2016 Fall-Winter Serve

FALL-Winter 2016

Hometown Heroes

Bring Home the Hardware

Getty Images

Plus: Annual Conference Preview Summer Review and more!

The USTA Missouri Valley publishes Serve three times per year, focusing specifically on the members and events in the section.

All material copyright USTA Missouri Valley, unless otherwise noted.

Your feedback is welcomed.

USTA Missouri Valley 6400 West 95th Street, Suite 102 Overland Park, Kansas 66212

To better “serve” our members, we will be revamping CrossCourt in the coming months. To start, we’re changing the name to Serve!

Look for changes in the next few issues as we focus on play opportunities for youth, family and community tennis.

Fall /Winter 2016

Table of Contents

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missourivalley.usta.com info@movalley.usta.com

(913) 322-4800 (888)368-8612 Toll Free

(913) 322-4801 Fax facebook.com/USTAMissouriValley twitter.com/USTAMoValley instagram.com/USTAMoValley pinterest.com/USTAMoValley Mary Buschmann Executive Director Manon Eilts Marketing Communications Director Emily Steinwart Communications Coordinator Graphic Design and Digital Media Andrew Robinson Communications Coordinator Public Relations For questions about your USTA membership, please contact USTA Member Services at 1-800-990-USTA, or visit www.membership.usta.com.

Annual Conference Preview

Hometown Heroes

FEATURES

5 6 7

2016 Hall of Fame Inductees & Award Winners Spotlight on Sportsmanship Section League Champions

10 12

Youth Rules Net Notes

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS F r iday , D ecember 2 8:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

League Coordinator Training

2:30 p.m.

- 4:00 p.m.

League Committee

3:00 p.m.

- 5:00 p.m.

Serve and Social - Minicourt, big games, network & meet with USTA Staff

5:30 pm.

- 6:00 p.m.

Kirby Bridges - How Tennis Shaped Me

7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Join us for dinner and tennis at Genesis Health Club - Overland Park!

S at ur day , D ecember 3 8:00 a.m. - 8:15 a.m.

Opening Session with USTA Board Member Fabrizio Alcobe-Fierro

8:20 a.m.

Reimagining, Reconnecting & Reigniting Our Communities:

- 9:20 a.m.

Innovative Formats (Marilyn Sherman), Customer Service (Rafael Rivera)

& Social Media (Carolyn Anderson)

9:00 a.m.

Officials Committee

- 11:30 a.m.

9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Adult Competition Committee

Youth Pathway Committee

Roundtable discussion with guest speakers

10:35 a.m. - 11:35 a.m.

Junior Competition Committee

Diversity & Inclusion Committee

Roundtable discussion with guest speakers

11:45 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Awards & Hall of Fame Induction Luncheon

2:30 p.m.

- 2:45 p.m.

Afternoon Break

3:00 p.m.

- 5:00 p.m.

Meeting of the Association

Meeting of the Board (Open)

Meeting of the Board (Closed) FALL/ WINTER SERVE 2016 MISSOURIVALLEY.USTA.COM 3

GUEST SPEAKERS Fabrizio Alcobe-Fierro began serving his first two-year term as Director at Large on the USTA Board of Directors in January 2015. He is the board liaison to the Delivery System Council and chair of the Hispanic Engagement Advisory Group.

Alcobe-Fierro is Senior Vice President of the Univision Networks at Univision Communications Inc., the premier media company serving Hispanic America, where he is responsible for overseeing the administration, human resources, audience empowerment platforms and on-air talent.

Kirby Bridges is an on-camera personality and tennis pro at essentialtennis.com, where she serves as Director of Content Development. Essential Tennis is an online tennis teaching website with over 26 million views, 80,000 YouTube subscribers, and thousands of students from over 150 countries. Kirby’s work has gone viral, from tutorials on “Tennis Beer Pong” to “How NOT to Treat Your Mixed Doubles Partner.” Kirby is committed to helping others lead their best lives through pursuing their passion on and off the court.

Marilyn Sherman is the National Promotions Manager for USTA League. She also is on the team that is focused on increasing tennis participation in the18-40 age group. Sherman also served as Director of Adult Tennis for the USTA Southern Section for 15 years, and as a Tennis Professional at clubs in Florida, North Carolina and Georgia.

