2015 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 four new inductees into the USTA Missouri Valley Hall of Fame and honor our 2015 section award winners, please share your gratitude for their service to our communities and the game of tennis.
2015 Hall of Fame and Section Awards Celebration Order of Ceremony Welcome National Anthem Necrology 2015 Hall of Fame Inductees Richard Hudlin Cornelia Salmon-Robertson Mark Rosewell Verne Weber
Lunch 2015 Year in Review Video 2015 USTA Missouri Valley Section Awards 2015 Junior Sportsmanship Awards 2015 President’s Award
1986
Hall of Fame
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. 2012 Judy Dippold................... St. Louis, Mo. Micki Schillig Feldmann.. Cedar Rapids, Iowa Edmund Serrano............... St. Louis, Mo. Meredith Geiger Walton..... Kingwood, Texas
2015
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.
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.
1995 Jodie H. Adams..............Springfield, Mo. Carol Hanks Aucamp.......... St. Louis, Mo. Mary Ann Eisel Beattie....... St. Louis, Mo.
1989 Gerald Perry.................Springfield, 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
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
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.
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.
Richard Hudlin St. Louis, Missouri
The late Richard Hudlin changed the course of tennis history in St. Louis with his courage and determination. Hudlin graduated from the University of Chicago, where he played tennis from 1926 to 1928 and was the first African-American captain of a Big Ten Conference team. Following college, Hudlin moved to St. Louis where he began teaching social studies and coaching tennis. In 1945, Hudlin was successful in a filing a lawsuit which opened the doors for anyone, regardless of race, to participate in municipal tennis events within the city of St. Louis. Hudlin spent 36 years as the coach at Sumner High School, where he coached players of all abilities. He also served as President of the Muny Tennis Association in St. Louis and was the first black member of the St. Louis District Tennis Association. In 1992, Hudlin was inducted into the St. Louis Tennis Hall of Fame. During his lengthy coaching career, Hudlin had an impact on one of the greatest tennis players in history. Hudlin coached Arthur Ashe during Ashe’s senior year at Sumner High School. Using a fast hardwood surface to coach Ashe at the St. Louis Armory, Hudlin converted Ashe from a back court player to a serve and volley specialist. Hudlin was one of several coaches and pros operating out of the Amory at the time. Hudlin also worked with Renee Blount, Bruce Foxworth and Juan Farrow. Hudlin continued teaching into his mid 70s. He passed away in 1976, just one year after Arthur Ashe won his only Wimbledon title. Hudlin also spent time coaching Althea Gibson in addition to the hundreds of other youth and adults he coached. Martin Rogers, who came to know Hudlin in 1973 a few years before Hudlin passed and continued to learn more about his legacy, said Hudlin’s influence is still felt in St. Louis today. “Race is a great divide in our country, so for a man to do what he did in 1945, to have the courage to do it and the belief—it’s phenomenal.” Rogers continued, “He was a great man. We were lucky to have him in this community.”
