2016 Hall of fame and
Section Awards Celebration
Thank ou... Y
Today we celebrate the passionate individuals who work tirelessly to grow the game of tennis all across the USTA Missouri Valley. As we welcome three new inductees into the USTA Missouri Valley Hall of Fame and honor our 2016 section award winners, please share your gratitude for their service to our communities and the game of tennis.
2016 Hall of Fame and Section Awards Celebration ORDER OF CEREMONY Welcome National Anthem Necrology 2016 Hall of Fame Inductees Bob Bates Mark Johnson Wilbur Jones
Lunch 2016 Year in Review Video 2016 USTA Missouri Valley Section Awards 2016 Junior Sportsmanship Awards 2016 President’s Award
1986
Hall of Fame
2016 Bob Bates................ Prairie Village, Kan. Mark Johnson................ Henryetta, Okla. Wilbur Jones...................Shawnee, Kan. 2015 Richard Hudlin................ St. Louis, Mo. Cornelia Salmon-Robertson..LeCompton, Kan. Mark Rosewell.................Maryville, Mo. Verne Weber....................Bellevue, Neb. 2014 Stephen L. Gerdes.............. Omaha, Neb. Jim Klouisa...................Springfield, Mo. Ken Veney.................... Sydney, Australia 2013 Ron Cobb....................... St. Louis, Mo. Kevin Hedberg...................Topeka, Kan. Joe McGuire................. Kansas City, Mo. Doug Smith..................... St. Louis, Mo. Bruce Vosburg................... Omaha, Neb.
2016
2012 Judy Dippold................... St. Louis, Mo. Micki Schillig Feldmann.. Cedar Rapids, Iowa Edmund Serrano............... St. Louis, Mo. Meredith Geiger Walton..... Kingwood, Texas 2011 Rex Coad........................Wichita, Kan. James “Buddy” Fields...........Wichita, Kan. Janet Thomas Griffith............ Tulsa, Okla. Jane Pratt....................... St. Louis, Mo. Kim Steinmetz................. St. Louis, Mo. 2010 Charles Doughty .............. Wichita, Kan. Tommy English ........ Oklahoma City, Okla. Paul Lockwood .............. Norman, Okla. James Wadley ............... Stillwater, Okla. 2009 Nick Taylor ......................Wichita, Kan. Skip Walther ................. Columbia, Mo. Sheldon Weiner ............. Rock Island, Ill.
2008 Gayle David Bradshaw .. PonteVedra Beach, Fla. Patricia Graham ........... Kansas City, Mo. Steve Prosser .................. DeSoto, Kan. Leigh Strassner ................ St. Louis, Mo. 2007 Barbara Fackel ............... Rock Island, Ill. Ken Flach ...................... St. Louis, Mo. Bob McKinley ....... College Station, Texas 2006 Dave Freeborn ................... Tulsa, Okla. Jay Louderback ............ South Bend, Ind. Terry Miller ............ Overland Park, Kan. Dave Riley ........................ Tulsa, Okla. Russell Warner.................... Tulsa, Okla. 2005 John Allen Been.............. Houston, Texas Dr. Harry Clifton Burrus ........Winter Haven, Fla. Jacque Croft............ Overland Park, Kan. Richard Mechem .......... Fredericksburg,Texas Frank A. Thompson Jr. ....... St. Louis, Mo. 2004 John Bregin ................... Merriam, Kan. Don Dippold .................. St. Louis, Mo. Don Gardner .................. Wichita, Kan. Ken Lidie ...................... Bellevue, Neb. Su Oertel ................... Mason City, Iowa 2003 Bill Brown.............Arroyo Grande, Calif. Cliff Buchholz.............Fort Collins, Colo. Bob Green................Atlantic Beach, Fla. Nancy Pearce-Jeffett............ Dallas, Texas Phil Landauer................... Hillard, Ohio
2002 Patsy Rippy-Bond................. Sandy, Utah William Davis................Seminole, Okla. Ralph Hart...................... St. Louis, Mo. Bill Rompf...................... Newport, R.I. Mary Norwood-Rompf....... Newport, R.I. 2001 Junior Coen................. Kansas City, Mo. Dick Gilkey....................Edmond, Okla. Gene Land.............Oklahoma City, Okla. Gerry Perry..................Springfield, Mo. Don McNeil.................Chickasha, Okla. 2000 Marilyn Mueller............... St. Louis, Mo. Louis Gerdes.................... Omaha, Neb. Ollie Gresham.................... Tulsa, Okla. Homer Robinson................. Tulsa, Okla. Dr. Bryce Young............Hilton Head, S.C. Judy Levering....................... Stowe, Vt. 1999 David Bryant..........Oklahoma City, Okla. Dr. George Milton............Emporia, Kan. Cliff Price.......................... Tulsa, Okla. J. Hal Surface Jr............. Kansas City, Mo. Dr. Steve Wilkinson......... St. Peter, Minn. 1998 W.E. Steve Broadie.............Wichita, Kan. Dr. Donald Klotz.............Iowa City, Iowa J.C. Louderback.........Arkansas City, Kan. Jim Reed....................... Winfield, Kan. S.L. Shofner.................... Prescott, Ariz.
