Katherine McMahan Walker was a two-time all-state and all-region player for Coach Cleon McKnight’s tennis teams of the mid-1990s.
Walker arrived at Hinds in 1996 at the urging of a friend and fellow member of the tennis team. She posted a 16-2 singles and doubles record and led the team to a top 10 ranking by season’s end.
She returned for another season, one that saw her level of play rise enough to go 21-0 on the court in singles and doubles. Her average score along the way was 6-0, 6-1, a near-shutout in terms of tennis scoring. The team finished sixth in the nation, the highest final ranking ever for any team in Mississippi.
Her accomplishments on the court came as she earned a 4.0 GPA in the classroom. Already a team captain, she finished her Hinds athletic career by winning the Eagle Award for 1997. The honor recognizes outstanding student-athletes for achievement at school and in the community.
After Hinds, she earned a degree at Spring Hill College in Mobile, Ala. while also continuing her tennis exploits. Twice, she was a key leader on teams that advanced to the NAIA national tennis championships. In 1998, she won All-American honors and took home the college’s J. Lambert Dorn Award, for academic and athletic excellence. She graduated summa cum laude from the college, then went to work for the University of Southern Mississippi where she currently works as a senior business analyst.
She lives in Sumrall and is married to Howard Walker, with whom she has three daughters. She has also volunteered her time with several organizations, including Junior Auxiliary of Hattiesburg and Temple Baptist Church.
