2022 Fall Serve

FEATURES 8

USTA Missouri Valley takes NYC

From players to stringers, our section had quite the showing at this year’s US Open.

Mary Buschmann

Andrea Gallagher Digital Assistant

A Message from Mary...

The opportunity for tennis this year has been awesome! There’s been lots of competitive play in tournaments and leagues for both juniors and adults. As we head into fall, we will continue to engage our schools, our players, our coaches, our parents and our community partners. Our goal is to introduce tennis to as many communities as we can and create fun experiences for everyone. There are so many options offered in your local areas and it’s a healthy way to keep adults and youth moving and having fun together. For all of you passionate players out there, please continue to introduce a friend to tennis and let them experience the joy and camaraderie of playing this sport for life. Please join us for our Annual Conference as we plan for 2023 and recognize all the wonderful volunteers and players in USTA Missouri Valley that make tennis so great! Please let us know how we can better serve you in your community in 2023! Let’s get out and play!

USTA Missouri Valley CEO & Executive Director

CHAMPIONS

Congratulations to Team Ward of St. Louis, the National League Champions in the Adult 18 & Over 2.5 Women division!

We could not be more proud of our 2022 League players!

A complete list of section champions can be found on page 18.

Click here for a the list of National winners!

HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2022

USTA Missouri Valley is excited to announce its 2022 Annual Conference and Hall of Fame Class of 2022.

MARY GREEF HARRIS was one of the original pioneers of women’s tennis. She grew up in Kansas City, Missouri in the early 1900s. Tennis was really only a summer sport during her youth because there were no indoor tennis courts at the time. After high school, Greef Harris earned a scholarship to play tennis at the University of Southern California. She won the 1931 singles and doubles championships in the National Intercollegiate Women Championships - now the NCAA Championships. She was a threetime quarterfinalist at the US National (now US Open) in 1929, 1930 and 1932. She also was a member of the 1930 Wightman Cup Team. She was posthumously inducted into the USTA Heart of America Hall of Fame in 2018. Greef Harris passed away in 2002 at the age of 91.

JEAN LARRICK grew up in Decatur, Ill. and has been playing tennis for more than 65 years. While she didn’t have the opportunity to play high school ten nis because there were no girls sports teams in the late 1960s, she did play college tennis at Millikin University for one year and Missouri State University for three years. Over the course of her extensive playing career, Larrick has won more than 200 titles in singles, doubles and mixed competitions. Among her career highlights are representing USTA Western on the Junior Wightman Cup team, finishing in fourth place at the USTA National 35 Women’s Doubles Clay Court Championships and winning multiple National Public Parks Tennis Championships. Outside of playing, Larrick has been an International Certified Teaching Professional with Professional Tennis Registry for more than 30 years.

LARRY NEWTON is a true legend in the junior tennis world. He is currently using his vast knowledge and expertise to serve the USTA National Local Play and Competition Committee as its Vice Chair and as Chair of Junior Play for USTA Missouri Valley. He also received national recognition in 2021 for his contributions to junior tennis when he was named Racquet Sports Industry’s National Youth Tennis Provider of the Year. Newton has spent the past 36 years volunteering his time to help grow the game of tennis through various avenues: as a tournament director, official or serving on district, section and national boards. One of his greatest contributions to USTA Nebraska is his creation of “Farm Team Competitions,” which fed high-level junior players into the Nebraska Competition Training Center, while also providing second-tier players non-elimination competitions each week. Working with non-elimination formats led Newton to create the NET events for new players in Nebraska that expanded section wide, eventually becoming what is now called Junior Circuits.

Please join us to celebrate our three new inductees and all award winners at the Awards Ceremony on Saturday, December 3.

Congratulations to the 2022 MISSOURI VALLEY

AWARD WINNERS

Adult Player of the Year-4.0 & Below -Eric Tabor, Oklahoma Adult Player of the Year-4.5 & Above -Robert Weber, Nebraska Distinguished Service -Mary Vassar, St. Louis Facility of the Year -Dwight Davis Tennis Center, STL High School Coach of the Year -Dave Lipe, St. Louis Junior Sportsmanship Boys 10s -Dex Saniuk, Nebraska Junior Sportsmanship Boys 12s -Pranav Madamanchi, St. Louis Junior Sportsmanship Boys 14s -Shaan Patel, St. Louis Junior Sportsmanship Boys 16s -Jasper Schmidt, St. Louis Junior Sportsmanship Boys 18s -Danny Radke, St. Louis Junior Sportsmanship Girls 10s -Kharis Bedenbaugh, St. Louis Junior Sportsmanship Girls 12s -Kennedy Orr, Oklahoma Junior Sportsmanship Girls 14s -Adelyn Gross, St. Louis Junior Sportsmanship Girls 16s -Kailee Bailey, Nebraska Junior Sportsmanship Girls 18s -Rachel Li, St. Louis Female Junior Emerging Player of the Year -Allexis Moen, Iowa

