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Fall 2025

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USTA Missouri Valley publishes Serve three times per year, focusing specifically on the members and events in the section. All material is copyrighted USTA Missouri Valley, unless otherwise noted. Your feedback is welcomed.

USTA Missouri Valley 4121 W 83rd Street I Suite 108 Prairie Village, Kansas 66208

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(913) 322-4800 For questions about your USTA membership, please contact USTA Customer Care at 1-800-990-USTA or customercare.usta.com

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FALL 2026 3 3 SERVESERVE FALL 2026

Connect. Innovate. Celebrate.

The ultimate weekend for the changemakers of tennis is officially locked in. From Thursday, December 3 through Saturday, December 5, the entire section is coming together to spark new ideas, elevate the game, and celebrate the incredible people who make tennis thrive in our communities.

What’s on the Agenda Thursday, December 3

Friday, December 4

Saturday, December 5

• Evening: Step straight into the Opening Night Party—your first and best opportunity to reconnect with familiar faces and expand your network.

• Daytime: Get exclusive insights during panel discussions, interactive roundtables, and presentations led by USTA national and regional staff, alongside top industry innovators.

• Morning: Fire up for the final morning session, transforming the weekend’s best ideas into an actionable game plan for your home courts.

• Afternoon: Kick things off with an invigorating opening session packed with fresh energy and vision to set the stage for the weekend.

• Morning: Set your trajectory with a general session designed to tackle the future of our sport head-on.

• Evening: Unwind and celebrate at the legendary Friday Night Dinner Party—an annual crowd-favorite hit you won’t want to miss.

HALL OF FAME LUNCHEON & AWARDS CELEBRATION

Saturday, December 5 at 11:30 a.m.

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• Honoring the Best in the Game: The weekend concludes with a powerful celebration of excellence across our five-state region.

Hall of Fame Induction: Witness a historic milestone as we posthumously induct Steve Henry (Oklahoma City) as the 151st member of the Hall of Fame. Awards Ceremony: Stand together and cheer on the players, coaches, volunteers, and contributors walking the stage to be honored for their relentless dedication to the sport highlighting 28 award categories.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!

2026 USTA MISSOURI VALLEY

AWARD WINNERS

Congratulations to our award winners who bring out the best in our section! ADULT PLAYER OF THE YEAR, 3.5 & BELOW KRUPA DUDANI - VALLEY PARK, MO. ADULT PLAYER OF THE YEAR, 4.0 & ABOVE KEVIN JOHNSTON - BETTENDORF, IA. CHRIS HECK - WICHITA, KAN. OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTOR USTA LEAGUE TENNIS PROGRAM ROBERT DUGGAN - ST. LOUIS, MO. OUTSTANDING ADULT/SENIOR TOURNAMENT RALLY FOR RESCUES | ANIMAL AID OF TULSA - BIXBY, OKLA. OUTSTANDING JUNIOR TOURNAMENT “WEAR A SMILE” JUNIOR CIRCUIT TOURNAMENT | HIDDEN TRAILS COUNTRY CLUB - OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLA.

JUNIOR SPORTSMANSHIP BOYS 10S - WINSTON PHAM, TULSA, OKLA. GIRLS 12S - PENELOPE PETERSON, LEAWOOD, KAN. BOYS 12S - ELIJAH SMITH, OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLA. GIRLS 14S - KATE HARRIS, LINCOLN, NEB. BOYS 14S - WYATT MARKHAM, LAWRENCE, KAN. GIRLS 16S - LEILA WILLIAMS, EDMOND, OKLA. BOYS 16S - ETHAN LAYCOB, ST. LOUIS, MO. GIRLS 18S - CARTER MCCLELLAN, CHESTERFIELD, MO. BOYS 18S - LINCOLN SMITH, OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLA. OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTOR YOUTH TENNIS LARRY NEWTON - OMAHA, NEB.

OUTSTANDING OFFICIAL MEGAN PALMER - VALLEY PARK, MO.

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTOR YOUTH HIGH-PERFORMANCE PROGRAM JARED WARD - LAWRENCE, KAN.

JUNIOR HIGH-PERFORMANCE PLAYER OF THE YEAR (F) AVA BELTRAN - LIBERTY, MO.

HIGH SCHOOL COACH OF THE YEAR ANNE SUTTER - ST. LOUIS, MO.

