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JACKSON – In a year of uncertainty due to COVID-19, one thing remained constant…..Jessie Martin conquering the opposition on a tennis court.

Martin, a senior at Northeast Academy where she also excels in basketball and softball, capped off an undefeated tennis season by winning the #1 seed singles title during the Tarheel Independent Conference Tournament. That event was held earlier this week at the tennis courts located at the Northampton County Cultural & Wellness Center in Jackson.

In the tournament finals, Martin defeated Belle Turner of Ridgecroft School, 6-4, 6-3.

Martin also teamed with classmate Lizzie Smith in the #1 doubles final, an event they won 8-0 over the Ridgecroft duo of Turner and Claire Place. Martin and Smith were undefeated in doubles play this season.

During the post-tournament awards ceremony, Martin was fittingly named as the TIC’s Player of the Year.

Other results from the TIC Tennis Tournament are as follows:

#2 singles – Claire Place (Ridgecroft) defeated Emalee Jones (Northeast): 6-3, 6-3;

#3 singles – Perris Clayton (Lawrence) defeated Lizzie Smith (Northeast): 6-2, 6-1;

#4 singles – Annie Hayes Trowell (Lawrence) defeated Elizabeth Brown (Ridgecroft): 6-4, 6-3;

#5 singles – Lucy Spruill (Lawrence) defeated Sydney Jones (Ridgecroft): 7-5, 6-1;

#6 singles – Addie Phelps (Lawrence) defeated Chloe Rose (Ridgecroft): 6-0, 6-0;

#2 doubles – Perris Clayton/Annie Hayes Trowell defeated Emalee Jones/Kiersten Flythe (Northeast): 8-1; and

#3 doubles – Lucy Spruill/Addie Phelps (Lawrence) defeated Sydney Jones/Carly Pennington (Ridgecroft): 9-7).

Named to the All-Conference team were Emma Cobb, Trowell, Phelps and Clayton – all of Lawrence; Turner and Place of Ridgecroft; and Jones and Smith of Northeast.

Lee Hoffman of Lawrence Academy was named Coach of the Year.