Rafael Rivera is the Guest Experience Manager for the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Florida. Rafael, a natural performer, started working as a performer at the Walt Disney World Resorts as a teenager. His support of the entertainment department and his work ensuring that guests had a magical experience, Rafael found his passion for the customer service industry.

Through the collaboration with the Disney Institute, Rafael is currently overseeing the development of the service framework that supports the brand of the United States Tennis Association at the National Campus. His strong commitment to educate teams exceeds customer expectations and cultivates customer relationships.

Carolyn Anderson is the Social Media Manager for Visit KC. She utilizes social media and the web to deliver on Visit KC’s mission for igniting global passion for Kansas City.

Visit missourivalley.usta.com/Home/2016_annual_conference for more information and to register for the event!

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Please welcome our 2016 inductees:

Bob Bates

Mark Johnson

Wilbur Jones

The USTA Missouri Valley is proud to honor the following outstanding award recipients: Female Junior Player of the Year Morgan Coppoc (Tulsa, Oklahoma)

Adult Recreational Player of the Year Mike Thagard (Edmond, Oklahoma)

Male Junior Player of the Year Carson Haskins (Ballwin, Missouri)

Outstanding Contributor USTA League Tennis Program Sam Shouldis (Shiloh, Illinois)

Junior Recreational Player of the Year Emily Kantrovitz (St. Louis, Missouri) Outstanding Junior Tournament Hideway Junior Mixed Open (Tulsa, Oklahoma)

Outstanding Diversity Achievement Julie Harrelson (Tulsa, Oklahoma)

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 Adult/ Senior Tournament 77th Annual Adult Jayhawk Open (Topeka, Kansas)

Event of the Year Wichita Tennis Open Community Events (Wichita, Kansas)

USTA Junior Team Tennis Organizer Mark Platt (St. Louis, Missouri)

Tennis Family of the Year The Tom Powers Family (Bixby, Oklahoma)

Community Service Excellence The Greens Country Club (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)

Outstanding Contributor Youth High Performance Program Mike Miller (St. Louis, Missouri)

Facility of the Year Overland Park Racquet Club (Overland Park, Kansas)

Distinguished Service Beth Causey (Chesterfield, Missouri)

High School Coach of the Year Skip Griese (Ada, Oklahoma)

Outstanding Community Tennis Association Topeka Tennis Association (Topeka, Kansas)

10 and Under Tennis Facility Oak Tree Country Cub (Edmond, Oklahoma)

Adult Player of the Year Pat Purcell (St. Louis, Missouri)

President’s Award Surprise Announcement

FALL/ WINTER SERVE 2016 MISSOURIVALLEY.USTA.COM 5

SPOTLIGHT ON:

SPORTSMANSHIP

The USTA Missouri Valley is proud to honor these 2016 Junior Sportsmanship 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

as well as recipients throughout the year in these programs:

Want to stay in the loop?

Receive the latest news and updates for events in the USTA Missouri Valley Text USTAMVAdults, USTAMVJuniors or USTAMVLeagues to 84483 Message and data rates apply. Must be 18 years or older. Opt-out: www.rainedout.com/opt_out.php

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ADULT 18 & OVER

2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0

MEN WOMEN N/A Oklahoma/Melissa McCorkle Oklahoma/Doyt Duncan Oklahoma/Christa Hessen Oklahoma/James Hayward St. Louis/Shelley Fridley Oklahoma /Chad Sanders Heart of America/Marcia Jacelone Oklahoma/Bill Towler Oklahoma/Keri Hale Oklahoma/Brian Sasser N/A

ADULT 40 & OVER

MEN WOMEN 3.0 Oklahoma/Brian Leonard Oklahoma/Tracy Lynn Ladner 3.5 Heart of America/Doug Schwabauer Iowa/Nancy Almasi 4.0 Oklahoma/Minh Tran Kansas/Melanie Joseph 4.5 Heart of America/Roy Allen Oklahoma/Keri Hale

ADULT 55 & OVER

MEN WOMEN 6.0 Oklahoma/Thomas Lydy St. Louis/Rose Albrecht 7.0 Kansas/Bob Bundy Nebraska/Nancy Watson 8.0 Oklahoma/Bill Riggan Oklahoma/Lisa West 9.0 Oklahoma/James Billingsley Nebraska/Mary Lou Winquest

ADULT 65 & OVER

MEN WOMEN 6.0 N/A St. Louis/Rose Albrecht 7.0 St. Louis/Dennis Waetzig Oklahoma/Paula Casey 8.0 Kansas/Jim Bauersfield St. Louis/Sylvia Bell

