2019
Hall of
Fame and
Section Awards Celebration
2019 Hall of Fame and Section Awards Celebration ORDER OF CEREMONY Welcome National Anthem Necrology Centennial Celebration Video 2019 Hall of Fame Inductees KilmenyWaterman Connor Craig Sandvig Pam Sloan
Lunch 2019 Year in Review Video 2019 Section Awards 2019 Junior Sportsmanship Awards 2019 President’s Award
1986
Hall of Fame
2019 KilmenyWaterman Connor.. Overland Park, Kan. Craig Sandvig............University City, Mo. Pamela Sloan................. Stockton, Calif. 2018 Ken D. Brown....................Topeka, Kan. Fred Johnson................ Kansas City, Mo. Mark Platt........................Clayton, Mo. Pat Purcell...................... St. Louis, Mo. Kim Reser....................Springfield, Mo. 2017 Buff Farrow......................Wichita, Kan. Francis P. Lemery........Overland Park, Kan. Richard M. Perry..................Enid, Okla. 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
2019
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 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.
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.
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.
Nominations are accepted annually by July 31. Nominations remain on file for five years. Visit usta.com/ustamissourivalley for more information.
Kilmeny Waterman Connor Overland Park, Kansas
Kilmeny Waterman Connor has excelled in the tennis world since her early years as a player, and still today as a teacher, coach, and organizer of tennis. Connor first fell in love with the game of tennis as she followed the footsteps of her mother, Jennifer Waterman, who coached and played tennis. Connor describes her mother as an amazing motivator, and one of the reasons why she dedicated her own life to tennis. As a junior player, Kilmeny maintained a USTA national ranking along with becoming the 1980 Missouri State High School Girls Singles Champion and holding the No. 1 USTA Missouri Valley ranking in Girls 18s singles and doubles. Her success continued as a scholarship varsity player for No. 5 ranked Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas where she graduated with her Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education in 1988. Connor went on to compete for three years on the Women’s Professional Tennis Circuit, attaining a WTA world ranking in both singles and doubles tennis. In 1993, Connor was chosen to be an alternate team member for the World TeamTennis Kansas City Explorers. Later in life, Connor would win three gold, seven silver and three bronze balls competing in Mother-Daughter national tournaments with her mother. Connor then went on to attain her Master’s degree in Sports Administration which assistant coaching at the University of Kansas. As her career as a player winded down, Connor built toward a reputable coaching career, taking positions at City College of San Francisco, starting the women’s tennis program at the University of Wyoming, and most notably returning to the University of Kansas as the Head Coach. In 2002, she was honored as the Big 12 Women’s Tennis Coach of the Year, as well as the Central Region Women’s Tennis Coach of the Year. Along with her career as a player and coach, Kilmeny also impacted tennis in her various roles coordinating, teaching, and directing junior tennis at local clubs and academies along with being intricately involved in many committees and charitable foundations for local tennis, collegiate tennis, and most notably her family’s foundation known as the Stephanie Waterman Tennis Foundation created in honor of her late sister.
Her involvement, memberships, and charitable service earned her the Salute to Women in Tennis Award in 1998 to accompany her honor of being inducted into the USTA Heart of America Hall of Fame. On being inducted into the USTA Missouri Valley Hall of Fame, Connor said:
“I am amazed and honored to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. I was pretty floored when I found out. Knowing the history of the Hall of Fame and having family members like my mom playing tennis in the Kansas City area for so long, along with growing up with so many amazing people and tennis players — to be in that company, I am so honored.”