1997 Lucien Barbour............... Winfield, Kan. Frank Ward........................Jenks, Okla. Anna Guerrant...............Scottsdale, Ariz. Dick Johnson..................... Ballwin, Mo. Nora Prosser.................. Merriam, Kan. 1996 Harold “Buck” Balzer............ Buhler, Kan. Justina Bricka.................. St. Louis, Mo. Kate Cushing...................... Tulsa, Okla. Ted Drewes..................... St. Louis, Mo. Phillip L. Edwards............. St. Louis, Mo. 1995 Jodie H. Adams..............Springfield, Mo. Carol Hanks Aucamp.......... St. Louis, Mo. Mary Ann Eisel Beattie....... St. Louis, Mo. 1994 Wray Brown.................... St. Louis, Mo. Earl “Butch” Buchholz Jr. ...... St. Louis, Mo. Beverly K. Buckley........Des Moines, Iowa Joy Rodenberg.................. Lincoln, Neb. Mervyn Webster................Wichita, Kan. 1993 C.J. Hixon......................... Tulsa, Okla. Wally Smith................ Ponca City, Okla. Dave Snyder......................Austin, Texas
1992 Jack Buss....................Des Moines, Iowa Lucile Davidson.......... Independence, Mo. Ed Doane.........................Tustin, Calif. 1991 Clarence Dyer.................. Durant, Okla. The Ward Parker Family...... St. Louis, Mo. Tom McSpadden............Muskogee, Okla. 1990 Francis Baxter.................Edmond, Okla. Earl H. Buchholz Sr...............Sedalia, Mo. Charles D. Cunningham......... Tulsa, Okla. Bill Price........................ St. Louis, Mo. Len Prosser.................... Merriam, Kan. 1989 Gerald Perry.................Springfield, Mo. 1988 D. Keedy Campbell........ Kansas City, Mo. Harris M. Coggeshall......... Des Moines, Iowa Marvin P. Richmond......... Leawood, Kan. T.H. “Curly” Vaughan......... Winfield, Kan. 1986 Dwight F. Davis................ St. Louis, Mo. Charles McKinley ............. St. Louis, Mo
Nominations are accepted annually by July 31. Nominations remain on file for five years. Visit missourivalley.usta.com/Hall-of-Fame-Home for more information.
Bob Bates
Prairie Village, Kansas
There’s a saying that distance makes the heart grow fonder. For Bob Bates and tennis, it’s very much a true statement. Bates’ father started him playing tennis by visiting courts near their home in Minneapolis. “Tennis was perfect because we had public park courts just down the street from me,” he said. After a successful junior career in Minnesota that led to being the No. 1 player on the University of Minnesota’s freshman tennis team, Bates was playing less and less after graduation, while constantly missing the game. Between graduating college, serving two tours of duty for the US Army and starting a family, it was difficult for Bates to find time for a sport he’d loved since he was a child. When Bates moved to Kansas City in the 1970s however, he moved near Homestead Country Club which set off a resurgence of involvement. Not only was Bates playing more often, he went on to serve as a volunteer for USTA Heart of America for over 40 years. During that time, he served three terms as president between 1984 and 1986 and again between 1999 and 2000, and treasurer between 1980 and 1984. He also served as vice president of USTA Missouri Valley from 1987 to 1988, and served one term one the USTA national Membership Committee during that time. Through his involvement at Homestead Country Club, former USTA Missouri Valley President and USTA President Marvin Richmond encouraged Bates to become an official in the mid 1970’s. He began officiating local pro tournaments around the Kansas City area. He also was an official for the USTA Clay Court Championships, NAIA Championships as well as NCAA and World Team Tennis Matches. He also started the Kansas City Association of Tennis Officials in the late 1970s, an organization that remains active today. “I never thought about those opportunities when I started at all,” Bates said. “I was just enjoying it.” Bates officiated at the US Open six straight years and was on the court for two finals weekends.
