MARTIN SHINES AT HBCU TOURNEY

By Michelle Gaskins and Jasmine Pridgen
 

GREENSBORO, N.C., February 23, 2005 – North Carolina A&T State University had three athletes earn first-team All-MEAC honors and five track athletes (two of them won multiple championships) win individual championships at the MEAC Outdoor Championships during the 2004-2005 calendar year.

Perhaps the one athlete out of the whole bunch that has the best chance of playing his respective sport professionally is junior men’s tennis player Damon Martin.

“He is an advanced tennis player that has the chance to play on the pro circuit,’’ said N.C. A&T head men’s and women’s tennis coach James Dunwoody.

Martin, a native of Fortmill , S.C. , continued to prove he is one of the if not the best player to come through the Aggies tennis program in Atlanta recently.

Martin won Flight A, the highest level of play, at the 6^th Annual HBCU Tennis Tournament. The tournament included 10 schools and Martin impressed observers who marveled at how he was able to compete with the top foreign-born players. 

Martin said his motivation stems from his family. His father was an outstanding tennis player, who graduated from N.C. A&T on a tennis scholarship. He also has two brothers, Jared and Jeremy Martin, who are among the starters on the tennis team. Damon has dreams of going pro and enjoys representing his school.

“The tennis team should be recognized more, in my opinion we are the best team on campus, and we have proven it. I am the best athlete on campus and I have proven it.”

Another person who played well was Porter Myrick. According to coach Dunwoody, Myrick is a throw back player with a great base volley attack.