Male Junior Emerging Player of the Year -Noah Gou, Oklahoma Female Junior High-Performance Player of the Year -Lily Lautenschlager, Nebraska

Male Junior High-Performance Player of the Year -Cooper Woestendick, HOA Member Organization of the Year -Miracle Hill Tennis Center, Nebraska Outstanding Adult/Senior Tournament -Fred Johnson All-Star Event, Nebraska Outstanding Community Tennis Association -Kearney Tennis Association, Nebraska

Outstanding Contributor Youth High-Performance Program -Kyle Wartick, Missouri Outstanding Contributor Youth Tennis -Spencer Eells, Iowa

Outstanding Contributor USTA League Tennis Program -Connie Bennett, HOA Outstanding Diversity Achievement -Anelisse Garner, Missouri Outstanding Junior Tournament -MV Summer Closed Level 3, OK Outstanding Official -Michael Reichman, St. Louis Tennis Family of the Year -Gross/Stauffer Family, St. Louis USTA Junior Team Tennis Organizer -Emily Cimarolli, St. Louis President’s Award -Surprise Announcement, 12/3

MISSOURI VALLEY FACES

The 2022 US Open was, by all accounts, one of the most successful US Opens ever. From Serena’s retirement to Carlos Alcaraz becoming the first teenager ever to reach world No. 1 in the ATP rankings, there was no shortage of major storylines. However, USTA Missouri Valley also had plenty of local connections to the US Open. From homegrown players to volunteers to spectators, there was plenty of USTA Missouri Valley representation across every level of the event.

On the court, there were ATP & WTA stalwarts Jack Sock (Lincoln, Neb.) and Madison Keys (Rock Island, Ill.) each competing in singles and mixed doubles. But there were other fresh faces that made appearances in the competition.

Murphy Cassone (Overland Park, Kan.) received a wild card entry into the singles draw for the first time and Jackson Withrow (Omaha, Neb.) made another appearance in both men’s and mixed dou bles. In the wheelchair competition, Casey Ratzlaff (Wichita, Kan.) made his return to the US Open stage, copeting in both singles and doubles. And 18-year-old Lily Lautenschlager (Omaha, Neb.) made the most of her maidenvoyage at the US Open, bringing home a runner-up finish in the Girls’ doubles field.

We also had another group of individuals representing the section on the court. We were lucky enough to have five officials selected to work this year.

Left: Lily Lautenschlager

Jack Sock

Madison Keys Casey Ratzlaff

FACES AT THE US OPEN

Verne Weber always does an amazing job with the section’s officials and this year is no different. Sheila Conway and Cindy Ritchie (USTA Oklahoma), Diane Lawrence and Nick Flentie (USTA Kansas) and Kim Kilgore (USTA Missouri) all represented our section and their districts with professionalism and class.

Off the court, USTA Missouri Valley was all over the ground in Flushing Meadows. Jaren Glaser and Lindsay Hall helped get the party started when they volunteered at Arthur Ashe Kids Day. Both were selected by the USTA due to their contributions to tennis and their community impact.

Omaha’s Joe Heydt once again worked behind the scenes in the stringing room. Heydt has been stringing on tour for 15 years, but still cherishes every opportunity he gets to work at a grand slam.

And then there are the spectators. Among the record-setting attendance numbers was Kansas City’s Ashleigh Grumke. The Lee’s Summit, Mo. teacher and tennis coach won free tickets to the US Open at a tennis industry party in the spring. She and her husband enjoyed every moment of their first grand slam experience, taking in all different types of matches and naturally enjoying a Honey Deuce or two to complete the full US Open experience.

Joe Heydt

Jaren Glaser & Lindsay Hall Ashleigh Grumke

JTT Nationals

USTA Missouri Valley recently sent three teams to the USTA Junior Team Tennis National Champi onships in Orlando. Fla. Each of the teams earned their place after successful showings at the Section Championships in Edmond, Okla. July 19-20, 2022. The team from Racquet & Health 91 (RH91) in Tulsa will represent our section in the 18 & Under Intermediate division, while the teams from Britton Christian Church Tennis Academy in Oklahoma City and Overland Park Racquet Club will play in the 14 & Under Intermediate Division.

The National Championships were October 6-9 at the USTA National Campus in Orlando. After some concerns due to Hurricane Ian, the championships were able to go ahead as scheduled. All three teams represented our section extremely well, showcasing some great play and even better sportsmanship and team spirit. Each team made the semifinals in their competitions, with BCCTA taking home the National Championship with a victory over Southern California! Read more about that here.

Ellie Bailey, the coach of the RH91 team, said her team was extremely excited about the experience.

“Most of the kids on my team have been playing team tennis together since they were in orange ball. They absolutely love the team aspect,” Bailey said. “They plan outfits, they’re very excited and looking forward to being in Orlando.”

