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Athlete update

Time for former Charger to trade in her racket for a scalpel

By NANCY MORGAN
Published June 18, 2006

Before Kelly Nelson Shore-crest took her college recruiting trips, she never expected to end up at Notre Dame.

Last month, Nelson closed out her college career there, graduated with honors and began planning for her future in the medical field.

"When I visited, I just fell in love with Notre Dame, Chicago and the whole Midwest," said Nelson, 22. "I had never been there before, but I loved it. There was a great balance of academics and tennis. It was just a good fit for me."

Two years ago, Nelson wasn't so certain about her future after blood clots in her right leg sidelined her 22 months and even limited her classroom involvement.

"That certainly changed my view of competition and I developed a whole new appreciation for the sport," Nelson said. "I so much wanted to be a part of the team and help them do well. . . .

"When the time came for me to be back with the team and play this season, I was thrilled. This year, no one expected us to do as well as we did, but we fought, kept winning and made it to the NCAA quarterfinals."

The Fighting Irish were ranked No. 22 in the preseason, having finished No. 24 last year. The squad finished 27-2 overall and was ranked No. 5, the highest ranking since the school attained Division I status in 1985-86.

"It was such a big thing for Kelly to be able to get back out and play this year," said 17-year coach Jay Louderback. "Kelly was an inspiration for all of us. She loved playing and you could see that on her face.

"It was so unfortunate for her that this medical condition appeared at all, and especially when it did. It was in her junior year, and that was the year she had such a great chance to be in the top six. Still, the success of our team was due to all nine of our players, and that certainly includes Kelly."

In her career, Nelson posted a 36-14 singles record and was 13-2 this year, with a .867 winning percentage in No. 6.

Nelson describes her playing style as that of a tried-and-true baseliner, though the faster pace of college tennis forced her to play more aggressively and at the net.

Nelson also is training for the Chicago Marathon in October. After a summer at home, Nelson will be in Chicago doing medical research and will apply to medical school.

MORE TENNIS: After earning a 13-2 season singles record, Florida sophomore Alex Liles (Saddlebrook) of Largo was named to the all-SEC second team for the second straight season. Liles is a second-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll and is among the ITA Scholar Athletes, who must post at least a 3.5 grade point average.

nSenior Jennifer Dent (Countryside) played to a 45-62 career singles record and was 27-19 in doubles for Maryland. This season, Dent was 15-11 in doubles.

nSophomore Jason Swenson (East Lake) completed his second season in the No. 1 spot for Drew University, posting a 6-8 record. Swenson played to a 12-3 record in No. 1 doubles with senior Ryan McDonald of Massachusetts.

GYMNASTICS: Jodie Heinicka (Seminole) capped off her four-year career at the University of Missouri with her selection of Big 12 Conference Female Sportsperson of the Year. The award recognizes student-athletes for their sportsmanship and community service. Heinicka's uneven bar school record of 9.950, earned her sophomore year, still stands. She finished second on bars this year in the NCAA Southeast Regional.

TRACK AND FIELD: Ashlee Kidd (St. Petersburg/Georgia Tech) collected her second straight All-America honor in the 400-meter dash. The junior ran a personal-best 51.57 to finish fifth in this month's NCAA Outdoor Championships.

BASEBALL: Central Florida junior Tim Bascom (Dunedin) was chosen in the sixth round of the Major League Baseball draft by the San Diego Padres. At UCF, the right-hander was named to the Conference-USA first team after earning a 2.47 ERA in 80 innings. Bascom held opponents to a .215 hitting average and recorded 90 strikeouts.

nNick Masset (Pinellas Park/St. Petersburg JC) recorded his first win since being promoted to the Texas Rangers' Triple A Oklahoma Redhawks last month. In six innings against first-year Triple A Florida Marlins affiliate Albuguerque Isotopes, the right-hander struck out seven, gave up four walks and allowed two runs on six hits in a 6-4 victory.

nIan Church (Osceola/Stetson) is sixth in hitting in the Frontier League with a .351 average in 18 games with the Kalamazoo Kings. Church, 25, is first in the league in home runs (five) and slugging percentage (.727) and is third in RBIs (14).

nFirst baseman Trevor Hall (Clearwater/Saint Leo) is averaging .260 in 18 games on 19 hits for the Florence Freedom in the Frontier League.

nRight-hander Jason Kiley (Palm Harbor University) registered a 5.11 ERA for Florida Gulf Coast. The junior's 7-4 record was the team's second best.

CREW: Former St. Petersburg High football player Daniel Wallace completed his second season on Harvard's heavyweight crew squad. In the Head of the Charles Regatta, the sophomore sat fifth seat in the Collegiate Eight race. Harvard finished sixth among 41.

News for this column may be faxed to Nancy Morgan, 796-5559; e-mailed to namorgan46@msn.com or sent to 710 Court St., Clearwater, FL., 33756. Please include phone number.

[Last modified June 18, 2006, 07:42:02]