“It was interesting to be on the court,” he said. “You could not only see the different techniques, but you also heard the comments from the players.” On the court as a player, Bates was regularly ranked as the No. 1 player in his age division and won at least 20 and district and section doubles championships. Bates was also a USTA League Tennis player earning eight trips to USTA League National Championships between 1992 and 2005, and captaining five of the teams. On being inducted into the USTA Missouri Valley Hall of Fame, Bates said: “I was stunned frankly…A lot of my friends — at least two of my doubles partners — Dave Riley and Wilbur Jones are also in the USTA Missouri Valley Hall of Fame.”
Mark Johnson Henryetta, Oklahoma
Mark Johnson was a successful coach at the University of Oklahoma for 20 years, and continues to make it a priority to give back to the game. A native of Henryetta, Oklahoma, Johnson lived just a half a block from the community’s tennis courts and after his father introduced him to the game, Johnson found himself spending a lot of time at those nearby courts. “Tennis was addictive as a kid,” he said. “In Henryetta, that’s where our friends were. We hung out at the courts all day long.” As a junior player, Johnson was the USTA Missouri Valley junior singles champion in 1972 (12s division), 1974 (14s Division) 1976 (16s Division), 1979 and 1980 (Men’s Open). He was also the USTA Missouri Valley junior doubles champion 1971 (12s), 1972 (14s), 1974 (16s) and 1976 (18s). From there he went on to have a successful career as a player at Oklahoma State. He was the Big 8 Conference Singles and Doubles champion in 1981 and 1982, and was named an NCAA All-American in 1981. Johnson isn’t shy to credit those coaches along the way who guided him to success. “It was a combination of a lot of people coming together to help me in a lot of ways,” he said. “In tennis, you need a lot of help along the way and I was fortunate to get that.” After graduation, Johnson spent a season as the assistant coach for the men’s team at Oklahoma State before becoming a teaching professional at Quail Creek Country Club in Oklahoma City and Oak Tree Country Club in Edmond, Oklahoma between 1984 and 1988. He then served as the head women’s tennis coach at Oklahoma University from 1988-2008 compiling a 306-176 career record. He coached 23 conference champions and had 4 NCAA singles qualifiers and 5 NCAA doubles qualifiers. Johnson hasn’t forgotten his roots, either. For three years, Johnson lead an effort in Henryetta to repair and rebuild the community’s broken tennis courts. In 2016, Henryetta dedicated the courts, which required over $250,000 in fundraising. “It’s been a really rewarding experience, knowing the place where we grew up and played, we were able to go back and rebuild it and now for decades to come there will be kids who will be able to come and use that facility.”
He continues to give back to the game by serving as secretary of the Tennis E&R Foundation, an organization that promotes the game in Oklahoma. On being inducted into the USTA Missouri Valley Hall of Fame, Johnson said, “It’s very special. The Missouri Valley, growing up as a kid, was so important to me to play in it and be a part of it. It was really the core of our tennis life back then.”
Wilbur Jones Shawnee, Kansas
Even though Wilbur Jones may have picked up a tennis racquet for the first time at age 35, he was still provided with plenty of time to have a successful playing and teaching career. Jones was already athletic, having played basketball at Independence Community College after a successful high school career at Paola High School. He was also a competitive roller skater and had the ability to ride a unicycle. So when Jones became interested in tennis and purchased his first racquet, it didn’t take him long to become a skilled player. He quickly joined the Kansas City Racquet Club where he would frequently play with more experienced players, but he also found himself next to the club’s head teaching pro, John Bregin, which allowed Jones to listen in on lessons and pick up pointers to improve his game. At Kansas City Racquet Club, Jones became friends with a number of players who became doubles partners through the years. “I think tennis probably opened the door to a lot of friendships,” Jones said. “For all the years, I’ve played tennis, I could go on and on about all the friendships.” Jones regularly competed in district, section and national tournaments. He’s also captained a number of USTA League Tennis teams including at the senior and super senior levels. His teams won three Senior National Championships, the first being in 1993. He has also been ranked No. 1 in his age group in doubles in the USTA Missouri Valley in 1992, 1994 and 1996 and mixed doubles in USTA Heart of America with partner Terry Miller in 1991. “I’ve always been competitive,” Jones said. “So when I would go play tennis, I would forget all my troubles. That’s why tennis was such a good thing for me.” Jones has received the USTA Heart of America’s Shawna Guilfoil Froeschl Adult Sportsmanship Award in 1993 and was named the USTA Heart of America Adult Player of the Year in 2001. He was a member of the USTA Missouri Valley Super Senior Intersectional Team in 1993.