The cherry on top for the team was when a local news station did a piece on them before leav ing for the championships.

The two teams competing in the 14 & Under divisions were also very excited about the opportunity to play in Orlando. The Overland Park Racquet Club team, captained by David Fox, earned a wild card berth after finishing as the runner-up at the Section Championship to Britton Christian Church Tennis Academy.

“We are very excited to have been awarded a wild card to represent USTA Missouri Valley and Heart of America at the National Championships. The team has worked really hard all summer to improve and can’t wait to compete with each other on a national platform,” Fox said. “We are grateful to the USTA for the opportunity to compete at such an extraordinary facility with some of the best players in the country.”

This has been the ultimate goal of the team from Britton Christian Church Tennis Academy for a few years now.

“Having the opportunity to represent Oklahoma and the Missouri Valley at the Junior Team Ten nis National Championships is the ultimate honor for our academy. The vast majority of players on our roster have been teammates for a number of years,” said coach Brad Lund. “With the pan demic halting the opportunity to qualify for Nationals, this is something we have been looking forward to for three years now. Our flights cannot take off soon enough.”

Going the Extra Mile(S)

Speaking of those flights, BCC went above and beyond to help its players and their families attend the National Championships. The majority of the students at the tennis academy come from lower-class families, with 70% of them requiring some sort of financial assistance and one-third of the players on reduced lunch. So Lund wanted to help ease the financial burden of flying from Oklahoma City to Orlando. With the help of some generous donations, Lund and the team were able to fundraise enough to help bring 27 total people to Orlando - 11 players and 16 family members.

Lund estimated the total expenses for the trip would be around $30,000 so the financial support was greatly needed and appreciated. At the end of the day, that’s part of what makes this team so special, though. They truly are like one big family.

Keeper of the Courts

Back in 2017, USTA National and USTA Missouri Valley each awarded a grant to East St. Louis, Ill. to reconstruct the tennis courts in a local park called Lincoln Park. This laid the groundwork for a very unconventional love affair with the game of tennis.

Across the street from the new courts is a senior living apartment building that is home to a sort of local celebrity around the community. The court construction ignited a newfound interest in tennis for one particular resident, known fondly around the community as “Mr. Jake.”

The love for him around the community is apparent, as everyone who walked through the lobby had to stop and say “hi” and share a smile with him as they were passing through.

He would sit on the balcony of the apartment building and watch nealy every day as the construction crews remodeled the courts across the street. Mr. Jake has never picked up a tennis racquet in his life, but he has grown so attached to the courts throughout the construction process and eventual opening of them that he now even has a key to the gates of the courts. He cares so much about the new courts that he’s even had to yell across the street a few times to shoo off skateboarders who try to ride on the courts. This, of course, came before the lock was installed.

So how does someone who has never played tennis a day in his life develop such an appreciation for some new courts?

“What else am I gonna do?” he says with a chuckle. “I would just sit on the patio while they were working, so I just watched.”

Once the courts officially opened Mr. Jake’s routine remained the same, but the viewing material got a bit more entertaining.

East St. Louis - Lincoln Park

Gone were the construction workers and materials, now replaced with local kids and their tennis equipment.

Even though he was never a tennis fan before, Mr. Jake said he’s enjoyed getting to watch the kids play and improve over time. He’s happy that they have a place to play again and keep themselves occupied throughout the summer. Not to mention, the improvement he’s seen in some of the kids over time. The pride in his voice is evident, even though he doesn’t know any of them personally.

“Some of them have gotten pretty good since they’ve been coming out,” he says.

Even the kids now wave across the street and yell their greetings to Mr. Jake when they show up to play around. Their parents also appreciate knowing there is someone there to watch over the kids and make sure nothing happens, especially since once he caught a kid trying to climb up and over the fence.

He says his knees are too bad for him to consider going out there himself one day. He’d much prefer to just sit and watch as the kids get better every day playing the game they love.

But after living through all this over the past few years, would he go back and do it differently and play tennis in his younger years if he could?

“No, I’d probably still have just stuck to basketball,” he says with a hearty laugh. “But I’m glad I can see now the joy it brings to these kids.”

It’s all just a great reminder of the positive impact tennis can have on everyone, whether they’re a devoted player or just a spectator and keeper of their local courts.

Who knows? Maybe your community has its own “Mr. Jake” just waiting to discover their own love for tennis. To learn more about USTA facility grants click here. To learn about USTA Missouri Valley grants click here.

• SERVING UP TENNIS GRANT NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

• GROW THE GAME GRANT

Spotlight on... Oklahoma

In honor of Native American Heritage Month in November, USTA Missouri Valley programs that are taking place in the section and primarily in Oklahoma.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the current total population of Native Americans in the United States is 6.79 million, which is about 2.09% of the entire population. There are about 574 federally recognized Native American tribes in the U.S. Oklahoma has the second highest population 523,360 or 13.39% of its total population.

