This past weekend, a group of Selma women took second place in their division of the United States Tennis Association Southern Sectionals in Mobile.

Eight women from Selma competed in the women’s 5.5-combo division during the tournament after the earned the right by winning the Alabama state tennis championship in the same division.

“It was a great experience,” said team member Ruth Talton. “We worked hard each week here in Selma to reach this tournament.”

Team captain Julia Anne Minter talked about how impressive it was for such the women to come from a town the size of Selma and give a great result taking on the best of the best from eight different states across the southeast.

“We are very proud of how we did,” said Minter. “Coming from a town the size of Selma and taking on people from much larger cities shows you just how hard we worked.”

The courts around town were the training grounds that led to the great showing form the women.

“We practiced a lot at the city courts because they are hard courts, which were the same type that we played on at the tournament,” said Talton.

Their coach Baxter Stinson praised the women for the hard work that they put in to reach their goals and even surpass them.

“Most people have different sets of goals,” said Stinson. “For these women, their goal was just to do well, but obviously they were able to do much more than that even.”

Stinson talked about how the women were easy to coach because of the great time that they had and how easy his job was because of it.

Now that the women have a taste for victory, the goals may change.

“We had a great time there and can’t wait to make it back next year,” said Minter.

Talton echoed her captain’s sentiments and talked about joys of playing tennis.

“This is such a great sport for people to be able to play and now the city is fixing the courts, it will be even better,” Talton.

The team consisted of Minter, Talton, Katie Barrette, Neill Sherrer, Ashley Williams, Becky Youngblood, Callen Free and Michelle Jones.