Cornelia Salmon-Robertson LeCompton, Kansas
Cornelia Salmon-Robertson had humble beginnings in the game of tennis. In the 1950s, she began stringing racquets and running the clubhouse at Tower Grove Park in St. Louis for her uncle, Earl Buchholz. (USTA Missouri Valley Hall of Fame Class of 1990) From there she began a long, dedicated career in parks, recreation and coaching. She started teaching tennis in the late 1960s for the Topeka Parks and Recreation Department and Shawnee County Parks and Recreation Department. She also managed the 12 courts at Hughes Tennis Center in Topeka. In 1983, after a stint working at Wood Valley Racquet Club, she started coaching at Topeka Hayden High School. As head coach, she led the boys’ team to 14 state tournaments and the girls’ team to 15 state tournaments, producing a total of seven 4A state champions. While at Hayden, she also served as Athletic Director and Assistant Athletic Director. In 2002, she was inducted into the Kansas Tennis Coaches’ Hall of Fame. Salmon-Robertson was also a recreational player, participating in various leagues and tournaments. In fact, she played in leagues before USTA Adult Leagues were formally organized in 1980. Away from the court, Salmon-Robertson, a native of Jefferson City, Mo., served as the first female president of the Topeka Tennis Association in the late 1960s, early 1970s and again in 2015. In the 1970s, she helped start junior team tennis in Topeka. “We wanted to get the kids playing,” she said. “We did it differently than they do it now. We held tryouts in an effort to keep the teams even.” She has also volunteered her time with a number of causes including the Warrior Transition Battalion, Special Olympics, and the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation Boys and Girls Club. For 30 years, Salmon-Robertson offered her time to an annual tennis day in Topeka, exposing hundreds of kids to tennis annually. The event was a part of the “Tennis in the Hood” program, providing tennis to inner-city children who otherwise couldn’t afford tennis lessons. She learned from a young age to give back to the game when she had the opportunities. “There’s a need and I can do it and love doing it,” Salmon-Robertson said. “It’s a joy for me to volunteer.” Salmon-Robertson also spent time as an employee of the USTA Missouri Valley for 14 years from 1999 to 2013, serving as the Tennis Service Representative for USTA Kansas. Salmon-Robertson served as section liaison for USTA Wheelchair Tennis and conducted clinics for wheelchair players, as well as special populations throughout the USTA Missouri Valley. On being inducted into the USTA Missouri Valley Hall of Fame, Salmon-Robertson says: “This is a great honor, I didn’t expect to get in the first year I was nominated. I was very surprised and very honored. My uncle and my two cousins are in the Hall of Fame (Earl H. Buchholz, Sr., 1990; Earl Buchholz, Jr., 1994; Cliff Buchholz, 2003) and I thought ‘wouldn’t it be a great honor to be there with them. It was a surprise I got in this year, but I feel it is a great honor.”
Mark Rosewell Maryville, Missouri
Mark Rosewell is among the most successful college coaches within the USTA Missouri Valley. His coaching career at Northwest Missouri State University has spanned three decades and resulted in over two dozen championships. Rosewell, who is a native of Lexington, Mo., began playing tennis at Lexington High School. He then played collegiately at the University of Central Missouri, earning a bachelor’s degree in physical education and master’s degree in industrial safety engineering. He started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at UCM in 1980. He then went on to compile a 22-27 record at UCM as head coach in 1982 and 1983. Since taking the helm at Northwest Missouri State in 1984 as both the men’s and women’s head tennis coach, Rosewell has lead the Bearcats to 24 MIAA Conference regular season championships (12 men, 12 women), seven MIAA Tournament championships (6 men, 1 women) and 32 NCAA Tournament appearances (18 men, 16 women). He has a career record of 1,013-481, making him just the second MIAA coach in any sport to reach 1,000 wins, which he earned on April 13, 2015 in a men’s victory over Washburn University. He has been named the MIAA Coach of the Year 25 times, with the most recent coming in 2015. “It was a great tennis school with a great history and tradition long before I got here, and I was fortunate to come up here and get the position,” Rosewell said. Rosewell has also served as a volunteer for the USTA Missouri Valley. He assisted with the ‘Tennis in the Hood’ program helping to run events in Kansas City, St. Louis, Omaha and Des Moines. “To me, that was the best thing we ever did,” he said. “We touched a lot of people’s lives. It was a pretty good experience.” He’s also served for one term on the USTA Heart of America’s board of directors. He was inducted into the USTA Heart of America Hall of Fame in 2008. On being inducted into the USTA Missouri Valley Hall of Fame, Rosewell says: “I’m really excited and really touched. It’s an honor, there’s no doubt about it. I guess humbled is a good word.”