Craig Sandvig University City, Missouri
Craig Sandvig’s impact on local junior tennis is second to none, as exemplified by his notable career and the way all his players and colleagues speak so kindly of him. Growing up in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Sandvig was a top-ranked USTA Northern (known then as USTA Northwestern) junior player. In the mid-1960’s, he represented his section in the Junior Davis Cup Competition and was a five-time state champion in high school. Sandvig excelled in his collegiate career as well, playing tennis for the University of Iowa and earning the university’s top Scholar-Athlete Award across all sports. Sandvig went on to continue his career professionally, playing two summers on the European Pro Circuit. However, his accomplishments as a coach far exceed his already impressive accomplishments as a player. In 1971, Sandvig moved to St. Louis in order to pursue his graduate degree at Washington University, where he would also become Head Coach of the men’s tennis team. Six years later, Sandvig was invited to pioneer a now nationally-recognized junior tennis program at Sunset Tennis Center, where he has remained for over 40 years. As a top coach and USPTA Elite Pro for 30+ years, Sandvig has coached many high school state champions, nationally ranked junior players, future Division I college tennis players, and district, section, and national championship-earning USTA adult teams. His coaching efforts were further rewarded as he was named the USPTA Missouri Valley Missouri Pro of the Year in 2001, USTA Tennis National Recognition Program AllAmerican Team in 2003, and USTA Missouri Valley Outstanding Contributor to the USTA League Tennis Program in 2005. These honors were well deserved as Sandvig’s contributions to USTA Missouri Valley and USTA St. Louis are significant. Sandvig’s contributions include coaching and directing section-level tournaments and serving on USTA Missouri Valley committees, along with a dedication to the growth of junior tennis at the district level. Sandvig has created multiple junior tournament series, served as district vice president of junior tennis, and been honored with five USTA St. Louis awards for his junior tennis contributions, culminating in 2013 with the Distinguished Service Award.
Sandvig’s strength as a coach and good-hearted nature all points to why so many players remain loyal to him. Along with colleague Doug Smith, Craig is very proud of the Sunset alumni who continue honor tennis by playing it, teaching it, and providing their children and grandchildren the opportunity to learn the game. On being inducted into the USTA Missouri Valley Hall of Fame, Sandvig said:
“I feel very fortunate to be a part of a group that includes Don Klotz and Steve Wilkinson, my college mentors, Jane Pratt and Marilyn Mueller, who have so much to tennis in St. Louis, Doug Smith and Judy Dippold, who inspired me and pushed me to be better, and too many others to mention.”
Pam Sloan Stockton, California
Pam Sloan’s legacy is that of a life deeply interconnected with volunteerism, a passion for tennis, dedication to grassroots tennis and introducing young people to tennis. Sloan’s passion for tennis was sparked when she began playing as a teenager, and then further set ablaze as an adult working in the Parks and Recreation system when a friend encouraged her to attend a tennis workshop in Dallas. Little did Sloan know, this tennis workshop would move her to dedicate her career to growing the game of tennis. Since that workshop, Sloan successfully fought to restore tennis within the Kansas City Parks and Recreation Department, with the results of her work drawing in thousands of players, several NJTL programs, and many junior and adult tournaments. A standout accomplishment during this period is her successful formation of an NJTL program that would see 1200 children, many of which would go on to play tennis in high school, college, and even professionally. Sloan has served at every level within USTA Missouri Valley, from tournament volunteer, to Board Member, to two-term President (1999-2002), and serving on numerous committees. In this time, Sloan also joined the Board of Directors for both the National Public Parks Tennis Association and the National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA), as well as becoming a NRPA Certified Park and Recreation Professional. In her time within USTA Missouri Valley, she earned nine service-based awards at the local, section and national level, some of which include the “Outstanding Service Award” from USTA for her NJTL work, the “Distinguished Service Award” from USTA Missouri Valley, and the “Exceptional Service Award” from Kansas City Parks and Recreation. When Sloan’s profession carried her to California to become the Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Stockton in 2004, her service to tennis carried on. Her commitment to tennis stayed true as she quickly became involved in several task forces, committees and as a USTA Northern California Board Member. While staying active with USTA Northern California, Sloan also invested her time in the Sacramento Capitals World TeamTennis program as the Community Outreach Coordinator. Along with staying intricately involved with her local USTA section, Sloan has also served extensively for USTA nationally—in the past 25+ years, she has served on 27 national committees, task forces, and projects as well as serving on the USTA Board of Directors.
Sloan has been able to use her career as a consultant and within the Parks and Recreation systems to promote the game of tennis and carry on the mission of making tennis accessible in public parks everywhere. Her work in this field was crowned in 2016 when she was awarded the National Public Parks Tennis Association Jean and Hollis Smith Lifetime Achievement Award and now with being inducted into the USTA Missouri Valley Hall of Fame in 2019. On being inducted into the USTA Missouri Valley Hall of Fame, Sloan said:
“Initially, I was a little speechless, excited, thrilled. But my first thought later was “Who got me to this point?” I had to think about the people that, without their assistance, their mentoring and their help, I wouldn’t have been here in this position...Ultimately, they are the ones that helped me make a difference in tennis. I feel very honored and privileged to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, and I truly take that to heart.”
