HATTIESBURG – It was a long day, but a good one for the Jones County Junior College tennis teams Friday in the MACJC State Tennis Tournament here at the Willis Terry Tennis Complex in Tatum Park.

Matches began at 8 a.m. and lasted until after 8 p.m., but the Bobcats put themselves in solid position going into Saturday’s finals.

“It was unbelievable today. We started off the day with some great matches and finished the day with a great match,” said JCJC head coach Mark Easley. “Both teams did very well.”

The Lady Bobcats are vying for four singles’ titles and two doubles’ crowns, while the men will be going for a singles’ title and a doubles title.

The singles’ championship matches will begin at 8 a.m., followed by the doubles’ championship matches at 10 a.m.

After Friday’s action, the Lady Bobcats are in first place and are in great shape in the standings. They have 24 points, while Hinds and Itawamba are tied for second with 20 points each. The JCJC women’s team is assured of competing in the Region 23 Tournament Tuesday-Wednesday in Meridian because the top three teams in the state tournament will advance.

The Bobcat men’s team is making a strong push for a regional berth as well. Co-Lin and Hinds are tied for first with 20 points, while JCJC is third with 18 points and Itawamba is fourth with 16 points.

WOMEN

JCJC’s Meredith Johnson reached the finals of No. 3 singles with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Megan Terrell of Gulf Coast. Johnson, a Northeast Jones freshman, will face Sherika Trader of Hinds in the finals.

Mary Carole Kiewit of Jones will play in the title match for No. 4 singles after a 6-0, 6-3 victory over Erika Randle of Itawamba. Kiewit, a freshman Laurel home school student, meets Victoria Hagel of Gulf Coast in the finals.

Tiffany Hudson of Jones plays for the championship in No. 5 singles after beating Lori Byrd of Itawamba, 6-2, 6-2. Hudson, a freshman from Wayne Academy, plays Kristen Barber of Pearl River in the finals.

JCJC’s Rebecca Rogers goes for the title in No. 6 singles after beating Ashley Dunlap of Itawamba, 6-0, 6-0. Rogers, a freshman from Oak Grove, faces Charmayne Purvis of Gulf Coast in the finals.

In No. 1 singles, JCJC’s Erica Walker fell to Itawamba’s Erin Boast, 6-2, 6-2. Walker is a sophomore from South Jones.

In No. 2 singles, Rachel Whaley of Jones lost to Aline Ferreira of Hinds, 6-1, 6-1. Whaley is a sophomore from Quitman.

In No. 2 doubles, Johnson and J.J. Benson defeated Briana Ashcraft and Chrisa Holley of Northeast, 4-6, 6-3, 6-0. They will play Hinds in the finals. Benson is a West Jones sophomore.

Rogers and Jillian McNeese defeated Barber and Katie Wood of Pearl River, 6-1, 7-5 in No. 3 doubles. Rogers and McNeese meet Itawamba in the finals. McNeese is a freshman from Laurel.

In No. 1 doubles, Walker and Whaley beat Ashli Walker and Adrienne Brown of Co-Lin 6-4, 6-4. They then fell to Boast and Hannah Thomas of Itawamba, 6-1, 6-4 in the semifinals.

MEN

Mitchell Smith of Jones advanced to the finals in No. 3 singles with a 1-6, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Jonathan Vinson of Itawamba. Smith faces Duffy Loel of Hinds for the title. Smith is a freshman from Simpson Academy.

In No. 2 singles, Tyler Shows of Jones defeated Steven Georgian of Pearl River, 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (6) before falling to Guillermo Chaves of Co-Lin, 6-0, 6-1 in the semifinals. Shows is a freshman from Petal.

In No. 4 singles, JCJC’s Cody Kadoun beat Jake Easley of Southwest, 6-0, 6-0 before falling in the semifinals to Jody Vinson of Itawamba, 6-1, 6-1. Kadoun is a freshman from Pearl.

In No. 5 singles, Eric Lynn of Jones beat Drew Stone of Gulf Coast, 6-1, 6-4 before losing to Justin Hewitt of Co-Lin, 6-4, 6-0 in the semifinals. Lynn is a freshman from Gautier.

In No. 6 singles, JCJC’s Nathan Kanengiser beat Hunter Huff of East Central, 6-7 (6), 6-0, 7-6 (3) before losing in the semifinals to Matt Sumrall of Pearl River, 6-4, 7-5, 7-5. Kanengiser is a freshman from Pearl.

In No. 2 doubles, Smith and Kanengiser beat Josh Lang and Len Jacobson of Gulf Coast, 6-0, 6-2. They then played the final match of the night and shut the Tatum Park courts down with a lengthy victory over Loel and Cody Rood of Hinds, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (4).

In No. 1 doubles, Dykes and Shows defeated Nico Osorio and Reed Rogers of Co-Lin, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3. They then fell to Marco Linconir and Carl Ballard of Itawamba, 6-0, 6-0 in the semifinals.

In No. 3 doubles, Kadoun and Lynn beat Derrick Barnes and Rowe Rhett of Hinds, 6-3, 6-4. They then lost to Itawamba’s Jason Vinson and Jamie Roberts in the semifinals, 6-3, 6-3.