Page 41 - South Mississippi Living - January, 2016

PHYSICAL & FISCAL FITNESS 40 love
TOP 100
Julie Kilduff had to coax her daughter Amanda to play tennis nine years ago at Treasure Oak Country Club in Ocean Springs.
“Well, she tried it and has never looked back,” Julie Kilduff said.
Today, Amanda Kilduff, 17, is ranked in the top 100 players in the South in her
junior division by the United States Tennis Association. She was one of two students in Mississippi named a Wendy’s High School Heisman,
a national program that recognizes outstanding students across the country for their athletic prowess, academic achievement and leadership.
Amanda said she found out about the Wendy’s High School Heisman through one of her father’s friends.
“I decided to apply for it, but it was a rigorous application process. I think what put me over the edge is that I’m a very passionate person, and wrote passionately about my faith and what drives me,” she said.
She received a Wendy’s gift certificate and a silver medal while Ocean Springs High School received $1,000.
Now a senior, Amanda has played for the OSHS varsity tennis team
ABOVE: Amanda Kilduff (middle) with her parents Bill and Julie Kilduff.
since she was in seventh grade under coach Kathy Gendron. Amanda is a fierce competitor in singles as well as doubles and mixed doubles. The team has been ranked number one from 2010-15 in class 6A by the Mississippi High School Activities Association. Her main tennis coach at Treasure Oak Country Club is Bill Briggs.
Over the years, her parents, Bill and Julie Kilduff, have taken her to tournaments all over the Southeast. Amanda’s mother said she enjoyed the opportunity to visit towns she normally wouldn’t have seen.
“It was a commitment, but well worth it. Tennis has taught my daughter how to manage her time and become disciplined,” Julie Kilduff said. Amanda played the flute in
the band up to her sophomore year, and continues to play the flute at her church. She also conducts a Bible study each week.
Amanda maintains a 4.0 grade point average and plans to attend Samford University in Birmingham, Ala., on an academic scholarship. She wants to major in a health related field, then earn a master’s degree in social work before pursuing a career in the ministry.
tennis players
story by Susan Ruddiman
photos courtesy of
Katherine Swetman and Julie Kilduff
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January 2016 • SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living 41
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