JUNIOR HIGH-PERFORMANCE PLAYER OF THE YEAR (M) ANISH POOJARI - OVERLAND PARK, KAN.

OUTSTANDING COMMUNITY TENNIS ASSOCIATION THE NET RUSHERS - FLORISSANT, MO.

JUNIOR EMERGING PLAYER OF THE YEAR (F) MADDIE SHELL - ANKENY, IA.

FACILITY OF THE YEAR KOCH FAMILY TENNIS CENTER - OMAHA, NEB.

JUNIOR EMERGING PLAYER OF THE YEAR (M) DRAKE LEROY - WESTWOOD, KAN.

MEMBER ORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR SUMMERSVILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT - SUMMERSVILLE, MO.

TENNIS FAMILY OF THE YEAR THE SMITH FAMILY - KANSAS CITY, MO.

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE JEAN LARRICK - SPRINGFIELD, MO.

OUTSTANDING DIVERSITY ACHIEVEMENT ACEING AUTISM KANSAS CITY - OVERLAND PARK, KAN.

PRESIDENT’S AWARD - SURPRISE ANNOUNCEMENT

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Longtime tennis player, provider and volunteer Steve Henry has been selected for enshrinement into the USTA Missouri Valley Hall of Fame. Henry — who served as president of both USTA Missouri Valley and USTA Oklahoma — becomes the 151st member of the section’s Hall of Fame as the lone inductee for the Class of 2026. Henry, who passed away on March 21, 2023 at the age of 62, will be posthumously inducted on December 5 at the Olathe Conference Center in Olathe, Kan., as part of the USTA Missouri Valley Annual Conference occurring December 3-5. Established in 1986, the USTA Missouri Valley Hall of Fame recognition represents the section’s highest honor awarded to individuals who have gone above and beyond for the sport of tennis. Henry did just that. An avid tennis player beginning at 18, Henry hit the courts in Oklahoma City five to six times a week for the ensuing 12 years. And following his retirement from General Motors in 2006, Henry’s second career arc was tennis-centered. Henry managed Earlywine Tennis Center beginning in 2007 before becoming facility director of Oklahoma City Tennis Center in 2009. It was a full-circle moment for Henry, who worked front desk at the facility and played there for about 40 years before becoming its director.

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During his tenure at Oklahoma City Tennis Center, Henry oversaw major upgrades — including the addition of indoor courts and a pro shop — while elevating the complex’s status as a top tennis destination. Henry was the tournament director for 100-plus events there, including Pro Circuit and national junior and adult tourneys. He ran the Oklahoma high school state tennis championships, taking one of the largest tennis events in the state to unprecedented heights. Henry joined the USTA Oklahoma Board of Directors in 2008, which jumpstarted a decade and a half of volunteer service to the sport. That culminated with Henry becoming president of USTA Missouri Valley at the beginning of 2023. Henry additionally served on three USTA national committees: Junior Team Tennis, Junior Competition and Adult League. Henry was also a standout competitor who participated in USTA Oklahoma leagues for over three decades. His teams qualified for several USTA League National Championships. Henry also played alongside his daughter, Jordan, at three USTA father-daughter national championships. Henry received the USTA Missouri Valley Distinguished Service Award in 2018. The Oklahoma City Tennis Center was named the section’s Facility of the Year in 2023 and was twice chosen as the section’s Member Organization of the Year (2011, 2021). The complex won a USTA Outstanding Facility Award in 2016. Henry was inducted into the Oklahoma Tennis Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2025.

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NATIONAL AWARD WINNERS 2026 USTA Outstanding Facility Award Recipients

Each year the USTA recognizes facilities throughout the country to encourage increasingly high standards for construction and/or renovation. There are six categories of facility awards and specific criteria that must be met for a facility to be considered. Here are national award recipients from USTA Missouri Valley: 1) Public Courts: Small Tennis Centers (2 to 11 courts): Ernest Grundy Tennis Center (Kearney, Neb.) 2) Public Courts: Large Tennis Centers (12 or more courts): Kossover Tennis Center (Topeka, Kan.) Educational Institutions: 3) East St. Louis Senior High School (East St. Louis, Ill.) 4) Michael W. and Quirsis V. Riney Family Tennis Center (St. Louis, Mo.) 5) Headington Family Tennis Center & Wadley Indoor Tennis Pavilion (Norman, Okla.)