It’s fitting that Oklahoma has been home to the North American Indian Tennis Association (NAITA) National Champion ship many times over the 45 years the tournament has been held. NAITA was formed in Phoenix in 1976 by a small group of American Indian tennis players who wanted to bring tennis to Indian Country. The tournament provides a culturally centered play opportunity for Native American tennis players across the US.

The 2022 championship was held May 28-30 at the Oklahoma City Tennis Center in Oklahoma City. More than 75 players competed. This was the first year back for the tournament after it was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic. Jessica Redcorn from Tulsa was the tournament director.

To tie in the cultural significance of this national championship, champions and finalists in every division of the tournament received horsehair pots or bowls to tie in their culture. The tournament kicked off with a ceremony where elders did a blessing in their native tongue for the players. (link to photo gallery) The 75 players who competed in the national tournament represented 33 different tribes.

Pictured below: NAITA tournament trophy & finalists

Click to view the full photo gallery!

Native American Tennis Community

Valley is turning the spotlight on tennis events and tennis community outreach

Youth Tennis Clinic

A free youth tennis clinic held over the tournament weekend was seen as a way to introduce Native American youth to tennis and a healthy lifestyle. Tony Mullican, First Serve OKC Foundation Executive Director of Operations, organized the clinic that had more than 60 Native American children ages 6-13 participate. Tony had eight Native American tennis pros volunteer their time to help with the clinic.

Mullican said Native Americans have a rich history in tennis. “We just see Native American culture fading all over the United States. And so, it’s important that we continue to grow our culture and be around our people, and to keep it going,” Mullican said. “We wanna teach our kids how exciting tennis can be. And so, everything we do is geared around our culture and around our people.” (use video in digital issue)

Each participant received a free tennis racquet from USTA Missouri Valley and an event t-shirt, and encouragement to grow in the game throughout their life.

School Tennis Community Outreach

The momentum created by the tournament and kids’ clinic has continued in local communities. One educator goes to the top of the class for his efforts to impact children in his community with the positive aspects of tennis.

Dr. James Quinn, a psychologist in the Okmulgee school system, saw a way to connect his love for the game of tennis with the need for physical fitness and community in his school. The school has a minority enrollment of 77% of the student body, 40% are Native American. Dr Quinn was the school counselor and could tell kids needed another outlet during the day. So he would take some racquets and balls and hit with kids. He soon found they wanted to play tennis instead of another counseling technique.

Last school year Dr Quinn began an after school tennis program for the elementary and middle school students. He also helped the PE teacher with teaching a Net Generation PE unit. Dr Quinn is the USTA school/community partner for the school district.

He and his wife attended a community workshop in Tulsa, received a section grant and were able to get the community equip ment pack as well as mini nets valued at over $400 for the school to use. USTA Oklahoma also provided a $500 grant for equip ment for schools, and he received a $1000 grant from USTA Missouri Valley for equipment.

“Dr Quinn is truly the face of tennis in Okmulgee Oklahoma,and it is because of him and his wife, Michelle, that tennis is back in the community,” said Becky Riggs, School Tennis Organizer for USTA Oklahoma. “Countless kids have experienced tennis due to their time and expertise given to the sport.”

Dr. Quinn did not take the summer off from his passion for connecting kids to tennis. He taught a tennis unit in the school’s summer school program. He and his wife, Michelle, who is also a school counselor also provided a summer camp for the youth in Okmulgee in June using the city courts. On the final day of the camp, the Oklahoma Tennis Foundation led the camp providing drinks, a T-shirt and a racquet for each camper. Michelle will teach P.E. in high school this year.

Recently Dr Quinn was hired as the coach of the boys and girls interscholastic tennis teams. This is the inaugural year for Okmulgee tennis. The tennis program that will be held in the spring is a No-cut Tennis Program. Currently Coach Quinn is busy recruiting players for his team and is pursuing the resurfacing of the schools tennis courts through a USTA facilities grant.

For hundreds of years, Hispanic-Americans have made a positive and lasting impact on the fabric of American society. Their rich history, culture, and achievements are awe-inspiring, and we as a nation have so much to thank our Hispanic communities for. National Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs September 15-October 15, was created to honor these many contributions of Hispanic-Americans while also celebrating those in our communities who serve as inspirations to others across the country.

Originally from Michoacan, Mexico, Fernando Garcia played tennis at an early age, along with other sports such as soccer and track and field. However, he didn’t pick up a racquet again until he was a freshman in high school. He maintained his skills, as he was able to play Division II tennis at Stillman College in Tuscaloosa. Currently Gar cia owns the Vega Sports Academy in Cedar Rapids and is co-founder of the Forever Strong Children’s Founda tion. He said it’s a way to give back to the community, just as he was helped as a child growing up in Las Vegas facing tough times. He hopes to provide a positive environment for the youth, but also mentorship so they know that anything is possible if they put their minds to it with the right example, such as his own personal story.