Verne Weber Bellevue, Nebraska
Verne Weber has held leadership positions in every level of tennis governance, from local community tennis associations to the United States Tennis Association national level. Weber, a native of Visalia, Calif., played collegiately at the College of Sequoias and University of California - Santa Cruz. After being relocated in 1976 by the United States Air Force to the Strategic Air Command Headquarters at Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, he first volunteered as president of the Offutt Air Force Base Command Tennis Club in Omaha, Neb., in the late 1970s, along with serving as player/ coach the base’s tennis team. Weber retired in 1990 as a Major and has spent the last 25 years working for TRW and Northrop Grumman. He was a board member of the Omaha Tennis Association since 1987 to 2014, serving as its president on two occasions. He is also a past president of USTA Nebraska, and is currently district chair of its Awards Committee and Hall of Fame Committee. He serves as a Big 10 Conference official in Lincoln, along with other conferences in Omaha and conducts officiating classes throughout the USTA Missouri Valley. He was inducted into the USTA Nebraska Hall of Fame in 2001. “I’ve always enjoyed umpiring the players and seeing them develop,” Weber said. “But I think the biggest memory is the friendships you develop because tennis is a big family.” At the section level, Weber is also a past president, serving from 2003 to 2004. He is chair of the Officials Committee and League Grievance Appeals Committee as well as a member of the Awards Committee and director on the board of the Missouri Valley Tennis Foundation. He earned the USTA Missouri Valley Distinguished Service Award in 2005. Weber currently serves as the national Chairman of the Pro Tennis Council and member of Advisory Group on Committees, as well as member of the Officials Committee and former advisor to the Officials’ Inclusion Council. His previous national committee experience includes chairman of the Evaluation Committee, serving as a section delegate on the Executive Committee, as well as a being a member of the League Committee, Advanced Media Committee, Information Technology Committee and TennisLink Governance Task Force. He has also played USTA League Tennis at the 5.0 level, and previously attained No. 1 rankings in USTA Missouri Valley 45 Men’s Doubles, and USTA Nebraska 35 Singles, 35 Doubles and 40 Singles On being inducted into the USTA Missouri Valley Hall of Fame, Weber says: “It’s a great honor considering the people who are in the Hall of Fame now. It’s a true honor to be included in that group. It’s a great experience and I appreciate the recognition from the USTA Missouri Valley.”
2015 Inductee Richard Hudlin (left), with Arthur Ashe
2015 Inductee Cornelia Salmon-Robertson
2015 Inductee Verne Weber
2015 Inductee Mark Rosewell
2015 Award Recipients Junior Player of the Year (Female) - Olivia Hauger (Tulsa, Oklahoma) Junior Player of the Year (Male) - Casey Ratzlaff (Wichita, Kansas) Junior Recreational Player of the Year - Austin Gartner (Andover, Kansas) Outstanding Junior Tournament - Klotz Winter Open presented by NXT Bank (Iowa City, Iowa) 10 and Under Tennis Provider - Michael Van Vogt (Overland Park, Kansas) USTA Junior Team Tennis Organizer - Janet Glaser (Wichita, Kansas) Outstanding Contributor Youth High Performance Program - Matias Marin (Tulsa, Oklahoma) High School Coach of the Year - Fred Pedersen (Iowa City, Iowa) Adult Player of the Year - Cindy Bick & Mark Tabscott (St. Louis, Missouri) Adult Recreational Player of the Year - Anne Muren (O’Fallon, Illinois) Outstanding Contributor USTA League Tennis Program - Susan Nealy (Lenexa, Kansas) Outstanding Diversity Achievement - Jess Campbell Batchelor (St. Louis, Missouri) Outstanding Adult/Senior Tournament - Wheel It Forward (Kansas City, Missouri) Tennis Family of the Year - The Caro Family (Iowa City, Iowa) Facility of the Year - Overland Park Racquet Club (Overland Park, Kansas) Outstanding Community Tennis Association - Net Rushers Tennis Association (St. Louis, Missouri) Member Organization of the Year - Genesis Health Club - Overland Park (Overland Park, Kansas) Outstanding Official - Cheryl Lady (Fairway, Kansas) Media Excellence - Bill Hester, St. Louis Post-Dispatch (St. Louis, Missouri) Event of the Year - Madison Keys Welcome Home Party (Moline, Illinois) Dwight Davis Trivia Night (St. Louis, Missouri) Community Service Excellence - Ann Spivak (Kansas City, Missouri) Distinguished Service - Fred Johnson (Kansas City, Missouri) President’s Award - Surprise Announcement