2019 Award Recipients Junior High Performance Player of the Year (Female) - Vanessa Ong (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) Junior High Performance Player of the Year (Male) - Graydon Lair (Tulsa, Oklahoma) Junior Emerging Player of the Year (Female) - Tokara Henderson (Edmond, Oklahoma) Junior Emerging Player of the Year (Male) - Brendan Cunnane (St. Louis, Missouri) Outstanding Junior Tournament USTA National L1 Boys 18s Indoor Championship (Overland Park, Kansas) USTA Junior Team Tennis Organizer - Janet Glaser (Wichita, Kansas) Outstanding Contributor Youth High Performance Program - Billy Gluck (St. Louis, Missouri) Outstanding Contributor Youth Tennis - Larry Newton (Omaha, Nebraska) High School Coach of the Year - Skip Griese (Ada, Oklahoma) Adult Player of the Year - Thiago Santos (Leawood, Kansas) Adult Recreational Player of the Year - Chris Freeman (Lincoln, Nebraska) Outstanding Contributor USTA League Tennis Program - Jim Sichterman (Muscatine, Iowa) Outstanding Adult/Senior Tournament USTA Heart of America 65s Invitational (Overland Park, Kansas) Tennis Family of the Year - The Han Family (Tulsa, Oklahoma) Facility of the Year - Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Complex (Iowa City, Iowa) Outstanding Community Tennis Association Net Rushers Tennis Association (St. Louis, Missouri) Member Organization of the Year - Overland Park Racquet Club (Overland Park, Kansas) Outstanding Official - Vicki Elwood (Swansea, Illinois) Media Excellence - KSN-TV (Wichita, Kansas) Outstanding Diversity Achievement - Marty Rothwell (Wichita, Kansas) Distinguished Service - Nick Taylor (Wichita, Kansas) President’s Award - Surprise Announcement
Female Junior High Performance Player of the Year
Vanessa Ong - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma • National ranking of 151 and ITF high ranking of 67 • Committed to UCLA on a full tennis scholarship • Made singles quarterfinals of the ITF World Tennis Tour Women’s $15k in Williamsburg, Virginia and won the doubles division • Won her first pro singles title, the 2019 ITF World Tennis Tour Women’s $15K in Lawrence, Kansas at the age of 17
Male Junior High Performance Player of the Year
Graydon Lair - Tulsa, Oklahoma • Boys 18 national ranking of 40 and ranked No. 1 in USTA Missouri Valley Boys 18s • Winner of the Summer Supers and Sweet 16 • Reached the round of 16s at the National Indoor Championships • Selected for USTA Missouri Valley team at the B18s National Team Championships
Female Junior Emerging Player of the Year
Tokara Henderson - Edmond, Oklahoma • No. 1 or No. 2 ranking in Oklahoma in Girls 12 Singles for most of 2019 • Captured five singles titles, four runner-up finishes and two doubles titles in the 12s age division at district and section events • Helped lead Team Oklahoma to the USTA Missouri Valley 12s & 14s team championship in May • Compiled an overall record of 38-24 in 2019 in USTA competition for a .613 winning percentage • Participated in the 2019 Team USA Sectional Training Camp in October
Male Junior Emerging Player of the Year
Brendan Cunnane - St. Louis, Missouri • Has played Junior Team Tennis for multiple years • His team qualified for Section Championships the last two years • Won the sportsmanship award for his age division at Junior Team Tennis Section Championships • Won the clinching match in the district team final for Chaminade High School this spring
Outstanding Junior Tournament
USTA L1 Boys 18s Indoor Championship - Overland Park, Kansas • Four day event with 64 players • This revitalized event included a player lounge with ping-pong table, food and snacks • OPRC staff provided players with a homemade meal on Thanksgiving • Excellent officiating crew and volunteers • A player map was made showing where each player was from around the country • Adidas provided Player of the Day awards each day
USTA Junior Team Tennis Organizer
Janet Glaser - Wichita, Kansas • Recognized by USTA for being in the top four of the best Junior Team Tennis organizers in teh country • USTA Kansas now offers Summer Junior Team Tennis advancing league • Offers both 18 & Under and 14 & Under divisions, added Fall and Winter single/mixed gender leagues in 2019 • One of the first providers to sign up for Red Ball Team Challenge Pilot events • Hosted six team challenge pilot events, which ranged in size from about 40 to over 100 kids