“My goal is to help those kids that thought the same way I did growing up, that feel there is no hope because of their background,” he said.

Iowa - Fernando Garcia Missouri - Anelisse Garner

Anelisse Garner wanted to better engage the Latino community in tennis when she began her full-time role as community sports coordinator for the City of Springfield earlier this year. She’s already making good on that vow, as Garner is coordinating a Fiesta Latina de Tenis event for October. Garner — who grew up in Bolivia and speaks both English and Spanish — is hoping for a strong turnout as she seeks to reach a segment of the Springfield populace that sometimes shies away from tennis.

“We’re just excited to have it,” Garner said. “They should come out just to get to know the parks and have a good time spending time with their families. Get involved with tennis because it’s a family sport that everyone can bond with. It’s going to be a great time to come try it out and see if they want to sign up for lessons, academy or anything like that.”

When Nico Arguello’s older brother came home from tennis practice, he showed Nico how to play at age 11, and soon after got involved in group tennis lessons. A few years later, he got more serious about the sport and start ed competing on the junior tennis circuit in Columbia. He has been in love with the sport ever since. He followed his brother’s footsteps once again, when he came to the United States to play tennis at Midland University in Fremont from 2012-2016.

As a tennis coach at Genesis Westroads in Omaha, he loves to share his passion with his students and watch them develop and grow as players.

“Watching a person progress and develop a passion for tennis and compete is a great payoff as a coach,” he added.

As for the future, Arguello hopes to help more players get collegiate tennis opportunities like he did, as well as starting his own tennis program in the future and making the sport more accessible to every demographic.

Matias Marin is the Director of Tennis at Tucker Tennis Academy in Tulsa and is a native of Rosario, Argentina. Recognized as one of the best youth instructors in the region, Marin was recently named the Missouri Valley USPTA Professional of the Year for 2021.

He started playing tennis at the age of 5 years old. His childhood house was two blocks from a social club in his hometown in Argentina where he played tennis and soccer. He has been coaching tennis for 15+ years.

“I was very lucky to be surrounded and exposed to a lot of great coaches when I was growing up, as well as great mentor/coaches when I started my coaching career,” he said. “It is important to create a connection of trust be tween the player and the coach by not only focusing on the development of the tennis player, but also as a good human being. Willingness to do extra, positive environment, strong culture are all key components of a success ful program.”

Nebraska - Nico Arguello Oklahoma - Matias Marin St. Louis - Jorge Flores

While soccer continues to be a mainstay in Jorge Flores’s life as it has been since he was a young boy born in Mexico, tennis is a more recent endeavor. Flores pairs up playing in a 30 & Over Vetta adult soccer league filled with diverse cultures with a USTA St. Louis 6.0 mixed doubles league. As Flores has developed his own game, he’s taken his soccer coaching knowledge and applied it by teaching junior players and entry-level adults in tennis clinics. The similarities between the two sports — especially footwork — has aided him in transitioning as he seeks to teach tennis more frequently.

Flores — the facility/maintenance manager at Frontenac Racquet Club and Woodsmill Tennis Club — has about 50 kids participating in his club now and has worked with 80 to 100 boys and girls ages 4 to 17 throughout the past seven years.

“The reason I fell in love with tennis the most is there’s always room for improvement,” Flores said. “No matter what — every single point, every serve, every volley — there are just things you can tweak. Also the longevity of how long you can play this sport.”

NET NOTES

TENNIS ON CAMPUS FALL INVITATIONAL

Kossover Tennis Center in Topeka once again hosted the 2022 Tennis On Campus Fall Invite. A total of 16 teams showed up to compete for the title and the bragging rights that accompany it. The weather couldn’t have been better for a weekend of friendly competition and spirit.

Traditional powerhouse Washington University - St. Louis capped off an impressive weekend with a win in the finals against in-town rival St. Louis University. The Spirit Award went to a very deserving Truman State University squad, highlighted by one of their players showing up in head-to-toe purple body paint for all of Sunday’s matches.

NATIONAL FAMILY TOURNAMENTS

Overland Park Racquet Club recently hosted both the USTA National Husband & Wife Doubles Open and the USTA Missouri Valley Family Championship tournaments over the same weekend–July 17-19–and both events served up major excitement and matches to remember.

Iowa’s BJ Fleming double dipped, playing in both competitions. He and his wife, Heather, claimed the Husband/Wife championship in a thrilling final over Kirk and Victoria Fisher of Monroe, LA. He made it a family affair by playing in the Father/Daughter Championship with his daughter, Gabi. They added to the family’s trophy haul by winning over Mark and Jenna Mahoney of Gardner, Kansas.

30S HARD COURT

After a hot and humid summer, this fall weather is a welcome change–and it was perfect tennis weather during the National 30’s Hardcourts that took place September 30-October 2, 2022, at the Plaza Tennis Center in Kansas City. The sun was shining, the air was crisp, and the competition was undeniably fierce.