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Once again, USTA Missouri Valley featured several officials, organizers, facilities, and players who were in attendance at the Grand Slam event. Click each image to read more about our list of US Open local connections.

1) Champion of Equality

Kaitlin Roselius, Director of Community Outreach & Evaluation at Woods Tennis Center in Lincoln, Neb. is USTA Missouri Valley’s Champion of Equality for 2026. Under Roselius’ guidance, Woods offers tennis and educational programming to at-promise youth across the city of Lincoln and surrounding areas. Roselius also oversees Woods’ adaptive tennis programs, “Tennis Without Limits” and “Tennis Buddies,” in partnership with Special Olympics Nebraska, serving youth and adults with intellectual disabilities.

2) USTA Connect Innovation Challenge

Third Court, founded in St. Louis by Dom Marticorena, Mark Lu and Chris Wissmann, won the inaugural USTA Connect Innovation Challenge, taking home a $10,000 prize.

3) Kids on the Court

The City of Wichita (Riverside Tennis Center) was selected for a Net Generation on-court activity. Twelve players, ages 8-13, along with two coaches (Brent Fields and Alex Lee) were in attendance. They took the court 10 minutes prior to the opening match and participated in a demonstration using red balls, youth-size racquets and pop-up nets. The event took place on Aug. 30, and one of the kids did a coin toss before the US Open match.

4) Coaches Open

Laura Puryear, Marissa Moment Brown, Lindsay Hall, Sam Owoo-Battlet, Alywn Mushonga, Caitee Margenthaler and Rebecca Falkner Axelrod represented USTA Missouri Valley at the inaugural Coaches Open. Attendees experienced powerhouse keynote speakers including Billie Jean King plus elite workshops and networking. There were on-court demos at the iconic Louis Armstrong Stadium.

5) Officials at the US Open

USTA Missouri Valley was represented by six officials with a combined total of 74 years of service: Sheila Conway (6th US Open) | USTA Oklahoma • Nick Flentie (17th US Open) | USTA Kansas Kim Kilgore (16th US Open) | USTA Missouri • Cheryl Lady (9th US Open) | USTA Heart of America Diane Lawrence (20th US Open) | USTA Kansas • Cindy Ritchie (6th US Open) | USTA Oklahoma

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NORRIS HIGH SCHOOL For the first time since its inaugural season in 2007-08, the Norris High School girls’ tennis program has a legitimate home-court advantage. On March 24, the Norris Titans welcomed the Skutt Catholic High School SkyHawks from Omaha for a dual match. The landmark moment was the first-ever tennis match to be played on the campus of Norris School District in Firth, Neb. For its 16 previous seasons, the Norris team traveled for practices and matches with no on-campus courts and no true tennis facility in the school district. That changed last summer, when construction on a four-court tennis facility nestled near acres of cornfields reached completion. The girls’ tennis team has trained there since and now, officially, has played a match at home. The early returns indicate there’s no place like it.

“One of the great achievements this school district has made is being able to provide these courts for our girls’ tennis team,” said Dr. Mitchell Stine, Norris High School assistant principal and activities administrator. “The Norris tennis courts are excellent,” added Garin Leehy, head coach of the Norris girls’ tennis team. “They are on par, or better, than any high school tennis court in the state. We are extremely fortunate for such a great facility.”

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MORE SUCCESS STORIES Click to read more! High school in Summersville, Missouri

ST. JAMES ACADEMY (USTA HEART OF AMERICA) HEADINGTON FAMILY TENNIS CENTER AND WADLEY INDOOR TENNIS PAVILION (USTA OKLAHOMA)

BEFORE AND AFTER

WESTMINSTER CHRISTIAN ACADEMY (USTA ST. LOUIS)

High school facility in East Moline, Ill.

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CONTINUING THE CELEBRATION L2 St. Louis Indoor Wheelchair Tennis Championships Wheelchair tennis player and provider Bob Juarez 16

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Five organizations from our section received Wheelchair Tennis Grassroots Grants Wichita Tennis Open featuring Nick Taylor and Casey Ratzlaff

Click here to view the USTA Missouri Valley wheelchair tennis historical timeline page. usta.com/missourivalley

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2027

2026 RALLY IN THE

The section’s elite youth competitors converged upon central Oklahoma fo closed junior tournament rich with talent and tradition. Rally in the Valley— Court in Edmond, Oklahoma.