Outstanding Contributor Youth High Performance Program
Billy Gluck - St. Louis, Missouri • USPTA professional with 20 years of experience coaching district, sectional, national and college ranked players • Currently teaches at Sunset Tennis Center • Organizes and develops high-performance programs for players 8-18 with an emphasis on ground strokes, net play and serving • Runs clinics focused on developing younger kids through the USTA 10 & Under tennis pathway
Outstanding Contributor Youth Tennis
Larry Newton - Omaha, Nebraska • Served as USTA National Committee Vice Chair for Local Play and Competition, USTA Missouri Valley Local Play and Competition Committee Chair and USTA Nebraska Tournament Sanction Chair • Net Generation School Partner for three elementary schools • Conducted three Net Generation Team Tournament pilots with a total of 72 participants • Registered Net Generation provider • Ran six USTA Missouri Valley Smashers tournaments and seven USTA Missouri Valley NET entry-level tournaments in 2019
High School Coach of the Year
Skip Griese - Ada, Oklahoma • Served as Ada High School head tennis coach for both girls and boys for the past 35 years • Racked up nine boys state championships and five girls state championships, including eight titles in the past seven years • Coached 54 All-State players and 68 individual state champions • Four-time Oklahoma Tennis Coach Association Girls Coach of the Year • Five Academic All-State Teams
Adult Player of the Year
Thiago Santos - Leawood, Kansas • Current NTRP rating of 6.5 • National Cardio Tennis Director for Genesis Health Clubs and active player on the competitive tour • Won four Gold Balls in 2019 • USTA National 30 & Over Indoor Men’s Doubles Champion with partner Christian Guevara • USTA National 30 & Over Indoor Mixed Doubles Champion with partner Steph Dalmacio • USTA National 30 & Over Hardcourt Men’s Doubles Champion with partner Anthony Perkins • USTA National 30 & Over Hardcourt Mixed Doubles Champion with partner Michelle Hall
Adult Recreational Player of the Year
Chris Freeman - Lincoln, Nebraska • Played on five USTA League teams in 2019, including Men’s, Mixed and Tri-Level • Helped his 18 & Over 4.0 men’s team capture its fourth consecutive district title and advance to the semifinals of the USTA Missouri Valley Section Championships • 4.0 doubles champion and was a semifinalist in 4.0 singles at the summer USTA Nebraska Adult Open • 4.0 singles champion and 4.0 doubles semifinalist at Cornhusker State Games • Leader of Tennis Mafia, a USTA member organization that helps promote and grow tennis in the Lincoln
Outstanding Contributor USTA League Tennis Program
Jim Sichterman - Muscatine, Iowa • Started playing tennis in 1991 • Played in a local summer league and participated in three River City summer tournaments • Played on Men 3.5, 4.0, 4.5 and Mixed 8.0 and 9.0 teams • Competed in 37 matches on seven different teams • Captained or co-captained six teams • Two teams advanced to sectionals, with one placing second
Outstanding Adult/Senior Tournament
USTA Heart of America 65s Invitational - Overland Park, Kansas • Sixth consecutive year of this event • 380 players competed in 2019 • Provided welcome gifts for each player and thank you gifts for each captain • Met each captain at the door of the captains’ meeting and escorted them to their registration desk • Provided a social dinner for all players and guests at Overland Park Racquet Club • Fresh, homemade cookies provided to players throughout the tournament • A “Wimbledon breakfast” was served by Overland Park Racquet Club – strawberries & cream, danish rolls, orange juice • Adequate staff at the tournament desk and a roving umpire was present for the entire tournament
Tennis Family of the Year
The Han Family - Tulsa, Oklahoma • Father Patrick played at the University of Kansas, is a current 5.0 player and volunteer coaches juniors • Mother Asuko is a 4.5 player and promotes Net Generation • Daughter Michelle was on Cascia Hall Preparatory School state championship tennis team and a member of the 2014 All-State team • Daughter Nicole was a 2014 State Doubles Champion and a member of the 2016 All-State team • Son Nathan committed to play tennis at the University of Oklahoma • Son Alex won Boys 16s singles division at USTA Missouri Valley Summer Sweet 16 in 2019 • Both sons volunteered to teach tennis at Jenks East Elementary School and won sportsmanship awards at the section and national level