Jones also found ways to give back to the game as well. He served on the USTA Heart of America Board of Directors for several years. He also built a tennis court at Merriam Elementary School, where he served as principal from 1988 until he retired in 1998. Jones would lead after-school tennis clinics, teaching the students the fundamentals of the game. Following retirement, he coached at Shawnee Mission North High School for six seasons and served as the head tennis pro at Lake Quivira Tennis Club between 1994 and 2001. On being inducted into the USTA Missouri Valley Hall of Fame, Jones said: “It’s probably one of the biggest honors that could come my way. I was really surprised.”
2016 Award Recipients Junior Player of the Year (Female) - Morgan Coppoc (Tulsa, Oklahoma) Junior Player of the Year (Male) - Carson Haskins (Ballwin, Missouri) Junior Recreational Player of the Year - Emily Kantrovitz (St. Louis, Missouri) Outstanding Junior Tournament - Hideway Junior Mixed Open (Tulsa, Oklahoma) 10 and Under Tennis Facility - Oak Tree Country Club (Edmond, Oklahoma) USTA Junior Team Tennis Organizer - Mark Platt (St. Louis, Missouri) Outstanding Contributor Youth High Performance Program - Mike Miller (St. Louis, Missouri) High School Coach of the Year - Skip Griese (Ada, Oklahoma) Adult Player of the Year - Pat Purcell (St. Louis, Missouri) Adult Recreational Player of the Year - Michael Thagard (Edmond, Oklahoma) Outstanding Contributor USTA League Tennis Program - Sam Shouldis (Shiloh, Illinois) Event of the Year - Wichita Tennis Open Community Events (Wichita, Kansas) Outstanding Adult/Senior Tournament - 77th Annual Adult Jayhawk Open (Topeka, Kansas) Tennis Family of the Year - The Tom Powers Family (Bixby, Oklahoma) Facility of the Year - Overland Park Racquet Club (Overland Park, Kansas) Outstanding Community Tennis Association - Topeka Tennis Association (Topeka, Kansas) Member Organization of the Year - Sunset Tennis Center (St. Louis, Missouri) Outstanding Official - Carol Hodges (Omaha, Nebraska) Media Excellence - Brian Aufdengarten, Kansas State High School Athletic Association (Wellington, Kansas) Outstanding Diversity Achievement - Julie Harrelson (Tulsa, Oklahoma) Community Service Excellence - The Greens Country Club (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) Distinguished Service - Beth Causey (Chesterfield, Missouri) President’s Award - Surprise Announcement
Female Junior Player of the Year
Morgan Coppoc - Tulsa, Oklahoma • Highest ITF Junior Ranking No. 37, currently ranked No. 55 ITF Juniors and No. 42 in USTA Girls 18s • Tennis Recruiting Top 10 Blue Chip class of 2017 • Singles champion at Grade 1 ITF event in Paraguay • Won a Bronze Ball in Girls 18s Doubles at 2016 USTA National Hardcourt Championships • Defeated 2015 Junior Wimbledon Champion, Sofya Zhuk, at 2016 Junior French Open
Male Junior Player of the Year
Carson Haskins - Ballwin, Missouri • Finished 2016 as the No. 1 ranked player in the nation in Boys 16s • Came in 2nd in singles and won doubles at National Selection Tournament • Won singles and doubles championship at USTA Missouri Valley Super #4 in October • Won both singles and doubles at National Spring Tournament in April • Won the Missouri State High Schools Boys Championship in Class 2A singles as a sophomore • Won singles championship at Edwardsville Open, qualifying him for a wild card at the Edwardsville 25K Futures event
Junior Recreational Player of the Year
Emily Kantrovitz - St. Louis, Missouri • Participated in Junior Team Tennis for five years • Started on a 10 and Under team with orange ball and is now playing 14 and Under Advanced • Her team won the district championships and finished second at the section championships • Team received a wild card and competed at the national championships in South Carolina • Has had a winning record every season
Outstanding Junior Tournament
Hideway Junior Mixed Open - Tulsa, Oklahoma • 56 players participated in the two day event • Used 21 outdoor courts at the Case Tennis Center • Players received bobblehead trophies as awards • Pizza was provided to the players and families • Playing with and against friends without any pressure from parents and coaches or concern for acquiring points made for a fantastic atmosphere
10 and Under Tennis Facility
