USTA Southern bestows 2024 awards

USTA Southern announced today the recipients of its 2024 awards, given for outstanding achievements in tennis both on and off the court. There were 27 winners of 25 awards this year.

Candidates were nominated by USTA staff and volunteers in the section’s nine states: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. The winners were then selected from among the nominees by volunteer members of the USTA Southern Awards Committee and other committees that have expertise in the award category. 

Georgia led all states with seven awards while North Carolina had six winners and Kentucky and Mississippi had five. Three cities had two winners: Atlanta; Greenville, Miss. and Louisville, Ky.

For a complete list of all USTA Southern award recipients since 1985, click here.

Adaptive Tennis Award: Macon-Bibb County Tennis Division; Macon, Ga.

Adult Tournament of the Year: Tennis for Tatas Charity Tournament; Orange Beach, Ala.

Community Tennis Association of the Year: Northwest Louisiana CTA; Shreveport, La.

Charles B. Morris, Jr. Service Award: Derek White; Pooler, Ga.

DeWitt Redgrave III Junior Achievement: Matthew Forbes; Raleigh, N.C.; Claire Hill; Cary, N.C.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Champion: West Louisville Tennis Club; Louisville, Ky.

Educational Merit Award: Birlette Jelks - Greenville NJTL; Greenville, Miss.

Jacobs Bowl: John Herring, Lexington, Ky.

Jim Russell Junior Tournament of the Year: Level 6 Snowden Grove Junior Spring Classic; Southaven, Miss.

Junior Team Tennis Coordinator of the Year: Mark Robbins; New Albany, Miss.

Local League Coordinator of the Year: Kala McNair; Athens, Ga.

Mac MacDougal Tennis Official of the Year: Sharon Wright; Griffin, Ga.

Marc Kaplan Media Excellence Award: Sam Crenshaw; Atlanta

Marilyn Sherman Spirit Award: Casey Hutchens; Lexington, Ky.

Member Organization of the Year: Serve First Racquet Sports; Winston-Salem, N.C.

Mickey McNulty Family of the Year: Least Family; Versailles, Ky.

NJTL Chapter of the Year: Greenville NJTL; Greenville, Miss.

No-Cut Coach Starfish Award: Whitney Thompson; Louisville, Ky.

Outstanding Parks & Recreation Department: Owensboro Parks & Recreation; Owensboro, Ky.

Ozaki-Hastings Junior Sportsmanship: McKenzie Shelton; Kennesaw, Ga.

President's Award: Ashley Massengale; Atlanta; Karen Newman; Clinton, Miss.

Slew Hester Players of the Year: Anne Frautschi; Durham, N.C.; Aaron Krisan; Marietta, Ga.

Southern Tennis Professional of the Year: Mike Scott; Wilmington, N.C.

Special Tennis Event of the Year: Memory Makers Tennis Tournament; Oxford, Miss.

Team Tennis Event of the Year: 70 & Over Multi-State Invitational Tournament; Bossier City, La.

Tennis on Campus Club of the Year: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Chapel Hill, N.C.

Tennis on Campus Leader of the Year: Anish Jona & Katherine Silacci; Emory University - Atlanta

Wheelchair Tennis Excellence: Jonathan Broadway; Montgomery, Ala.