One of the biggest draws of the tournament was the top seed in the men’s doubles draw. Local stars Anthony Perkins and Thiago Santos teamed up to form a star-powered duo that lived up to expectations.

Left: BJ & Heather Fleming Right: Kirk & Victoria Fisher Left: BJ & Gabi Fleming Right: Mark & Jenna Mahoney

NET NOTES

COURT OF DREAMS

More than 600 people filled the stands at the Court of Dreams Celebration of Tennis event in Charles City, Iowa on July 15-16 with tennis pros Madison Keys, Caty McNally and many others. The grass court, which is a replica of Wimbledon’s Centre Court, was the location for the event which raised money for the Kindness Wins Foundation, which supports mental health awareness.

Read the full article here.

FACILITY AWARDS

Two local facilities won national awards this summer. Edmond Center Court in Edmond, Oklahoma and Quad Cities Tennis Club in Moline, Illinois were two of 33 winners in the USTA’s annual Outstanding Facility Awards program, which recognizes excellence in the construction and/or renovation of tennis facilities throughout the country.

USPTA AWARDS

The USPTA Missouri Valley Division’s Annual Conference met in Kansas City, Missouri on August 19 & 20 and named their award winners.

High School Coach of the Year - Patrick Huewe - St. Louis, Missouri College Coach of the Year - Josh Molino - Salina, Kansas Elevate Award - Jan Steenekamp - Tulsa, Oklahoma Star Award - Georgi Cravero - Tulsa, Oklahoma Facility of the Year - LaFortune Park Tennis Center - Tulsa, Oklahoma Facility Manager of the Year - Suzanne Labelle - Oklahoma City Education Credits Award - Lane Evans - Norman, Oklahoma Kansas Professional of the Year - Jared Ward - Lawrence, Kansas Missouri Professional of the Year - Shanky Nautiyal - St. Joseph, Missouri Nebraska Professional of the Year - Mike Johnson - Omaha, Nebraska Iowa Professional of the Year - Mark Blume - Ankeny, Iowa USPTA Missouri Valley Professional of the Year - Matias Marin

Edmond Center Court Quad Cities Tennis Club

View the USPTA Missouri Valley Division’s photo gallery here.

NET NOTES

ADAPTIVE SECTION CHAMPIONSHIP & FRED JOHNSON ALL STARS

The Fred Johnson ALL Stars event made its long-awaited return after a two year hiatus. Koch Tennis Center in Omaha hosted the weekend of friendly competition. The inaugural event was in 2011 and typically takes place annually, with the exception of the COVID years.

This year, approximately 50 athletes attended the event. In addition to the tennis matches, there was also a Kona Ice Truck, plenty of other games and a barn dance on Saturday night. More tennis and then the closing ceremonies capped off the weekend on Sunday.

That same weekend, Omaha also hosted the USTA Missouri Valley Adaptive Championships. This unique event is a doubles tournament where teams are comprised of one adaptive player and one unified partner. While the tournament was still heavily focused on fun, there was also a competitive aspect with a chance to advance to the 2022 USTA National Adaptive Tennis Championships on November 4-6, 2022, in Orlando, Florida. Omaha’s Matt and Tim Hoffman claimed that honor over Barrett and Craig Matulka, also from Omaha.

NATIONAL TOP 3 FINISHERS FROM USTA MISSOURI VALLEY

USTA National Championship - Mobile, Alabama

B16 Doubles: Cooper Woestendick - 1st Place

USTA National Clay Court Championships

G12 Doubles: Madeleine Bridges - 2nd Place

B16 Singles: Ian Bracks - 3rd Place

Level 2: Hudsonville, Michigan

B14 Singles: Micah Ward - 1st Place

Shaan Patel - 2nd Place

B14 Doubles: Micah Ward and Anish Poojari - 1st Place

Hunter Nelson and partner - 2nd Place

G12 Singles: Rose Biria - 2nd Place

G12 Doubles: Rose Biria and Adelyn Gross - 1st Place

Level 2: Cary, North Carolina

G16 Doubles: Angela Chen and Sydney Fuger - 2nd Place

Level 2: Oklahoma City

G18 Doubles: Amber Yin and partner - 1st Place

G18 Singles: Amber Yin - 3rd Place

Level 2: Overland Park

B18 Singles: Luke Bracks - 2nd Place

Level 2: Grand Rapids, Michigan

G18 Singles: Audrey Spencer - 3rd Place

G18 Doubles: Audrey Spencer - 2nd Place

Please click here to view the photo gallery from the Adaptive Championships and Fred Johnson All Stars event.

