Ben Whitehead
For many high school students, becoming involved in extracurricular activities is a hassle. Melanie Barnes can’t get enough of them.
Barnes, a senior at Duncan High School, is a member of the Key Club, the National Honor Society, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and, oh by the way, is a star on the tennis court.
She recently was able to add one more honor to her resumé by being named an All-American Scholar.
“I had an anatomy class with Dr. [Suzanne] Bryan last spring and she nominated me for the honor then,” Barnes said. “I didn’t know it at the time, but I got [a letter] that said I had been nominated. In the fall, I found out that I got it.”
Barnes’ willingness to go the extra mile has helped shape her future. She plans on attending Tarleton State University in Stephensville, Texas, on a tennis scholarship and pursue her lifelong dream of playing collegiate tennis. Texann head coach Lance Drake visited Barnes this past summer and built a strong coach-athlete relationship that Barnes hopes will grow in college.
“I got to know him this summer when he visited me and he’s a good guy,” said Barnes. “He’s a Christian and that was big to me. He has a strong faith and all his players like him so that shows that he’s enjoyable to be around. I just really felt like everything was a good fit for me there.”
Among the things Barnes has learned from her extracurricular activities is leadership. She says she hopes that will help her as she prepares for the upcoming tennis season and beyond.
“Being involved in all those things has definitely given me leadership experience and skills that will help me,” Barnes said. “I’ve always wanted to be a state champion [in tennis]. Right now, we’re probably the No. 2 team in the state, but our goal is to be state champions.
“The motivation is very big, especially for me because I’ve wanted to win state since I was 6 or 7. I’ve been around tennis my whole life and this was what I wanted to do.”
Barnes’ father, Phil Barnes, is the head coach of the Demons. Melanie said having her father by her side has been helpful and she’s enjoyed every minute of it.
“We’re around each other a lot,” said Melanie. “I don’t think there is anything that can compare to having my dad as my coach. That’s going to be hard next year since we know each other so well.”
Hard work runs in the family and Phil Barnes said he is proud of all his daughter has accomplished.
“I’m very proud and the All-American Scholar award is a really nice honor,” he said. “She does well handling all the activities and is very competitive and works extremely hard. She wants to do well in school and in tennis and I think the award shows that.”
— Ben Whitehead is a sports writer for The Duncan Banner. He can be reached at 255-5354, Ext. 165, or via e-mail at ben.whitehead@duncanbanner.com.