Singles Boys 12s: AJ Williams (USTA Iowa)

Girls 12s: Caroline Creevey (USTA Oklahoma)

Boys 14s: Pranav Madamanchi (USTA St. Louis)

Girls 14s: Emma Graves (USTA Heart of America)

Boys 16s: Wyatt Markham (USTA Heart of America)

Girls 16s: Penelope Smith (USTA Oklahoma)

Boys 18s: Anish Poojari (USTA Heart of America)

Girls 18s: Ava Beltran (USTA Heart of America)

Doubles Boys 12s: Mack Fleming (USTA Iowa) AJ Williams (USTA Iowa)

Girls 12s: Lillian Nyalala (USTA Oklahoma) Payton Fleming (USTA Iowa)

Boys 14s: Girls 14s: Samarth Gandhari (USTA Heart of America) Lily Graves (USTA Heart of America) Pranav Madamanchi (USTA St. Louis) Allison Brown (USTA St. Louis)

Boys 16s: Vincent Flynn (USTA Iowa) Dylan Schulte (USTA Iowa)

Girls 16s: Addison Latta (USTA Iowa) Penelope Smith (USTA Oklahoma)

Boys 18s: Anish Poojari (USTA Heart of America) TJ Shanahan (USTA Oklahoma)

Girls 18s: Madeleine Bridges (USTA Heart of America) Ava Beltran (USTA Heart of America)

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E VALLEY RESULTS

or the USTA Missouri Valley Rally in the Valley Championships, a Level 3 —formerly called the Sweet 16—took place June 11-14 at Edmond Center

Sportsmanship Boys 12s: Charlie Felker (USTA St. Louis)

Girls 12s: Penelope Peterson (USTA Heart of America)

Boys 14s: Roman Taylor (USTA Iowa)

Girls 14s: Amira Elnimari (USTA Iowa)

Boys 16s: Owen Brown (USTA Nebraska)

Girls 16s: Addison Latta (USTA Iowa)

Boys 18s: Connor Feehan (USTA Iowa)

Girls 18s: Mireya David (USTA St. Louis)

Click to watch the 2026 recap video! Click here to view the remaining junior tournaments in 2026.

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Are you getting the news you need? Make sure your USTA member profile is updated. • • • • • •

Are you getting monthly e-newsletters about local play opportunities? Do you have a new e-mail address? Is the phone number listed your primary number? Have you moved recently? Were you married and have a new last name? Do you have a new contact at your club or organization?

Scan the QR code to sign into your account.

Chances are, your USTA member profile is outdated if you’re not receiving regular communication from USTA by mail or e-mail. Keep your USTA membership information current to get the latest news and special member benefits. Go to customercare.USTA.com to update your profile. You may also contact USTA Customer Care for assistance by calling 800-990-USTA (8782).

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Check it out and bring it back when you’re done! Bring a USTA Missouri Valley Tennis Library to your community!

What is a USTA Missouri Valley Tennis Library? The Tennis Library is a courtside equipment storage receptacle providing players with the ability to play tennis without owning their own equipment. The Tennis Library combines a storage box with a USTA Missouri Valley Tennis Library decal & hardware kit.

What comes in a kit?

The kit includes one front-panel decal, two side-panel decals, a hand applicator squeegee. Tennis equipment is not included and must be collected or purchased. We ask you to supply racquets and balls to

Questions?

Contact Lindsay Hall at hall@movalley.usta.com

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TOP: BOONE, IOWA BOTTOM: SUMMERSVILLE, MISSOURI

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NET NOTES L2 Wheelchair in USTA St. Louis Wheelchair players from across the country traveled to Chesterfield Athletic Club to compete in this year’s L2 Wheelchair Championship! Click here to view the Facebook photo album.

Junior Team Tennis Open The USTA Missouri Valley Junior Team Tennis Open is a brandnew, inclusive team event that brings teams from across the section together for competition, connection, and FUN. Click to view the Facebook photo album.

Pro Circuits recap and look ahead We’ve hosted nine USTA Pro Circuits this year in USTA Missouri Valley from the Wichita Open to the Lincoln Challenger to Edwardsville and beyond.