Level 2: Edmond, Oklahoma

B16 Doubles: Jue Rui Law - 1st Place

Langdon Tingleaf - 1st Place

G16 Doubles: Sarah Yan - 1st Place

Level 2: Arlington, Texas

B14 Doubles: Trenton Kanchanakomtorn - 1st Place

Micah Ward - 2nd Place

Level 1: USTA National Doubles Championships

G14 Doubles: Sarah Yan - 2nd Place

ADULT GOLD BALL WINNERS

Level 1: USTA Women’s National Clay Court Championship

Women’s 80 Doubles: Laura Baetz and Carolyn Clark

Level 1: USTA National 30s Hardcourts

Men’s 30 Doubles: Thiago Santos and Anthony Perkins

Women’s 30 Doubles: Fiona Rey and Julia Wulff

Level 1: Wilson World Tennis Classic

Mixed 80+ Doubles: Wilbur Jones and Roz King

USTA National Husband and Wife

BJ and Heather Fleming

District News

USTA Heart of America 2022 Award Winners

Stephanie Waterman Junior SportsmanshipFemale

Bryson Langford

Junior Player of the Year - Female Audrey Spencer

Junior Player of the Year Male Cooper Woestendick

Emerging Jr Player of the Year – Female

Ella Wang

Emerging Jr Player of the Year Male Rishi Goli

Junioe Sportsmanship Awards

Remi Jennings Girls 10

Kynsey Smith Girls 12

Neema Kimaku Girls 14

Shelby S mith Girls 16

Lera Alexin Girls 18 Wyatt Marcum Boys 12 Micah Ward Boys 14

Arjun Reiland Boys 16 CJ Smith Boys 18

Adult Player of the Year - Female Denise Chiao

Adult Player of the Year - Male Grant Huddin

Adult Player 4.0 & Below Female Jill Burgdorfer

Adult Player 4.0 & Below Male Duane Strader

Shawna Froeschl Adult Sportsmanship - Male Charles Wohlers

Outstanding Contributor to USTA League Tennis Connie Bennett High School Coach Scott Hanover

Shawna Froeschl Adult Sportsmanship - Female Maria Andrew

Outstanding Contributor to USTA Tennis Youth Programs

Chris Claypool

Outstanding Contributor to Youth High Performance Program

Jared Ward

Outstanding Contributor to Junior Team Tennis

Kyle Aaron

Outstanding Official Marvin Stringfellow

Family of the Year

The Marrs Family

Outstanding Diversity Achievement Melissa Burns

Community Ser vice Excellence Katie Bolton Gre en

Volunteer of the Year Chinmoy Dev

Facility of the Year Overland Park Racquet Club

Member Organization

Genesis KC

Outstanding Community Tennis Association Stephanie Waterman Foundation

Outstanding Junior Tournament

L5 Jayhawk

Outstanding Adult/Senior Tournament

Husband & Wife

Event of the Year Lob & Learn Pro Am Event

Distinguished Ser vice to USTA Heart of America Deborah Fabrizius

USTA IOWA congratulates these organizations and indiv iduals for these 2022 honors:

USTA IOWA DISTRICT AWARDS

Facility of the Year - Smithfield Tennis & Pickleball Center, Cedar Rapids

Tennis Family of the Year - The Sagers (Chris, Tara, daughters Madison, Mackenzie), Waterloo Member Organization of the Year - Quad City Tennis Club, Moline IL

Outstanding Community Tennis Association - Great River Tennis Association, Muscatine

Outstanding Contributor to Youth High Performance -Genesis Health Club, Thrive Tennis Academy

Outstanding Contributor to Youth Tennis Programs - Spencer Eells, Cedar Rapids

Outstanding Adult/Senior Tournament - MVO Adult Tournament, Dubuque

Outstanding Junior Tournament - MVO Junior Tournament, Dubuque

Outstanding Diversity Achievement - RespectAbilities, East Moline, IL

Distinguished Service - Craig Ihnen, West Des Moines

Outstanding Contributor to the USTA League Tennis Program - Jan Koder, Clive

Junior High Performance (Girl) - Katelynn Kock, Cedar Rapids Junior High Performance (Boy) - Micah Flaherty, Fort Dodge

Adult Player of the Year - Willis Hong, Ankeny High School Coach of the Year - Sara Loetscher, Dubuque

Emerging Junior Player of the Year (Girl) - Allexis Moen, West Des Moines Emerging Junior Player of the Year (Boy) - Henry Waddell, Urbandale Junior Sportsmanship

Girl 10U- Brooklyn Rypma, Des Moines Boy 10U- Sujal Kunchanapalli, Waukee Girl 12U- Tenly Cewe, Camache Boy 12UGirl 14U- Emma Stahlberg, Swisher Boy 14U- Lucas Sun, Shenandoah Girl 16U- Harper Cope, Johnston Boy 16UGirl 18U- Claire Gu, West Des Moines Boy 18U- Jacob Fee, Davenport

USTA IOWA HALL OF FAME

Spencer Eells, Elmcrest Country Club, Cedar Rapids

BARBARA J FACKEL COMMUNITY SERVICE/COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS

