May 17, 1998
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Benjie Sanders,
The Arizona Daily Star
Claudia Meza moved to Tucson from Las Vegas when when she was a freshman.

By Jenna Louise Slosson
Special to The Arizona Daily Star

Claudia Meza shuffles her feet to get in position.

She swings her tennis racket and slams the ball - returning a green blur across the net onto the opponent's baseline.

Advantage, Meza.

The Desert View High School tennis star - who ranks among the top five high school players in the state - exhibits ``amazing skill and leadership,'' said tennis coach Stacy Haines.

``She is driven by some sort of inner impulse I cannot describe. She just jumps at every opportunity,'' said Haines of the young woman who led the tennis team from a 3-13 losing streak in 1994 to a 13-3 record this season.

It is those same qualities on the court that Meza used off the court to turn her life around, Haines said.

Meza once did the bare minimum in classes - just enough to get by. Two years ago, she made the honor roll, and last semester she earned a 3.6 grade point average.

``I am a person who can make anything happen because I believe in myself,'' Meza said.

As a freshman, that was not the case for the teen-ager who was forced to move from Las Vegas to Tucson's southside to live with her grandparents. In Las Vegas, Meza said she was hanging around with the wrong crowd and fighting.

After the move to Tucson, Meza said she learned she would not be returning to Las Vegas with her mother and two younger sisters. ``I was shocked at first. I knew it would be better for me here, but I hated it. I had no friends and no one to talk to,'' Meza said.

The void was filled by Meza's grandmother, Guillermina Nerancio, who gave her the love she needed and helped her find friends. It was during that time that Meza joined the tennis team.

She said Haines, her grandmother and school counselors helped her get back on the right track. ``I really got to know myself better and I began to believe in myself.''

She said Haines became a good friend and helped her with rides home after matches and guided her in tennis camps and tournaments.

``He has inspired me a lot. He is the person who has opened my eyes to a different world. He saw something in me when no one else did, and has been there for me through the good and the bad,'' Meza said.

Meza has received scholarships from the U.S. Tennis Association, Southern Arizona Tennis Association and touring professional Jim Grabb.

The scholarships paid for Meza to participate in tennis camps at the Randolph Tennis Center, the Tucson Racquet & Fitness Club, and the Nike Tennis Camp in Flagstaff.

``Tennis has opened up a lot of doors for me. It is not just a sport, but a source of strength,'' said Meza, who plans to attend Grand Canyon University and major in elementary education.

Jenna Louise Slosson is a senior at Salpointe Catholic High School.