MIXED 18 & OVER

6.0 Oklahoma/David Stewart 7.0 Kansas/Michael Chico 8.0 Nebraska/Carvie Erwin 9.0 Kansas/Valerie Holmes

MIXED 40 & OVER

6.0 Oklahoma/Dave Rankin 7.0 Kansas/Michael Chico 8.0 Iowa/Elisabeth Marks 9.0 Oklahoma/Timothy Leos

Nearly 40 teams from the USTA Missouri Valley advanced to the 2015 USTA League National Championship by winning the USTA League Missouri Valley Section Championships, held over the course of August and September.

Click the photo above to visit the full League Section Championship photo gallery on Facebook.

This year, nearly 22,000 people played USTA Leagues across the USTA Missouri Valley. USTA League Tennis was established to provide adult recreational tennis players throughout the country. The League groups players by using six National Tennis Rating Program (NTRP) levels ranging from 2. 5 (entry) to 5.0 (advanced). USTA League is open to any USTA member 18 years of age or older.

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Nick Taylor‘s Silver Medal. Photo courtesy of David Wagner.

Jack Sock and his doubles partner, Bethanie Mattek-Sands pose with their Gold Medals.

Hometown Heroes, International Success Jack Sock, Nick Taylor Partner Up to Bring Home the Hardware McCarton Ackerman | USTA.com In an all-American final for the gold medal in mixed doubles at the Rio Olympics, Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Jack Sock prevailed Sunday in a high-quality contest over Venus Williams and Rajeev Ram, 6-7, 6-1, [10-7].

"This is probably going to be at the top [of career accomplishments]," said Mattek-Sands. "This is my first Olympics, first time being selected. I'm super proud of myself for my Grand Slam titles, but I think the Olympics is a different category altogether."

Williams and Ram rallied from 1-3 down in the opening set to force a tiebreak. From 3-3 in the tiebreak, they won four consecutive points to grab the opening set. Mattek-Sands and Sock responded by racing to a 5-0 lead in the second set and eventually bringing the gold medal contest to a deciding match tiebreak.

In a tiebreak filled with drastic swings in momentum, Mattek-Sands and Sock raced to a 3-0 advantage before Williams and Ram won six consecutive points to lead 6-3. But Mattek-Sands and Sock rebounded by winning six points in a row themselves, before clinching gold on their second match point.

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Sock walked away from Rio with two medals, having clinched a bronze earlier in the week in men’s doubles with Steve Johnson. He is the only tennis player at this year's Olympics to win two medals.

"The victory was pretty special and pretty surreal," Sock told rio.itftennis.com. "Definitely a moment we'll never forget and something we'll always share together."

The medal was the first of any kind for Mattek-Sands and Ram, both of whom were first-time Olympians, as was Sock.

“

"The victory was pretty special and pretty surreal.

Definitely a moment we'll never forget and something we'll always share together."

From Rio to St. Louis, Taylor Adds to Career of Success Meghan Kearney | USTA Missouri Valley

When Nick Taylor of Wichita, Kansas, headed to Rio de Janeiro earlier this year for the fourth Paralympics in his career, he thought he might just become a fan favorite of the soccer-loving Brazilian fans.

“It will be cool to play there because I think when I serve with my foot, the soccer crazy Brazilians are going to latch on to that pretty quick so I think that will be fun,” Taylor said.

Taylor capped his fourth Paralympics appearance by bringing home a medal for the fourth consecutive time.

Taylor, of Wichita, Kan., along with partner David Wagner fell short in the finals, earning a silver medal. The duo was defeated by Australia in the gold medal match.

Taylor, who competed in the Quad Doubles division, can be identified on the court with his unique way of serving by kicking the ball up with his foot and then hitting it. He’s also identified by his success. Taylor is a three-time gold medalist who narrowly made the cut for the Paralympics this year.

To qualify, a player must be one of the top 12 athletes for their sport in the world before May 23. Points are accumulated throughout tournaments athletes competed in for one year. In years past, Taylor was able to qualify well before the deadline, but this year was down to the wire.

With only two weeks remaining before the deadline, Taylor moved from the eleventh spot to being tied for twelfth. With only one tournament left, the last spot would depend on the winner of a 16 round match at the Japan Open.

