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Former Ranger Jon Morgan Bell Interning at 2016 Rio Olympics
Jon Morgan Bell
Photo courtesy of NWCC
Hernando native and former Northwest Mississippi Community College men’s tennis player Jon Morgan Bell is getting the opportunity of a lifetime this August, spending three weeks at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Bell initially didn’t meet the prerequisite classes to make the trip but filled out an application anyway and eventually got an interview that landed him a spot. He arrived in Rio on July 30 and will return home to Memphis on August 23.
“I saw a flyer for a chance to go to Rio for the Olympics but didn’t meet the initial requirements,” Bell said. “One of my professors told me to put an application in and send some of my work samples from when I did some writing for The DeSoto Times. She liked my samples well enough to get an interview and a couple months later I got an email telling me I was chosen.”
Bell graduated from Northwest in May before enrolling at the University of Memphis in the journalism program. He’s one of 14 interns in the program currently in Rio and has been assigned a sport to cover like his peers.
Bell is covering boxing, which starts at 11 a.m. local time in Brazil each day. He gets some initial material on the matches and boxers prior to the match, sits in on press conferences and then gathers quotes for the Olympic News Service. His quotes are posted on a server for any media member to use and some even write full recaps that will be picked up by wire services.
Outside of working boxing events daily, Bell has gotten the opportunity to take in some sites in Rio and also attend other games.
“We went over to Sugarloaf Mountain and a few of us have gone to the beach and just different restaurants around here,” Bell said. “Ordering has been a challenge sometimes, so we just point to things on the menu. I’ve gotten to watch fencing, table tennis and even have some tickets to watch handball tomorrow.”
Bell was 16-7 in his career in doubles play and also 7-11 in singles under head coach Troy Howell. He helped the Rangers to a 10-3 overall record and No. 20 ITA national ranking as a freshman, with Northwest going a perfect 5-0 against ranked opponents that season.
Follow Jon Morgan and the rest of the Memphis journalism crew on Twitter @Mem2Rio.
Courtesy of Kevin Maloney and NWCC Sports Information
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