Oak Tree Country Club - Edmond, Oklahoma • Offers highly successful red, orange, orange 2 (tournament level), and green drills for 10 and Under players • Coaches stay educated wtih USTA Player Development and implement its programming • Has 21 players actively competing in Youth Progression tournaments • Added Junior Team Tennis in 2016 • Host site for Early Development Camps and Smashers tournaments • Blended lines on four of six indoor courts and five of six outdoor courts
USTA Junior Team Tennis Organizer
Mark Platt - St. Louis, Missouri • Coached eleven teams from 10 and Under through 18 and Under in 2016 • Always has teams qualify for district championships and frequently they advance to the section championships • If a player cannot afford the league fee, Mark pays for it himself • Organizes and runs USTA-sanctioned tournaments in both singles and doubles for entry level players • Sets up free introductory tennis clinics in underserved areas so that he can recruit more players
Outstanding Contributor Youth High Performance Program
Mike Miller - St. Louis, Missouri • Started Miller Academy in 2003 • Current students include: Carson Haskins, Danny Radke, Jay Valurupalli, Angie Jia, KenjiYanaba, Suzanna McLellan and Livia Votruba • Believes in what tennis can do for a child’s character • Has a staff of six teaching professionals and is a respected leader and mentor to each of them
High School Coach of the Year
Skip Griese - Ada, Oklahoma • Varsity boys and girls tennis coach at Ada High School since 1984 • His teams have won 11 state championships (five girls and six boys), including both boys and girls in 2016 • Seventeen teams have finished second at state tournament • Has coached more than 60 individual state champions and 46 All-State players • Earned regional and national coach of the year honors • Espouses no-cut tennis philosophy
Adult Player of the Year
Pat Purcell - St. Louis, Missouri • Was a USTA Missouri Valley junior champion and nationally-ranked junior player • Returned to competitive tennis in 2011 after a 20-year break • Won a Bronze Ball in doubles at the National Indoor (Category I) Championship • Won a Gold Ball in doubles at the National Clay Court Championship • Won a Bronze Ball in singles and a Gold Ball in doubles at the National Grass Court Championship • Was inducted into the St. Louis Tennis Hall of Fame this spring and currently holds a national ranking of No. 3 in doubles and No. 6 in singles in Women’s 60s
Adult Recreational Player of the Year
Michael Thagard - Edmond, Oklahoma • Captained or was a silent partner for six teams in 2016, and played on two teams • Four of his teams advanced to section championships • Found 15 partners and created three teams of five doubles teams to start a 55+ Mixed league in the fall • Works with First Serve OKC to coordinate rides for kids at MLK Elementary School from Oklahoma City Tennis Center to home and school
Outstanding Contributor USTA League Tennis Program
Sam Shouldis - Shiloh, Illinois • Has played tennis for nearly four decades and been a USTA League captain for the past 10 years • Captained nine teams and played on seven in 2016 • Two of his teams advanced to section championships this year • Coordinates WTT leagues at St. Clair Tennis in the winter and at Dwight Davis Tennis Center during the outdoor season • Participates in tournaments and encourages his players to do so as well
Event of the Year
Wichita Tennis Open Community Events - Wichita, Kansas • Lisa Sutherland worked within the local community to create community outreach events that occurred alongside the Pro Circuit tournament • Events included a USTA Play Day, with over 130 children attending • Other activities included Pro/Am event, opening party and a high school night • WTO organized a Night at the Open celebration with refreshments and a trunk/fashion show with brands such as Lululemon • Final days involved a large kids camp wth more than 200 underserved youth and a wheelchair tennis exhibition
Outstanding Adult/Senior Tournament
77th Annual Adult Jayhawk Open - Topeka, Kansas • Believed to be the longest running open championship in the five-state USTA Missouri Valley, having been held annually since 1939 • A new collaboration with Heart of America, Kansas and Nebraska districts made the Jayhawk Open an even more attractive tournament with additional prize money • Largest adult tournament within USTA Kansas with 123 competitiors • Topeka Capital Journal covered the event extensively