Female Junior Player of the Year
Olivia Hauger - Tulsa, Oklahoma • Highest ITF Ranking 64 • Semi Finalist at the Coffee Bowl (Copa del Café) in 2015 • Grade 1 Winner of Girls 18 Supers Spring of 2014 • Winner of Monterrey Contry ITF Junior Cup Grade 4 2014 • Semi-Finalist Patuju Junior Open Fall 2014 Grade 3 • At the 2014 Junior Australian Open, defeated #1 seed Vavara Flink • Awarded Tennis Recruiting’s Blue Chip status • Will play for Cal Berkeley in the 2015-16 season
Male Junior Player of the Year
Casey Ratzlaff - Wichita, Kansas • Indian Wells Tennis Garden Wheelchair Championships Men’s A singles Champion • Member of the US World Team Cup gold medal team and was 5-0 on the week (3-0 singles/2-0 doubles) • Air Capital Classic Men’s A champion • Vancouver International Wheelchair Open Men’s Open 2nd Draw Champion • Current World ITF ranking: #14 boys/#261 Mens Singles/#279 Mens Doubles • Achieved #1 USTA ranking in boys wheelchair singles
Junior Recreational Player of the Year
Austin Gartner - Andover, Kansas • Plays for Wichita Collegiate School where he won the league, got second in regionals and 7th in State in doubles this last season • This summer, entered in five USTA sanctioned tournaments and two ITA tournaments • Competed in a Junior Team Tennis league and at the Junior Team Tennis section event • Won multiple sportsmanship awards in Junior Team Tennis
Outstanding Junior Tournament
Klotz Winter Open presented by NXT Bank - Iowa City, Iowa • Uses TennisLink and RainedOut to communicate • Umpires are provided for the tournament • Players receive an extra player gift thanks to the sponsorship of NXT Bank • A pizza party is provided to the players and families • A ping pong tournament is held in conjunction with the tournament to give players and siblings some extra fun in their downtime
10 and Under Tennis Provider
Michael Van Vogt - Overland Park, Kansas Hosted multiple USTA Play Day Events • Grew 10 and Under Tennis program participation to 176 in 2015 from 148 in 2014 • Organized and ran 11 in-house one night tournaments for red, orange, green and yellow ball tournaments since January • Grew Junior Team Tennis program from 38 in January 2014 to 56 in January 2015 • Has grown Fall 2015 Junior Team Tennis to 43 from 33 in Fall 2014
USTA Junior Team Tennis Organizer
Janet Glaser - Wichita, Kansas • Second season organizing Junior Team Tennis in the Kansas district • Re-started the program in the district the year before • Grew the program from zero to 73 in 2014 and from 73 to 89 participants this season • Added three new teams (McPherson, Independence, and Salina Genesis 2) to the league • Formed and coached two teams herself, including the Iconic team which had players from seven different schools and four different cities
Outstanding Contributor Youth High Performance Program
Matias Marin - Tulsa, Oklahoma • Director of Programs & High Performance at Tucker Tennis Academy (USTA Regional Training Center) • Leader of Jr. Academy competitive players (12 & Under) at RTC Tucker Tennis Academy • Invited to attend the 2015 RTC/Host Site US Open Coaches Symposium during the qualifying event at the US Open • Received the Award for Developmental Program of theYear at the 2014 Team USA Coaches Reception
High School Coach of the Year
Fred Pedersen - Iowa City, Iowa • Head Coach of girls tennis at Iowa City High for 10 years • Runs a No-cut program averaging 50 girls per year • Turned program from 1-13 in his first season to 18-1 this year • Voted Coach of the Year in his conference the last three years • The team was undefeated in conference play for the last three seasons • Received the USTA Missouri Valley award for community service in 2008
Adult Player of the Year
Cindy Bick & Mark Tabscott - St. Louis, Missouri • Doubles team participated in seven local district adult tournaments in 2015 • Cindy, a 5.0, and Mark, a 4.0, earned two tournament championships and four second-place finishes • Currently ranked No. 2 in the Missouri Valley in Mixed Open Doubles and 7th in Mixed 9.0 Doubles.