Local Players Excel in St. Louis While players from around the world gathered in St. Louis in October at the US Open USTA Wheelchair Championships, players from the five-state area of the USTA Missouri Valley weren’t without success.

Winners in each division earned a coveted USTA Gold Ball.

In the men’s Quad Doubles, Wichita native Nick Taylor partnered with David Wagner to win their tenth US Open USTA Wheelchair Championship. Wagner also won his fifth consecutive Quad Singles title.

The Men’s B Doubles division also had some local flavor in its final. Doubles teams consisting of players from Kansas City as well as Lincoln, Neb., faced each other with Taylor Graham of Lincoln, Neb., and Jack Spicer of Kansas City, Mo. defeating Katie Garcia of Pleasant Hill, Mo., and Brian D. McMillan of Kansas City, Mo., 6-3, 6-1.

Spicer also made it to the semifinals of the Men’s B Singles draw before being defeated by eventual champion Mike Applegate of Sacramento, Calif. However, Spicer won the third-place match earning a USTA Bronze Ball.

In the Men’s A Singles, Doug Dupont of Florissant, Mo., earned second place.

“This time, it was down to the absolute wire,” Taylor said. “It was nerve wrecking for a whole week because so much was going to depend on the draw and who we had to play in a 16 round match. I was able to win my match by beating a man I haven’t been able to beat in four years.”

Bringing home a fourth gold medal wouldn’t be easy for Taylor and partner David Wagner. Dating back to the Paralympics in Athens, Greece in 2004, Taylor and Wagner have had unparalleled success making it so they have a target on their back from other competitors.

“There are four to five really solid teams and one of them is an Australian team. We have only played them twice, but they beat us the last time we played them so they are going to be a real challenge because they are very strong,” Taylor said.

Stephane Houdet of France won the men’s singles and doubles open crowns. Houdet, ranked no. 2 in the world, partnered with top-ranked Shingo Kunieda of Japan in Doubles.

In women’s open singles, Lucy Shuker won the first women’s singles Super Series title of her career. Chile’s Macarena Cabrillana partnered with Kgothatso Montjane to win the women’s open doubles championship.

Andrew Robinson | USTA Missouri Valley

FALL/ WINTER SERVE 2016 MISSOURIVALLEY.USTA.COM 9

But U.S. Paralympic tennis coach, Dan James, sees how committed Taylor is throughout every match he plays.

“Nick’s commitment level is up to par, he is a great thinker throughout the game. Given his disabilities, Nick has to think through the process and his strategies are amazing and he is good at putting himself in the right position to win every point,” James said.

“This year’s field will feature players who have a good amount of experience, but also some rookies. “It will be a great experience for all and we are excited to watch and see what happens,” James said.

Even though Taylor has experienced the pageantry of the Paralympics before, there are still special moments to remember.

“When walking into a stadium with 60,000 to 70,000 people at opening ceremonies and hear the United States of America get called as you walk out of that tunnel, you know that you are not only representing the United States but also your hometown, state, section in USTA, university and your coach,” Taylor said.

“All you think about in those moments is all the people that got you there and all the sacrifices they have made for you, in addition to what sacrifices you made for yourself,” Taylor said, “I have altered my life to do what I have done.”

Taylor competing at the 2016 Rio Paralympics.

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Even though it has been over a decade since Taylor first experienced the Paralympics, and even then he’d considered retiring beforehand, he’s in no rush of stopping. His life is dedicated to tennis, day in and day out, by spending his days as assistant coach for the men’s tennis team at his alma mater, Wichita State.

When asked about what he had learned from his experience when growing up in the sport and what advice he can give any athletes who aspire to be great, Taylor said, “Don’t give up. Just keep going and when it doesn’t work, do it again. You have to be willing to fail, but not willing to accept failure, meaning it may not work the first time or the hundredth time.”

This year, there wereover 4,200 athletes from around the world playing a variety of sports. Wheelchair tennis made its seventh appearance at the 2016 Paralympic games and the quad division will be included for the fourth time. Wheelchair tennis was originally an exhibition event starting in 1988. By 1992, it became a full medal sport in the Paralympic games held in Barcelona, Spain. Any athlete who competes in Paralympic tennis has a mobility-related disability and must compete in a wheelchair.

Brighton McMinn officiates matches at USTA Missouri Valley League Section Championships.

Youth Rules Young official has found a fun way to give back, and earn some side money Andrew Robinson | USTA Missouri Valley

If you see Brighton McMinn officiating at a junior tournament and think ‘there’s no way that official is much older than the players playing,’ well you’re actually not too far off base.