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Tennis Library in Summersville Tennis Libraries are starting to pop up in USTA Missouri Valley with Summersville, Mo. getting the first one!

Click here to learn more about USTA Missouri Valley Tennis Libraries. usta.com/ustamissourivalley

NET NOTES Welcome USTA Missouri Valley’s new hires! USTA Missouri Valley has added Talli Shepherd, Play & Competition and Becca Spears, Marketing & Communications to their teams. We are grateful to have them both!

Becca Spears

Talli Shepherd Battle of the Sections For the first time in USTA Missouri Valley history, our Boys’ 16 & 18 team is National Champion from Battle of the Sections!

Tennis On Campus Fall Invite Collegiate club tennis teams across USTA Missouri Valley converged on St. Joseph, Mo. to compete for the title of USTA Missouri Valley TOC Fall Invite champion. This year’s tournament was held at the Noyes Tennis Center. 1st Place - Saint Louis University 2nd Place - University of Oklahoma 3rd Place - Oklahoma State University 4th Place - SIU Edwardsville (A team)

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TENNIS, REDEFINED. WHAT

WHERE 23-INCH RACQUETS

SMALLER RACQUET SPORT COURT

(smaller than a traditional tennis racquet)

(44 x 20 feet)

TENNIS COURT USING THE SERVICE BOX AND SINGLES SIDELINE

A TENNIS “RED BALL”

(lower compression tennis ball with slower bounce)

HOW TO PLAY

SCORING

• Players decide who serves first

• First to 4 points wins the game

• Serve underhand, cross-court,

• First to 4 games wins the set

2 chances to put the ball in play

(42 x 27 feet)

• Win 2 out of 3 sets to win the match

• The ball must bounce once on return

OR play a timed match and the

• Switch sides after every odd game

team with the most games wins

ALTERNATIVE WAYS TO PLAY • Allow volleys anywhere OR just outside the “no volley zone” near the net • Use traditional tennis scoring (15, 30, 40) • Don’t switch sides the entire match • Whatever side the ball finishes a point on, that team serves the next ball

REDBALLTENNIS.COM

USTA Missouri Valley’s Valley Cup is a prize-money series consisting of seven district-level (Level 5) tournaments offered throughout USTA Missouri Valley in 2026. The series provides open-level players the opportunity to win prize money as they play their way through the 2026 USTA Missouri Valley adult tournament calendar. *Each first-place winner will receive a $1500 check and the Valley Cup trophy from USTA Missouri Valley. Each runner-up will receive a brand-new Diadem tennis bag, courtesy of a donation from Diadem.

2026 WINNERS MEN

WOMEN CHAMPION Ting-Ya Hsu Wichita, Kan.

CHAMPION Anthony Schulte Cedar Rapids, Ia.

RUNNER-UP Katelynn Kock Cedar Rapids, Ia.

RUNNER-UP Cooper Woestendick Olathe, Kan.

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USTA COACHING

US OPEN CONNECTIONS

Make Tennis WelcomingLaura Puryear

Wichita kids day at US Open

SpringfieldMallory Weber

Jaxon Post receiving a USTA Foundation Donnelly Scholarship

NATIONAL TENNIS MONTH

MAKING AN IMPACT

Nick Taylor makes first pitch

Michele Conlon receives 35 x 35 President’s Impact Award

NAITA 50th anniversary

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First Serve OKC helps young players

TENNIS VENUE SERVICES

RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY MAGAZINE

Summersville, Mo. School District

Wheelchair tennis stars

CiCo Park in Manhattan

Jason McFarley of Lincoln, Nebraska

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Serving gratitude With every swing, every strategy, every breakthrough– thank you, coaches. This Coach Appreciation Month, join USTA Coaching to get the benefits, education and resources you need to coach tennis with confidence all year long. Plus, you can get started for free.