Adult Recreational Player of the Year
Anne Muren - O’Fallon, Illinois • Started playing USTA leagues in 2011 as a 3.0, now plays at 3.5 level • On 13 team rosters in 2015 • Participated at two League Section Championships: Mixed 18 & Mixed 40 • Played 76 local league matches, six District Championship matches, three Section Championship matches and three tournament matches for a total of 88 matches this season
Outstanding Contributor USTA League Tennis Program
Susan Nealy - Lenexa, Kansas • Vice-President of Adults in USTA Heart of America • Chair of the USTA Missouri Valley Appeals Committee • Level Coordinator for 4.5 Men • Wrote the protocol for the Missouri Valley Appeals Committee • Instrumental in developing a survey for all league players in order to determine the best procedures for the 2016 league season
Outstanding Diversity Achievement
Jess Campbell Batchelor - St. Louis, Missouri • Has worked with wheelchair athletes for six years and teaching/organizing tennis at Dwight Davis Tennis Center since 2010 • Creates conditioning and tennis training programs for all Gerber Wheelchair Team members • Runs NJTL summer camps for low income students in St Louis • Created a custom tennis program for Kitebridge, a Lutheran based school program that brings students from all over the world to America for their high school education
Outstanding Adult/Senior Tournament
Wheel It Forward - Kansas City, Missouri • Inaugural wheel chair tournament held at Northland Racquet Club • Four divisions in both singles and doubles with $4,000 in prize money • Each player was guaranteed a minimum of three matches • Ameristar provided a block of handicap accessible rooms at a discounted rate and a player banquet, as well as a parking attendant to assist players with parking needs
Tennis Family of the Year
Caro Family - Iowa City, Iowa • Mother, Maria, took up the game a few years ago and has joined a 3.0 league team • Father, Gustavo, is a longtime 4.5 player who has competed in special events, leagues and on USTA teams • Gustavo volunteers as the Prairie High School assistant tennis coach • Daughters Magui and Vale play #1 and #2 singles and #1 doubles for Prairie High School • In 2014, they placed 4th in High School State Doubles while in 2015 Vale placed 8th in Singles
Facility of the Year
Overland Park Racquet Club - Overland Park, Kansas • New management has dedicated resources and effort to improving the playing experience • Short list of renovation and improvement items: camera technology on all courts to enhance learning experience, state of the art LED lighting, web-based court reservation and management technology, improved viewing areas and expanded pro shop • New goal for OPRC is to be national leader in player development and a “top tennis destination” for players nationally
Outstanding Community Tennis Association
Net Rushers Tennis Association - St. Louis, Missouri • Dedicated to promoting tennis for more than 20 years • Mission is to provide professional group, private, and semi-private low cost or free tennis instruction to deserving young people in a multiethnic, multi-racial environment • Provide 45 weeks of programming per year, covering both the school year and the summer • Over 200 participants, with 80% under age 18 and 90% AfricanAmerican • Organizes and runs the youth park tennis lesson program in June and July
Member Organization of the Year
Genesis Health Club - Overland Park - Overland Park, Kansas • Run several USTA events, including the National 65, 75, 85 Women’s Indoor • Offer courts to any local high school during rainy days for practice • Host the USTA Missouri Valley for its annual meeting Friday night social event at no cost • Events at the club include USTA adult team play, Junior Team Tournament and JTL junior team tennis and multiple USTA Play Days
Outstanding Official
Cheryl Lady - Fairway, Kansas • Has worked junior, college and adult events such as District Championships, Futures, Sweet 16, Jim Stevick Memorial, William Jewel, UMKC, KU, Tennis on Campus and USTA National Husband/Wife • Helped with recruiting new officials and mentoring new officials • Handled the scheduling for almost all the junior/adult tournaments in the area
Media Excellence