Facility of the Year
Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Complex - Iowa City, Iowa • Boasts 12 outdoor courts and eight indoor courts • All 12 outdoor courts were resurfaced in fall 2019 and added California corner fencing and wind screens • Play Site is available on six of the eight indoor courts to allow for streaming of matches • Amenities include men’s and women’s locker rooms, a cardio and weight training area, two turf fields and a state of the art lighting and sound system • A certified Net Generation site with certified Net Generation coaches that offer full tennis programming for all ages
Outstanding Community Tennis Association
Net Rushers Tennis Association - St. Louis, Missouri • Dedicated to promoting tennis in the St. Louis metropolitan area for more than twenty years • Mission is to provide free and low-cost tennis lessons to local youth and adults who may not be exposed to tennis because of financial restrictions • Has six board members and five year-round volunteers • Several coaches work for the Net Rushers throughout the year and former youth participants are hired during their college years to assist coaches in the summer • In 2019, ran a Team Challenge, a Team Tournament and sponsored several Junior Team Tennis teams
Member Organization of the Year
Overland Park Racquet Club - Overland Park, Kansas • 22 courts, including four clay, 14 indoor hard courts, and four outdoor hard courts • Opens its doors to thousands of USTA League players each year as well as hosts junior tournaments and USTA Team USA junior national camps • All of the tennis staff are Net Generation trained and certified • Many of the staff serve in USTA district and section volunteer roles • Provided coaches for USTA Missouri Valley 12s & 14s Team Event and Team USA Camp • Hosted three adult tournaments, 25 sanctioned junior tournaments and multiple red and orange ball 10 & Under tournaments from September 2018 to August 2019 • Provide free court time to several organizations, including the Stephanie Waterman Foundation, Tennis Buddies and Special Olympics
Outstanding Official
Vicki Elwood - Swansea, Illinois • In 2019, logged over 500 hours as chair, rover, line umpire and referee at USTA events • Chair of USTA St. Louis Officials Committee and is the district’s representative on the USTA Missouri Valley Officials Committee • Refereed for eight of the 24 USTA junior tournaments in St. Louis in 2019 • Head referee for USTA National L2 Boys 16s tournament, the highest level USTA event in St. Louis in 2019 • Serves as a mentor and role model for other officials
Media Excellence
KSN-TV - Wichita, Kansas • Covered multiple tennis events in the Wichita area in 2019 • Produced a story on Wichita State Shockers competing in the Wichita Tennis Open • Aired a feature about the nearly 400 kids who participated in the Wichita Tennis Open community event • Produced two features about wheelchair tennis in the Wichita area and the opportunities for play for those of all abilities
Outstanding Diversity Achievement
Marty Rothwell - Wichita, Kansas • Creates opportunities for diverse athletes and helps them to integrate into the overall community using the sport of tennis • Helped organize a section-wide dual event that involved players from across USTA Missouri Valley • Instrumental in organizing the Fred Johnson ALL Stars Event and the USTA Missouri Valley Adaptive Event • Runs weekly hitting sessions for his athletes at Riverside Tennis Center and takes them to tournaments to keep them active in their communities
Distinguished Service
Nick Taylor - Wichita, Kansas • Served as the chair of the USTA Missouri Valley Diversity & Inclusion Committee since 2014 • Makes time to speak and volunteer at events to make others aware of the sport of tennis • Has 11 Grand Slam Quad Doubles titles • Won three Paralympic gold medals and a silver medal • Hosts the Air Capital Classic Wheelchair Tennis Tournament with Grady Landrum • One of the founders and directors of the Wichita Tennis Open • Professor in the department of Sport Management at Wichita State University and has served as a volunteer for the WSU Men’s Tennis program for many years • Founded Wichita Adaptive Sports Inc., an organization that helps kids with disabilities get involved in sport with a focus on tennis • Working with USTA to revamp the structure of wheelchair tennis and rewrite the curricula for teaching the sport