McMinn, 19, is a student at the University of Oklahoma in Norman and has been a USTA Official for the past two years. Thanks to his father being an official, McMinn was already pretty familiar with tennis rules.

During his high school playing days, McMinn’s nickname was “Rulebook.” And before McMinn had even graduated, he began the process of getting certified.

“There weren’t any regulations as to how old you had to be so my junior year of high school I emailed my local coordinator,” McMinn said.

Two years later, McMinn hasn’t just found a way to give back to the game, he’s also found something he enjoys.

“It really is a fun job,” he said. “It takes a lot. You have to have very thick skin and a lot of confidence to do something like this.”

McMinn regularly officiates USTA events such as junior tournaments and league section championships. He’s also been certified by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association and officiates college matches in Oklahoma and Texas. Being the same age, and often times younger than those players he’s officiating, McMinn said it can be difficult to earn respect.

“Especially us younger guys, we get looked down on quite a bit,” he said. “People tend to not take us as seriously but it comes with the territory and you have to work your way around it.”

When McMinn isn’t on the court, he’s learning to fly planes as an aviation major at Oklahoma. He often flies planes from the university’s airport over the Westwood Tennis Center in Norman where he spends much of his time officiating. And while his aspirations are to make a career out of flying, he’s also willing to see where officiating can take him.

“I hope to be at a grand slam,” he said. “But right now, I’m just enjoying where I am. It’s a nice job to do on the side while I get through college. The ITA and USTA have given me a lot and it’s nice they’ve entrusted me to do this at such a young age.”

Whether you’re young, old or somewhere in between, the USTA Missouri Valley is always looking for people who want to be officials. Visit missourivalley.usta.com/officials/ for more information on how to become a USTA Official.

“

I’m just enjoying where I am. It’s a nice job to do on the side while I get through college.

FALL/ WINTER SERVE 2016 MISSOURIVALLEY.USTA.COM 11

NET NOTES

Seven tennis players qualified to play in the US Open National Playoffs at a Sectional Qualifying Event at Homestead Country Club in Prairie Village, Kan., May 19-22. Click the photo above to visit the Facebook photo gallery.

Four Junior Team Tennis squads advanced to the USTA National Championships from the Section Championships in Topeka, Kan., July 25-28. Click the photo above for the Facebook photo gallery.

Teams from Oklahoma City and Tulsa finished in second and third place, respectively, at the USTA Junior Team Tennis 18U Intermediate National Championships held at the Cayce Tennis and Fitness Center in Cayce, S.C., October 20-23.

Barbara Fackel of Rock Island, Ill., was selected as the recipient of the Barbara Williams Service Award. Fackel was honored at the USTA Semi-Annual Meeting, Sept. 3-6 in New York City.

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A team from Tulsa finished in fourth place at the USTA Junior Team Tennis 14U Intermediate National Championships held at the Cayce Tennis and Fitness Center in Cayce, S.C., October 13-18.

NET NOTES Judy Dippold (St. Louis, Mo.) and Lisa Minihan (Norman, Okla.) each received the United States Tennis Association’s Junior Tournament Directors Blue Ribbon Award. They are two of four tournament directors to receive the Blue Ribbon Award from across the country.

The 2016 Fred Johnson ALL Stars event took place June 11-12 in Fremont, Neb. Click the photo for the full gallery on Facebook.

“Judy and Lisa contribute a tremendous amount to junior tennis in the USTA Missouri Valley,” said Nikki Chambers, Judy Dippold (left) and Lisa MInihan (right).

USTA Missouri Valley Program Manager for Junior Competition. “They always go above and beyond for the players to make sure every tournament experience is a success. We are truly fortunate to have their expertise.”

Dippold has been a national tournament director since 1992 and continues to run 15-20 tournaments per year including several national events. Minihan is Tournament Director/ Manager at Westwood Tennis Center in Norman, Okla. She serves as tournament director for district, section and national level tournaments. Minihan has served as president of USTA Oklahoma and is currently treasurer of the USTA Missouri Valley’s Board of Directors.

Click the photo below to visit the full Sweet 16 photo gallery on Facebook.

Eight junior tennis players captured singles championships at the USTA Missouri Valley Sweet 16 Championship, which draws the top 16 boys and girls players in each age division throughout the USTA Missouri Valley. The tournament was held June 14-19 at the Plaza Tennis Center in Kansas City, Missouri.