Get Started

USTACoaching.com

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2026 NJTL Essay Contest Winners 10U Winners: Xavier McMaster, Britton Christian Church (Oklahoma) Rae Fisher, Britton Christian Church (Oklahoma) 11/12 Winners: Omid Fazel Najafabadi, First Serve OKC (Oklahoma) Livia Chen, Britton Christian Church NJTL (Oklahoma) 13/14 Winners: Pranav Madamanchi, Top Performance Tennis Academy (St. Louis) Victoria de las Heras, Top Performance Tennis Academy (St. Louis) 15/16 Winners: Jame Yang, First Serve OKC (Oklahoma) Lucia Markey, First Serve OKC (Oklahoma) 17/18 Winners: Harper Ruhl, First Serve OKC (Oklahoma) Darius Berman-Carter, Breakpoint Academy (St. Louis) Jesse Gonzales, First Serve OKC (Oklahoma)

More than 70 students from across the section participated in the inaugural year of USTA Missouri Valley’s NJTL essay contest. Participants from National Junior Tennis and Learning chapters explored the concept of leadership in their essay submissions, detailing ways in which they believe they’ve been a leader. Prizes for winning submissions included backpacks, notebooks and hats.

District News

USTA Heart of America 2026 Award Winners Stephanie Waterman Junior Sportsmanship Alex Torres and Ella Wang Ella Wang Junior Player of the Year Female - Ava Beltran Male - Anish Poojari Emerging Jr. Player of the Year Female - Annelise Leonard Male - Drake Leroy LeRoy Junior Sportsmanship Awards Penelope Peterson - Girls 12 Emma Graves - Girls 14 Eliya Ward - Girls 16 Scarlett Gates - Girls 18 Miles Markham - Boys 12 Wyatt Markham - Boys 14 Logan Huyser - Boys 16 Aiden Bush - Boys 18 Adult Player of the Year 4.0 & Above Female - Anne Hope & Michelle Terriquez Male - Blake Thorne & Minar Rane Adult Player of the Year 5.0 Maria Jose Chartier Adult Player – 3.5 & Below Female - Mary Brauer Male - Josh Klingler Shawna Froeschl Adult Sportsmanship Female - Cory Blue & Laura Grier Male - Brandon Nott Outstanding Contributor to USTA League Tennis Jacque Griffey Sarah Gerleman High School Coach Aaron Clark, Lawrence Free State High School

Outstanding Contributor to USTA Tennis Youth Programs Amy Fangman Outstanding Contributor to Youth High Performance Program Jared Ward Outstanding Official Jody Holsinger Family of the Year The Smith Family Outstanding Diversity Achievement ACEing Autism Kansas City Facility of the Year Overland Park Racquet Club Member Organization Elite Tennis & Wellness Outstanding Community Tennis Association Open Courts Initiative (OCI) Event of the Year Tennis for Venezuela Outstanding Junior Tournament Level 7: USTA HOA BG12-18 Outstanding Adult/Senior Tournament Level 4 Open: USTA MV 18+ NTRP & Open Section Tournament Distinguished Service Award Tracey Johnson The Scott Hanover President’s Award To Be Announced

Congratulations to USTA Heart of America teams competing in USTA 2026 National League Championships ● ● ● ● ● ●

18 & Over 3.0 Women – Captain Megan Mikel 40 & Over 4.0 Men – Captain John Strode 55 & Over 9.0 Women – Captain Michelle Gifford 65 & Over 7.0 Women - Captain Connie Bennett 65 & Over 9.0 Men - Captain Roy Allen 65 & Over 9.0 Women - Captain Leslie Addadi