Bill Hester, St. Louis Post-Dispatch - St. Louis, Missouri • Wrote nearly three dozen tennis-related articles this year • Has been writing about local and state high school championships for over 20 years • Knows both the players and the coaches since he covers them extensively during the high school seasons • Understands the game of tennis • Not only knows St. Louis area tennis players, but also those from around the state when he sees them at state championships
Event of the Year
Madison Keys Welcome Home - Moline, Illinois • Hosted after Keys advanced to the semifinals of the Australian Open • Madison attended to take photos and sign autographs • 500 fans from not only the town but the surrounding area welcomed her • Madison led a junior clinic, assisted by Quad City Tennis Center players, with 75 participants • All local media present • ESPN covered the event Dwight Davis Trivia Night - St. Louis, Missouri • Fundraising event with proceeds going to repairs and updates for Dwight Davis Memorial Tennis Center • Held on March 7 with all 400 seats sold out in two weeks • Besides trivia, participants could buy raffle tickets or silent auction items • Total amount raised, less expenses, was over $18,000 • Run by the DDMTC Board and an outstanding group of volunteers
Community Service Excellence
Ann Spivak - Kansas City, Missouri • Leads the NJTL program for 300 youth, ages K-8 at Genesis School • Ran a summer tennis program for 20 youth this summer where every child could get a new pair of shoes, healthy meals and transportation • Created a tennis-themed fundraiser that has raised more the $600,000 over the past six years and brought thousands of new supporters to inner-city tennis • Helped dozens of high-risk youth write their very first essays about Arthur Ashe, and produced a national winner two years ago • Wrote a grant to the local Healthcare Foundation that resulted $55,000 for tennis and wellness • Organizes youth in KC to help at Genesis, whether it’s volunteering on the courts or organizing tennis-attire clothing drives • Works with the USTA Foundation to be one of only 25 “Capacity Builder” NJTLs in the country, and has completed the year-long fundraising/ management/board development plan
Distinguished Service
Fred Johnson - Kansas City, Missouri • USTA Missouri Valley staff member and volunteer from 1996-2013 • Created “Tennis in the Hood,” an outreach program that focused on disadvantaged youth and introduced tennis opportunities • Helped develop the Sports Extravaganza community outreach event that brought many sports figures together to improve youth development • Member of the PTR for 27 years, and was active in other local organizations such as WIN for KC and the Stephanie Waterman Foundation • Recruited and assisted Margaret Knight in getting appointed to the USTA National Diversity Committee as the first Native American female • Created “Changing Faces,” a fundraising event that focuses on women from diverse backgrounds that have been abused • Received the “Volunteer of the Year” award from the Kansas City Sports Commission • Assisted local NJTL, Genesis School, to develop Slammin’ and Jammin’ fund raising event that raises over $100,000 a year • Received Professional Tennis Registry Grass Roots Super Star award for enrolling over five thousand new players • Received USTA Missouri Valley President’s Award in 2014
President’s Award
Surprise Announcement
2015 Junior Sportsmanship Award Recipients Girls 10s Victoria Recuarte-Cabas Edmond, Oklahoma Girls 12s Ariel Madatali St. Louis, Missouri Girls 14s Ella Kinder Fenton, Missouri Girls 16s Zoe Hahn St. Louis, Missouri Girls 18s Karen Yan Overland Park, Kansas Boys 10s Kevin Nguyen Edmond, Oklahoma Boys 12s Rowan McCollum Shawnee, Oklahoma Boys 14s Justin Good San Diego, California Boys 16s Matthew Dubuque St. Louis, Missouri Boys 18s Zeke Clark Tulsa, Oklahoma
History Highlights 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. 2006: • Oklahoma City Tennis Center and Columbia, Missouri given $100,000 grants to refurbish public facilities. 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. 1972: • Yellow tennis balls approved on a trial basis by USLTA 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 met at the Fifth Avenue Hotel in New York City to 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.
2014-15 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
2015 USTA Missouri Valley District Presidents Richard Kohn - Heart of America Kevin Nebergall - Iowa Ron Wherritt - Kansas Paul Nahon - Missouri Kevin Heim/Justin Bigsby - Nebraska Steve Henry - Oklahoma Jason Mathes - St. Louis