Melissa Sikes Yeomans of Blackshear was inducted in to the Claxton High School Athletic Hall of Fame.
Yeomans and five other inductees were recognized during a ceremony last Saturday at the Claxton Middle/High School Cafetorium.
A 1970 graduate of Claxton High School, Yeomans was a four-year starter and letter winner in basketball receiving awards such as the free throw award her junior and senior years, best offensive player her senior year and Most Valuable Player her junior and senior years.
Every time Sikes had the ball in her possession, she was a threat to score. Her toughness and desire to be a great teammate led her to be the outstanding player she was. In a two-game stretch versus Reidsville and Lyons, the team was crippled with the flu but she battled through all adversities to lead the team in scoring both games. She was recognized by the Jaycees as player of the week.
Sikes also made a name for herself by being a very good tennis player. She had one of the best forehands around the area. Her foot speed and tenacity made her a player that opponents feared. She earned three letters in tennis and received the Most Valuable Tennis Player award.
At the spring sports banquet, Sikes was named the Most Outstanding Female Athlete.
Her classmate, Jerome Woody, is quoted as saying, “Melissa was one of the best athletes ever to play at Claxton.”
Melissa Sikes Yeomans resides in Blackshear with her husband and family and she owns her own business.
Story and photo courtesy Julie Braly, Editor of The Claxton Enterprise.