Upcoming Junior Tournaments

*dates and locations are subject to change* Oct 2

L6 Doubles

BG12-18

Overland Park Racquet Club

Oct 9

B12-18, G12-14

Genesis Health Clubs Clayview

Oct 31

BG12

Genesis Health Clubs KCRC

Oct 31

BG14-18

Overland Park Racquet Club

Nov 6

BG14,16

Genesis Health Clubs KCRC

Nov 6

BG12, 18

Blue Hills Country Club

Nov 13

BG12-18

Genesis Health Clubs Clayview

Nov 27

G12-18

Genesis Health Clubs KCRC

Dec 4

BG12-18

Overland Park Racquet Club

Dec 11

G16-18

Blue Hills Country Club

Dec 11

G12-14

Genesis Health Clubs Clayview

Dec 26

BG12-18

Genesis Health Clubs KCRC

Oct 2

Jr. Circuit

BG10&U, BG12-14, B18

Genesis Health Clubs Lawrence South

Oct 17

Jr. Circuit

BG10&U, BG12-14, BG18

Genesis Health Clubs KCRC

Nov 6

Jr. Circuit

BG10&U, BG12-14, BG18

Overland Park Racquet Club

Dec 11

Jr. Circuit

BG10&U, BG12-14, BG18

Genesis Health Clubs KCRC

Barbara J. Fackel (1938-2019) Mrs. Barbara Fackel passed away on August 22 at the age of 81. Barbara was a passionate supporter of tennis. She served as the chair of both Player Development and the Nominating Committee of the USTA and was very involved with the USTA Missouri Valley Section and the USTA Iowa District. Fackel received the Eve Kraft Community Service Award in 1997 and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2006. The USTA Iowa District created this scholarship in 2020 to honor her for many years in the sport of tennis. USTA Iowa has awarded $12,000 during those six years to deserving young men and women.

2026 Barbara J. Fackel Community Service College $1,000 Scholarship Awardees Layla C. Rice Rock Island High School, Rock Island, IL

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Kate Holton Hudson High School, Hudson, IA

USTA IOWA 2026

A YEAR TO CELEBRATE SUMMER SLAM CHAMPIONS

PLAY OPPORTUNITIES CONTINUE THIS FALL & WINTER

Five Iowa summer stops — Muscatine, Baird, Midlands, Quad Cities and Mississippi — crowned the 2026 Summer Slam points champions.

Keep the season going. Click any tournament name below to sign in and register.

Boys 12: Sebastian Stabo — 120 pts Boys 14: Nedim Sabanagic — 240 pts Boys 16: Gavin Hall — 140 pts Boys 18: Frank Hamel & Leo Weldon — 220 pts Girls 12: Aria Yawalkar — 60 pts Girls 14: Jessica Huang — 90 pts Girls 16: Nina Sorrel — 120 pts Girls 18: Elizabeth Grinnall — 230 pts

ADULT LEAGUE SUCCESS Congratulations to Iowa’s Section qualifiers and the adult league Section champions recognized at the time of publication.

40+ 4.5 Men — Captained by Jeff Ditsworth 40+ 3.5 Men — Captained by Todd Versteeg 18+ 8.0 Mixed — Captained by Despotovich & Pham 40+ 8.0 Mixed — Captained by Morrissey & Pham 55+ 6.0 Women — Captained by Baddeloo/Mullin

Congratulations to all of the Iowa qualifiers across 18+, 40+ and 55+ men’s, women’s and mixed divisions — a strong showing across the district.

WTN EVENTS

OCT 10 Tailgate Tennis Tournament (WTN Singles) Hawkeye Tennis & Recreation Complex • Registration closes Oct. 5

OCT 24 October Monster Smash (Mixed Doubles)

Hawkeye Tennis & Recreation Complex • Registration closes Oct. 19

NOV 21 Turkey Tennis Tournament (WTN Doubles)

Hawkeye Tennis & Recreation Complex • Registration closes Nov. 16

JUNIOR CIRCUIT

OCT 10 Fall Smashers 2 — Orange & Green Ball Quad City Tennis Club • Moline, IL

OCT 10 USTA IA Orange & Green // Life Time Life Time Athletic • Des Moines

OCT 23 HTRC Orange & Green Ball Hawkeye Tennis & Recreation Complex • Iowa City

OCT 30 Elmcrest Green Ball Classic

Elmcrest Country Club • Cedar Rapids

NOV 22 Fall Smashers 3 — Orange & Green Ball Quad City Tennis Club • Moline, IL

2026 DISTRICT AWARD WINNERS

DEC 20 Winter Smashers 1 — Orange & Green Ball

Awards Banquet to follow the Biannual meeting of the Board of Directors

JUNIOR LEVEL 6 & 7

October 18. Rewind Hotel in West Des Moines, Iowa

Boys 14U Sportsmanship: Nedim Sabanagic Girls 16U Sportsmanship: Alexa Perugini Adult Player of the Year: Kevin Johnson Jr. High-Performance Male: Vincent Flynn Jr. High-Performance Female: Addison Latta Emerging Junior Male: William Feagler Emerging Junior Female: Maddie Shell Tennis Family of the Year: Karen Sissel Family Facility of the Year: Quad City Tennis Club Member Organization: Genesis Health Club Youth Tennis Programs: Lizelle Landino High-Performance Program: Fred Pederson League Tennis Program: Tom Versteeg Outstanding Official: Sheila Goins High School Coach: Chris Miller Diversity Achievement: Bunny Bruning Distinguished Service: Mark Blume