Tennis Family of the Year
The Tom Powers Family - Bixby, Oklahoma • Both Tom and Carrie play in USTA, WTT and TCT leagues • Tom coordinates tournaments around Tulsa • Carrie is president of the booster club for the Bixby High School tennis team and is a volunteer coach for the junior high teams • The children, Alexa, Ryan and Becca, all play USTA tournaments and for the Bixby High School tennis teams • All three also volunteers for various tennis events and tournaments
Facility of the Year
Overland Park Racquet Club - Overland Park, Kansas • Continued its renovation over the last 12 months, including planned installation of four new clay courts • Added upgrades to outdoor hard courts such as 360 degree windscreens as well as updates to the entryway and lounge • Announced its partnership with Adidas this year, establishing itself as one of six featured National Training Centers • Hosts more than 30 USTA and non-USTA sanctioned tournaments annually, 10 different colleges for dual competition and supports some of the nations largest fundraising efforts for Cystic Fibrosis, St. Judes and Wounded Warriors
Outstanding Community Tennis Association
Topeka Tennis Association - Topeka, Kansas • Responsible for the organization, operation and funding of a multitude of tennis events • Worked with Shawnee County Park and Recreation Department and Foundation to facilitate resurfacing 18 courts at the Kossover Tennis Complex • Boasts 323 members, including individual, adult, junior and family memberships • Provided over 500 court hours for USTA Leagues
Member Organization of the Year
Sunset Tennis Cemter - St. Louis, Missouri • Bubbled facility offering indoor tennis programs from September through May • Provided free tennis clinics for adults and youths of all ages • Many schools practice and play matches, including Chaminade HS, Lindbergh HS, and St. Louis University HS • Regular programming includes red, orange and green ball clinics, and all levels of junior lessons • During school hours the courts are filled with adult clinics of all levels • Hosted 10 junior level 5 tournaments this year, as well as Satellites, 10 and Under Smashers and Play Days
Outstanding Official
Carol Hodges - Omaha, Nebraska • Involved in the officiating business for over 35 years • Currently serves as USTA Nebraska Chair of Officials • Provided the first new-style umpire shirt free as an incentive for 2016 officials • Currently working with officials in navigating the new testing system • Served as referee and rover for seven USTA sanctioned tournaments as well as roved and chaired the Omaha Metro and Nebraska State Championships high school championships
Media Excellence
Brian Aufdengarten, Kansas State High School Athletic Association - Wellington, Kansas • Created a website four years ago in an effort to provide a place for coaches to visit and gather results from meets around the state • Any coach attending a meet may email results or other items of interest to be posted on the site • Does all of the work alone • Saves time for the coaches and provides a service to the tennis community throughout the state
Outstanding Diversity Achievement
Julie Harrelson - Tulsa, Oklahoma • Coordinator for Special Needs Tennis at LaFortune Park Tennis Center • Has played USTA tennis since 1999 and has been a special education teacher for 15 years • Coordinated with many audiences to host a Jensen Schmidt Tennis Academy for Down Syndrome (JSTA) event in March • 29 players and countless volunteers participated • Hosted the Special Needs Tennis Academy in September
Community Service Excellence
The Greens Country Club - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma • Developed a “Benefit Tournament Team” and created sponsorship levels to keep costs down while increasing donations • Seek in-kind sponsors that donate food, refreshments, door prizes, and other ameneties to keep events unique • Allow families staying at the Pro Cure Facility for cancer patients to use tennis courts and athletic center • Collects tennis equipment and gently used tennis items for First Serve OKC as well as promotes tennis to inner city schools • Donate court time to schools such as Crossings for practice and indoor back-up • Donate equipment, tennis packages and more to various events to support fundraising efforts
Distinguished Service