President’s Award
Surprise Announcement
2019 Junior Sportsmanship Award Recipients Girls 10s Girls 12s Girls 14s Girls 16s Girls 18s Boys 10s Boys 12s Boys 14s Boys 16s Boys 18s
Ashley Tran Mia Yin Mikaela Mikulec Elizabeth Choate Keeley Van Antwerp Owen Leonard Caden Haar Nicholas Chun Gus Tettamble Leonardo Da Silva
St. Louis, Missouri Ballwin, Missouri St. Louis, Missouri Edwardsville, Illnois Wildwood, Missouri Salina, Kansas Lincoln, Nebraska Chesterfield, Missouri St. Louis, Missouri O’Fallon, Illinois
Celebrating 100 Years of Growing the Game 1920: • Missouri Valley Tennis Association is founded and admitted as part of the USLTA, encompassing five states: Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma 1922: • Arkansas joins the Missouri Valley Tennis Association 1923: • Dwight Davis of St. Louis, Missouri becomes president of the USLTA 1928: •Davis Cup held in Kansas City, Missouri - Rockhill Tennis Club: USA 5, China 0 1947: • USTA Missouri Valley leads all sections in increased memberships from previous year over 100% 1960: •Arthur Ashe wins USTA National Indoor Junior Championship while in school in St. Louis, Missouri
1961: • Arkansas leaves the Missouri Valley Tennis Association to join USTA Southwest 1963: • Jimmy Connors of Belleville, Illinois is ranked No. 3 in country in Boys 12’s division 1968: • World Championship Tennis, Inc. brings professional tournament to Des Moines, Iowa; includes Earl “Butch” Buchholz as a member of the “Handsome Eight” 1972: • Yellow tennis balls approved on a trial basis by USLTA at the request of Kansas Citian Lamar Hunt to televise World Championship Tennis (WCT)
1976: • WCT Doubles Championships held in Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri 1986 •Section office moves from Des Moines, Iowa to Kansas City, Missouri
1991: • Davis Cup semifinals, featuring St. Louis native Ken Flach, held in Kansas City, Missouri: USA 3, Germany 2 1993: • Wichita Advantage wins World TeamTennis championship 1996: • First year of “Tennis in the Hood” program brings to tennis to inner cities • St. Louis Aces win World TeamTennis championship 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 1998: • USTA logo is updated at the national and section level 2002: • Fed Cup held in Springfield, Missouri: USA 5, Israel 0 • Davis Cup held in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: USA 5, Slovak Republic 0 2006: • USTA logo is updated at the national and section level
2010: • Kansas City Explorers win World TeamTennis championship
2012: • Nick Taylor of Wichita, Kansas wins third consecutive Paralympic gold with quad partner David Wagner at the London Paralympics 2014: • USTA logo is updated at the national and section level • Fed Cup held in St. Louis at Chaifetz Arena: France 3, USA 2 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 2016: • Tennis Industry Magazine names USTA Missouri Valley as its Section of the Year 2017: • Rock Island, Ill. native Madison Keys finishes as runner-up at the US Open to Sloane Stephens
2018: • Jack Sock teams up with Mike Bryan to win the Wimbledon gentlemen’s doubles title, and the US Open men’s doubles title 2019: • Springfield Lasers win their second-straight World TeamTennis championship, bringing the King Cup to Springfield for the second time in franchise history 2020: • USTA Missouri Valley celebrates its 100th Anniversary. Mark your calendars for the Centennial Celebration at next year’s annual conference, December 4-5.
This is just a small portion of the important moments in USTA MissouriValley history. To view the full historical timeline, please visit the History tab at USTA.com/ustamissourivalley.
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 2019 section award winners, please share your gratitude for their service to our communities and the game of tennis. We also recognize the hard work of our Awards and Hall of Fame committee members throughout the year: Awards Susan True, Chair John Kelly, Vice Chair Ken Brown Stuart Dusenberry Chaz Kuper Kathy Loepp Peter McCorkle Pat McCormick Hall of Fame Barb Fackel, Chair Judy Dippold, Vice Chair Terry Miller George Milton Bruce Vosburg
Thank You