Jean Hammock’s 3.5 Macon (Mercer Univ.) team is dedicated to tennis. Neither rain, nor distance nor final exams keeps this group from playing in the adult league tennis state championships. “Only three of our players actually live in Macon,” Captain Jean Hammock says. “The others are from Milledgeville, Byron, Centerville, Warner Robins, Dublin, Perry and Bonaire.” That means some of the women drive up to 50 minutes to Mercer University for home matches.

They’re a diverse group as well, made up of attorneys, law students, active duty Air Force and retirees. And they range in age from in their 20s to in their 70s.

The Mercer Law students, Audrey James (twin to Cynthia James, also on the team) and Michele Boothroyd, worked around final exams to play this weekend. “I have finals in Domestic Relations and Community Property on Monday and Friday this week,” Audrey says, “and I had two last week, Business Association and Evidence.” Her twin, Cynthia, who’s getting married in just two weeks on May 22, managed to play, as well, around her fiancé's graduation and last-minute wedding planning.

Jean, who lives on Lake Sinclair near Milledgeville (about 50 miles from Macon), knows recruiting solid tennis players is important, so she offers a special incentive to recruits. “We usually have our team party on the lake,” she says, “play some tennis and then get out on the boat to waterski.”

Which, you’ve got to admit, beats the typical team lunch at Houlihan’s for the rest of us.