Caroline Chandler, Iowa City, sophomore going to John Carroll University ($1,000)

Tricia Veldhuizen, Runnells, sophomore going to Iowa State University ($1,000)

USPTA IOWA PRO OF THE YEAR

PTR IOWA PRO OF THE YEAR

Mark Blume, Genesis Health Club, Clive TBD

Michael Shires, North Dodge Athletic Club, Iowa City

USTA ADULT LEAGUE TEAMS GOING TO NATIONALS

40 & Over 4.0 Men - Rich Heil (captain), team is from Genesis Health Club, Clive 40 & Over 4.5 Women - Lindsay Chase & Jennie Henry (captains) team is from Lifetime Fitness Club in Urbandale

Adult Player of the Year

Debbie Pell

O Outstanding Contributor to the USTA League Tennis Program

Huong Doan

N New Player of the Year

Carolee Jones

A Adult Captain of the Year

Hee Sun Kim

N New Captain of the Year

Carol Rollins

S Senior Captain of the Year

Ann Vogel

C Captain Mentor Award

Donna Hoffman

A Adult Sportsmanship Awards

Gabe Goldstein Kathy Drew Marsha Marsh Steve Seo

O Outstanding Adult Tournament

Cooper Adult Spring Doubles and Singles Open

E Event of the Year

Adaptive Tennis

O Outstanding Diversity Achievement Award

Anelisse Garner

F Facility of the Year

Cooper Tennis Complex

O Outstanding Community Tennis Associations

Springfield Wild

SWMO Tennis Network

AWARD WINNERS

Community Service Excellence Award

Marianella Padron

O Outstanding Contributor to the Youth High Performance Program

Kyle Wartick

O Outstanding USTA Junior Team Tennis Organizer

Mallory Weber

H High School Coaches of the Year

Sean Kembell Karen Fielding

T Tennis Family of the Year

The Merrifield Family

M Member Organization of the Year Marshall Junior Tennis

J Junior High Performance Players of the Year

Akhash Baskar Kaylee Doran

J Junior Recreation Players of the Year

Orion Hilles Chloe Stenger

J Junior Sportsmanship Awards

Micka Hahn

Isla Merrifield

Will Beall Adley Carpenter

Brett Crockett

Elana Hadi Ian Rogers

Brynley Brotherton

O Outstanding Junior Tournament

Branson L7

O Outstanding Official

John Xu

Adults

THE COOPER CLASH!

Singles, Doubles, and Mixed Doubles

October 28 30

Cooper Tennis Complex Springfield, MO

Juniors

COLUMBIA OCTOBER L6

October 8 9

Bethel Park Columbia, MO

BRANSON OCTOBER L7

October 15

Stockstill Park Branson, MO

COLUMBIA JUNIOR CIRCUIT #3

October 15

Cosmo Park Columbia, MO

CAMDENTON SINGLES FALL L6

October 21 22

Camdenton City Park Camdenton, MO

COLUMBIA OCTOBER L7

October 29

Bethel Park Columbia, MO

AWARD WINNERS

Junior Player/Provider Awards

Junior Team Tennis Organizer

Outstanding Contributor to Youth Progression

Outstanding Contributor to Youth High Performance

Emily Cimarolli

Creve Coeur Racquet Club

Melisa Lemus

High School Coach of the Year David Lipe

Outstanding Junior Tournament Alton Junior 6 Hour

Emerging Player of the Year Johnny Curran / Grace Leitner

Judy Dippold Player of the Year Preston Achter / Amber Yin

Junior Sportsmanship

Junior Sportsmanship

Junior Sportsmanship

Junior Sportsmanship

Junior Sportsmanship

Eshan Rahman / Kharis Beckenbaugh

Pranav Madamanchi / Dia Kannan

Shaan Patel / Adelyn Gross

Jasper Schmidt / Angela Chen

Danny Radke / Rachel Li

Adult Player/Provider Awards

Facility of the Year Dwight Davis Tennis Center

Member Organization of the Year Forest Lake Tennis Club

Outstanding Community Tennis Association Franklin County Community Tennis Association

Adult Recreational Player of the Year

Sanjeev Kamat / Barb Criner

Adult Player of the Year Michael Lesko / Kelly Johnston

Outstanding Contributor to League Tennis

Sam Shouldis / Anne Ross

Mary Vassar Adult Sportsmanship Miranda Lopez

Outstanding Volunteer of the Year Shelley Fridley; Amy Fikes

Tennis Family of the Year

The Gross/Stauffer Family

Outstanding Event of the Year Woodie Classic

Outstanding Adult/Senior Tournament

Sam Graf Adult Open

Outstanding Official Michael Reichman

Outstanding Diversity Achievement

Mark Zolman & Brian Kirk

Distinguished Service Mary Vassar

President's Award

It's a Surprise! (will be announced

November