Visit USTAMV.sfmstore.com FALL/ WINTER SERVE 2016 MISSOURIVALLEY.USTA.COM 13

NET NOTES The men’s tennis team from Tulsa, Oklahoma, representing the USTA Missouri Valley section, finished second at the USTA League Adult 55 & Over 6.0 National Championships held at the Surprise Tennis & Racquet Complex in Surprise, A riz. The Tulsa team lost to a team from San Gabriel, California, 3-0 in the championship match. The team is captained by Tom Lydy and features James Felton Headrick, James Rader, Rusty Ruther ford, Randy Hughes, Ken Pelotte, Kenneth Michael Beck, James Hay ward and Frank Foreman and plays at the Case Tennis Center at LaFortune Park.

Charles Taylor, 17, of Park City, Kan., was selected as one of 10 winners of the 18th annual NJTL A rthur Ashe Essay Contest.

Taylor was selected out of more than 2,800 entries submitted this summer and is a member of the McAdams Community Tennis Foundation NJTL in the Wichita, Kan., area.

Taylor received a New York City travel package from August 2628 as part of 2016 Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day presented by Hess, the annual youth celebration that precedes the US Open.

Pierce Liberman of St. Louis, Mo., captured the USTA’s Bronze Ball in singles at the USTA National Men’s 85s Grass Court Championships in Chestnut Hill, Mass. Liberman partnered with Richard Morse of Hingham, Mass. to earn the Silver Ball in Doubles. It was the seventh tournament Liberman played this year.

Washington University-St. Louis continues to be a force when it comes to USTA Tennis on Campus. Wash. U. won the USTA Missouri Valley Tennis On Campus Fall Invite at the Plaza Tennis Center in Kansas City, October 1-2.

The team also won the USTA Missouri Valley Tennis On Campus Section Championship earlier this year.

Nebraska took second place, and Iowa State took third place over the weekend. Southern Illinois UniversityEdwardsville’s Stephanie Wichmann as well as Luke Foreman and Sam Cohen from Wash. U. were named sportsmanship winners. Click the photo at left to view the Facebook photo gallery.

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NET NOTES The women’s 55 & Over 7.0 and 9.0 teams from Nebraska both finished in fourth place, respectively, at USTA League National Championships in October.

Madison Keys wrapped up her best-ever season at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals, and she is now guaranteed to enter the 2017 season as a Top 10 player for the first time in her career. Keys’ appearance in Singapore at the WTA Finals marked the first time the 21-year-old Rock Island, Ill., native has contested the WTA Finals. It also means she will finish the year inside the Top 10 for the first time, after improving to her current No. 7 from No. 18 in the world at the end of 2015. Keys, ranked second among American women behind only Serena Williams, proved this year she has the game to rival any of her peers. She recorded victories over seventime Grand Slam champion Venus Williams, French Open champion Garbiñe Muguruza, two-time major winners Svetlana Kuznetsova and Petra Kvitova and 2015 US Open finalist Roberta Vinici – all Top 10 players – this season alone.

Jack Sock became the top-ranked American male in the world. The 24-year-old Lincoln, Neb., native has reached two ATP World Tour singles finals this year, finishing runner-up in January in Auckland and then repeating the feat in April in Houston. He also defeated former US Open champion Marin Cilic last month to make his first fourth-round appearance at the US Open. And last week, he scored his third Top 10 win of 2016 over current world No. 4 Milos Raonic to reach the quarter finals in Shanghai. Also in Shanghai, Sock paired with Isner to win the doubles title, another in a long line of doubles successes. The Nebraska native made headlines this summer by winning gold in mixed doubles with Bethanie Mattek-Sands in mixed doubles and the bronze medal in men's doubles with Johnson at the Rio Olympics. Sock will also be honored at the Stan Musial Awards for Sportsmanship on November 19.

Ashley Marshall and McCarton Ackerman I USTA.com Three facilities within the section were honored in the 35th annual USTA Facility Awards program, which recognizes excellence in the construction and/or renovation of tennis facilities throughout the country. The facilities are: Cooper Tennis Complex (Spring field, Missouri), Oklahoma City Tennis Center (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) and Michael & Anne Greenwood Tennis Center (Stillwater, Oklahoma). The facilities were honored at an Awards luncheon in New York City on September 1.

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