Beth Causey - Chesterfield, Missouri • Involved in St. Louis tennis since 2003 • Avid USTA League captain and player • Served four years on the USTA St. Louis Grievance Committee • Currently treasurer of the St. Louis District Tennis Association Board of Directors • Revolutionized and streamlined the district’s financials, making it a brilliantly efficient process • Involved with the Celebrate Tennis event, an annual breast cancer fundraiser that includes round robin tennis and auction • Has served as USTA St. Louis’ Tri-Level coordinator since 2014 • Her love for this sport and the district’s mission is infectious and to her core she is gracious and selfless, continuously going above and beyond
President’s Award
Surprise Announcement
2016 Junior Sportsmanship Award Recipients Girls 10s Girls 12s Girls 14s Girls 16s Girls 18s Boys 10s Boys 12s Boys 14s Boys 16s Boys 18s
Keira Lang Heidi Gaertner Lizzie Barlow Keeley Van Antwerp Claire Martin Noah Hinni Kathan Palagiri Gus Tettamble Zach Trimpe Dillon Youngberg
St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis, Missouri Chesterfield, Missouri Chesterfield, Missouri Chesterfield, Missouri Ballwin, Missouri St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis, Missouri Edwardsville, Illinois Town and Country, Missouri
History Highlights 2016: • Jack Sock of Lincoln, Neb., earns a gold medal in mixed doubles and bronze medal in doubles at the 2016 Olympic Games. Wichita, Kan.-native Nick Taylor earned a silver media in the quad doubles division at the Paralympics in Rio. • Barbara Fackel of Rock Island, Ill., receives the Barbara Williams Leadership Award. • Carson Haskins of Ballwin, Mo. won the Boys 16s singles division at the Asics Easter Bowl. Haskins finished as the top-ranked player in the Boys 16s national rankings. 2015: • Nathan Han of Tulsa, Okla., won the USTA Boys 14s National championships in August, earning a coveted USTA Gold Ball. • The 18 & Over, 4.5 women’s team from Edmond, Okla., captured the USTA League National Championship in Rancho Mirage, Calif. This year was also the 35th anniversary of USTA Leagues. 2014: • Lincoln, Nebraska native Jack Sock wins the Wimbledon Gentlemen’s doubles title with partner Vasek Pospisil over Mike and Bob Bryan. It’s Sock’s second grand slam title. • Fed Cup held in St. Louis at Chaifetz Arena: France 3, USA 2 2013: • Nick Taylor and his long-time doubles partner, David Wagner, notched their fourth Australian Open Grand Slam doubles title, January 25, in Melbourne. 2002: • Fed Cup held in Springfield, Missouri at Cooper Tennis Complex: USA 5, Israel 0 1997: • D. A. Abrams becomes the first African American to serve as the executive director of a USTA section office by becoming the USTA Missouri Valley executive director. 1985/1986 • Section office moves from Des Moines, Iowa to Kansas City, Missouri. 1968: • World Championship Tennis, Inc. brings professional tournament to Des Moines, Iowa; includes international players such as John Newcombe and Tony Roche of Australia, and Cliff Drysdale of South Africa. 1959: • Total number of MVTA (Missouri Valley Tennis Association) Registrations: 1,191 1928: • Davis Cup held in Kansas City, Missouri - Rockhill Tennis Club: USA 5, China 0 1920: • MVTA founded and admitted as part of the USLTA 1881: • A small group of tennis club members form the world’s first national governing body for tennis: the United States National Lawn Tennis Association (later to be known as the USTA).
This is just a small portion of the important moments in USTA MissouriValley history. To view the full historical timeline, please visit the About Us section at MissouriValley.USTA.com.
2015-16 USTA Missouri Valley Executive Committee Stuart Dusenberry - President Larry Haugness - First Vice President Alex Lee - Vice President Chris Carey - Vice President Susan True - Secretary Lisa Minihan - Treasurer Scott Hanover - Immediate Past President & Delegate
2016 USTA Missouri Valley District Presidents Richard Kohn - Heart of America Kevin Nebergall/Kathy Anderl - Iowa Ron Wherritt - Kansas Paul Nahon - Missouri Justin Bigsby - Nebraska Steve Henry/Bill Towler - Oklahoma Jason Mathes - St. Louis
2016-17 USTA Missouri Valley Executive Committee - Slated Larry Haugness - President Lisa Minihan - First Vice President Gary Trost - Vice President Chris Carey - Vice President Steve Henry - Secretary Alex Lee - Treasurer Stuart Dusenberry - Immediate Past President & Delegate