HEARD AROUND ATLA NTA REPORTED BY EMMY POWELL, CORY SEKINE-PETTITE AND JOHN HANNA
USTA Southern has announced the recipients of its 2021 awards, given for outstanding achievements in tennis both on and off the court. Twenty-one winners have been recognized this year. Five municipalities had two winners: Atlanta; Cary, and Charlotte, North Carolina; and Florence, and Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina. North Carolina had eight recipients. Due to COVID-19 causing a reduction in tennis in schools and Tennis On Campus club teams, three related awards will not be presented this year. Candidates were nominated by USTA staff and volunteers in the section’s nine states: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. The winners were then selected from among the nominees by volunteer members of the USTA Southern Awards Committee and other committees that have expertise in the award category. Recipients are scheduled to receive their awards at the USTA Southern Annual Meeting on Jan. 15, 2022, in Atlanta. Presented below are the 2021 USTA Southern award winners: • Adult Tournament of the Year: OPRC Banana Open, Charlotte, N.C. • Community Tennis Association of the Year: Florence Tennis Association, Florence, S.C. • DeWitt Redgrave III Junior Achievement Awards: Emma Charney, Mt. Pleasant, S.C.; Nichols Heng, Madison, Ala. • Diversity & Inclusion Champion Award: The Louisville Area 10U Tennis Association, Louisville, Ky. • Educational Merit Award: Keisha Price, Raleigh, N.C. • Gerrie Rothwell Award: Jim Warren, Jackson, Miss. • Jim Russell Junior Tournament of the Year: Georgia Junior Clay Court Open, Columbus, Ga. • Junior Team Tennis Coordinator of the Year: Tony Cherone, Memphis, Tenn. • Local League Coordinator of the Year: Dusty Braddock, Florence, S.C. • Mac MacDougal Tennis Official of the Year: Meg Farrelly, Isle of Palms, S.C. • Marc Kaplan Media Excellence Award: Second Serve Podcast, Wake Forest, N.C. • Marilyn Sherman Spirit Award: Avery Caruso, Concord, N.C. • Member Organization of the Year: Shreveport Association of Ladies Tennis, Shreveport, La. • Mickey McNulty Family of the Year: The Burke/Mulkey Family, Cary, N.C. • NJTL Chapter of the Year: South Atlanta CTA/NJTL, Atlanta • Ozaki-Hastings Junior Sportsmanship Award: Mai Nguyen, Atlanta • Slew Hester Players of the Year: Cynthia (Cindy) Babb, Mount Pleasant, S.C.; Chris Bussert, Big Canoe, Ga. • Southern Tennis Professional of the Year: Courtney Dugas, Lafayette, La. • Special Tennis Event of the Year: Atlantic Tire Championships, Cary, N.C. • Team Tennis Event of the Year: USTA League Tennis 18 & Over State Championships, Lake Norman, N.C. • Wheelchair Excellence Award: Kelly Flouhouse, Charlotte, N.C. 12
NETNEWS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022
Photos by Laura Barnard
USTA Southern Announces 2021 Annual Tennis Awards
AYTEF Golf Tourney Raises Funds for Fair Oaks Tennis Center The third annual AY TEF Regions Bank Golf Tournament was held at Dunwoody Country Club on Oct. 25, 2021. Blessed by beautiful fall weather, the event was AYTEF’s largest fundraising event of the year and the most successful golf event to date. Thanks to the generous support of sponsors such as Regions Bank, Cobb County Toyota, Universal Tennis Academy, UBS, and Porsche, the Atlanta Youth Tennis & Education Foundation secured critical funds that will directly benefit the tennis and education programs for under-resourced youth at Fair Oaks Tennis Center. The Foundation extends its appreciation to the 18 tournament sponsors, 124 golfers, and 15 volunteers that, through their participation and generosity, are helping youth achieve on the court, in the classroom, and in life. For more information, visit aytef.org/golf.
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