Nationally-ranked JUCO duo sign with Clayton State women’s tennis

MORROW, Ga. – May 3, 2012 – Following a frustrating 2012 season, Clayton State Laker women's tennis head coach Le'Trone Mason is already gearing up for the 2013 campaign. On Thursday, Mason announced the signings of junior college standouts Sadietou Mayou and Zinnia Leamana to the Laker program for the 2012-13 season.

Mayou joins the Clayton State program from neighboring Georgia Perimeter, while Leamana comes to the Lakers from Collin College in Plano, Texas. This duo will bring some key experience to Clayton State as the Lakers aim for a turnaround next season after finishing 7-13 overall and 6-6 in the Peach Belt Conference this season.

"I couldn't be more excited with the addition of Sadie and Zinnia," said Mason, who will be entering his third season at the Clayton State helm. "These are two great players that are coming from two highly ranked junior college programs. Their experience will extremely helpful in hopefully putting Clayton State back into the Final Four."

Mayou is a strong-hitting left-hander from Lome, Togo. This season, she is currently ranked 18^th in the nation in singles and 27^th in the nation in doubles with Jaguar teammate Asia Boyd at the ITA junior college level. Mayou has paced Georgia Perimeter to a 5-5 mark so far this season, and the 10^th-ranked Jaguars have earned a berth in next week's NJCAA National Championships in Tyler, Texas.

She was an NJCAA All-Region selection this season in doubles.

At the ITA level, Mayou has advanced to the Regional championship each of the last two seasons, losing both times to Georgia Perimeter teammate Salma Dahbi. In addition, she won the 2010 ITA Regional in doubles with teammate Marie-Claire Slade.

Leamana, who is from the Soloman Islands in the south Pacific, has been a standout for the last two seasons for head coach Martin Berryman's JUCO power at Collin. She is currently ranked 30^th in the nation in singles and 20^th in the nation in doubles with teammate Kristina Kinarkina at the ITA junior college level.

Like Georgia Perimeter, Collin is also advancing to next week's NJCAA National Championships in Tyler. The Express is ranked fourth in the nation in NJCAA.

Prior to joining the Collin program last season, Leamana trained at the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Regional Training Center in Lautoka, Fiji for five years.

Mason hopes to sign at least two more players for the upcoming season. The Lakers return five players from this season.