Quad City Tennis Club • Moline, IL

OCT 11 USTA IA L7 BG12-18 // Life Time Life Time Athletic • Des Moines • Registration closes Oct. 9

OCT 17 HTRC Level 7 Singles

Hawkeye Tennis & Recreation Complex • Registration closes Oct. 12

DEC 11–13 Klotz Winter Open — Level 6

Hawkeye Tennis & Recreation Complex • Registration closes Registration opens Oct. 6

HOW THE SUMMER SLAM WAS SCORED Main singles draw win 20 pts • 3/4 playoff win 10 pts • Consolation singles win 10 pts • Doubles main draw win 20 pts per player

Assistant District League Coordinator/ Springfield Coordinator

Adult Player 4.0 or higher Drew Fossler Adult Player 3.5 or lower Brandon Vasholtz Jr. High Performance Player – Female Brianna Rademacher, Reeya Chundury Jr. High Performance Player – Male Owen Brown, Harrison Fredricks Jr. Emerging Player – Female Anna Clausen Jr. Emerging Player – Male Elliot Day, Will Wier Tennis Family The Studts Family Facility Koch Tennis Center Outstanding CTA Omaha Tennis Association, W, Nebraska T.C Junior Tournament L4 Open: USTA MV BG12-14 # Contributor to Youth Tennis Programs Larry Newton, Zachary Tegler Contributor to USTA League Tennis Brittni Redding Official Greg Nelson, John Carvana High School Coach Alexia Grefe Diversity Achievement Jason McFarley Distinguished Service Ryan Johnson, Mike Willman

Junior Sportsmanship Winners Connor Balwanz Jaclyn Huynh Carter & Oliver VanRoy Kate Harris Ezekial Nordhues Gavin Bridgford Samuel Coakley

RECENTLY ADDED: Nov 13-15 OSU L6 REGISTER HERE Dec 11-13 (BG16-18) Genesis L6 REGISTER HERE 44

2026

USTA ST. LOUIS AWARD WINNERS PLAYER AWARDS

Kevin Deaton / Krupa Dudani Rob White / Patricia Mercade Gonzalez William Gregerson / Kennedy Grasle Noah Suthar / Skye Madatali Aiden Guo / Sanjali Kumar Aiden Chen / Skylar Thoroman William Wang / Olivia Sabin Ethan Laycob / Tori Haroutounian Henry Noddings / Carter McClellan The Lesko Family

Adult Player of the Year (2.5-3.5) Adult Player of the Year (4.0+) Emerging Junior Player of the Year Judy Dippold Junior Player of the Year Junior Sportsmanship Boys/Girls 10s Junior Sportsmanship Boys/Girls 12s Junior Sportsmanship Boys/Girls 14s Junior Sportsmanship Boys/Girls 16s Junior Sportsmanship Boys/Girls 18s Tennis Family of the Year

PROVIDER AWARDS Facility of the Year Member Organization of the Year Outstanding Community Tennis Association Outstanding Contributor to League Tennis Outstanding Contributor Youth Programs Outstanding Contributor Youth High Performance Outstanding Junior Team Tennis Organizer Outstanding Event of the Year Outstanding Junior Tournament Outstanding Adult Tournament Outstanding Official

Dr. Raymond "Bud" Simpson Tennis Center (Alton Parks & Rec) Boys' & Girls' Club of Greater St. Louis / Breakpoint Tennis & Life Skills Academy The Net Rushers Robert Duggan / Roselyn Reyes-Teach Wynn Criswell Trey Owens Kalie Snyder Mix It Up for East St. Louis (ESL CTA) Tiger Classic (L6 Edwardsville) Turkey Trot-off (L6 USTA St. Louis) Megan Palmer

LEADERSHIP AWARDS

Distinguished Service

Anne Sutter (John Burroughs) Pamela Hart Cindy Harrison & Judy Frain John Kinsella

President's Award

It's a Surprise! (to be announced November 14, 2026)

High School Coach of the Year Mary Vassar Adult Sportsmanship Outstanding Diversity Achievement

ANNUAL CELEBRATION DINNER—NOVEMBER 14, 2026 CLICK HERE FOR FULL DETAILS AND ADVANCE TICKET PURCHASE (REQUIRED)