Dodge County High School (DCHS) senior tennis player Virginia Hargrove signed a tennis scholarship with Middle Georgia State College on Tuesday, May 7, 2013. Hargrove’s tennis career started when she was eight years old with lessons from her long time United States Professional Tennis Registry (USPTR) certified instructor, Barry Boone. Her first tournament was the Gainesville Parks and Recreation Department state tennis tournament where she won the state championship in the 10 and under in doubles.
She began playing United States Tennis Association (USTA) tournaments at age eleven. She was been ranked within the top 100 players in Georgia while competing in 12 and under, 14 and under, 16 and under singles and as high as 150 in Georgia in the 18 and under division with limited tournament play.
Hargrove was selected to travel to Amsterdam, Holland as a People to People Sports Ambassador for the United State tennis team at the age of thirteen, where she competed in the International Friendship Games. Her tennis accomplishments at DCHS are ninth grade, number three singles and rising star award; tenth grade, number one singles, most valuable player (MVP) singles award, honorable recognition Macon Telegraph All Middle Georgia tennis team; 11th grade, number one singles, MVP singles award, 16 and one record, Macon Telegraph All Middle Georgia tennis team; 12th grade, number one singles, undefeated regular season, undefeated in region playoffs and two and one record in the state playoffs. She accomplished these awards while maintaining a 94 grade average ninth through 12th grade year and will graduate with honors from DCHS.
Hargrove would like to thank the community of Dodge County for all their support while playing tennis. She stated, “With out the support of the Dodge County community, I would not have had the opportunity to travel and compete at the international level. I am truly blessed to live in a community that truly cares.”