Wesley Brandon and Hunter Seeley tied for the most individual wins on the season with three. Brandon downed Michael Moss of Northwest 6-0, 6-1; Holmes’ Connor Wilson 7-6 (10-6), 6-1 and Chase Black of Holmes 7-5, 6-4.

Seeley defeated Northwest’s Seth Cook 6-2, 6-1; Will Godfrey of Holmes 7-6 (10-3), 6-3 and Josh Peoples of East Central 6-2, 6-1.

The Lady Tigers went 4-7 under the direction of Shappley last year with two triumphs over Holmes and wins over Northwest and Hinds Community College as well.

Northeast edged past Hinds for Shappley’s first career victory as headman of the program with big singles wins by Maegan Trexler and Elizabeth Mitchell.

Wiltshire and Nikki Baird joined Trexler and Mitchell for singles wins in their initial decision against the Lady Bulldogs in Goodman. Valerie Mitchell and Emily Wiltshire took a key doubles match 8-1 in the second triumph over Holmes last season.

The Lady Tigers then closed the campaign by edging past Northwest 5-4. The two archrivals split the six singles matches scheduled, but the combinations of Valerie Mitchell and Emily Wiltshire plus Allison Wiltshire and Elizabeth Mitchell earned key doubles wins for the decisive points.

Baird individually claimed the most decisions with a 6-5 record during her freshman year. The Houston native nabbed her biggest win over then-No. 19 Meridian Community College’s Stephanie Grayson with a 7-5, 7-6(5) victory.

Elizabeth Mitchell represented Shappley and Northeast well during his first Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) State Tournament as head coach at Rob Leake City Park in Tupelo. She downed Hinds’ Octavia Pendleton 0-6, 6-4, 6-3 to advance to the second round of the three-day event.