Colorado

Colorado Tennis Hall of Fame



Colorado has a rich tradition of tennis, and the Colorado Tennis Hall of Fame recognizes the outstanding achievements of Colorado players, coaches or administrators and their contribution to the sport. 

 

The mission statement of the Colorado Tennis Hall of Fame is to honor those who have made outstanding contributions to tennis in Colorado. Inductees are honored each year the Colorado Tennis Hall of Fame Gala.

 

Nominations can be made here.

 

Visiting the Colorado Tennis Hall of Fame
The Colorado Tennis Hall of Fame display is permanently housed on the first floor of Gates Tennis Center in Cherry Creek (Denver). It is open to the public during normal hours of operation for the center. 

Members of the Colorado Tennis Hall of Fame

Krista Damico

 

Krista grew up in Parker, CO, and was a dominant force during her junior tennis career. She held the No. 1 ranking in the nation in both the Girls’ 12 and 14 divisions. Krista was ranked No. 6 in USTA Girls’ 16 rankings and she won the 2004 U.S. Super National Hardcourt Championships in singles and doubles. She captured the 2004 Colorado State Open title in the women’s open division at the age of 14. Krista competed in the girls’ singles draw at the U.S. Open as well as the girls’ qualifying events at Wimbledon and the Australian Open. 

 

Krista attended the University of Texas (2008-’12). She was named All-Big 12 in singles in 2010 and again in 2012, and was the Big 12 doubles champion in 2010 (with Amanda Craddock). During her senior season with the Longhorns, Krista went on a 14-match unbeaten streak (12 wins, 2 unfinished matches) that stretched over a two-month span in the dual-match season. 

Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Oosterhous

 

A Texas native, Dan attended the United States Air Force Academy (1989-’93).  He compiled 113 wins at the No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles positions, ranking second all-time among USAFA players at the No 1 spots. He was selected to the all-conference team all four years, received the team’s MVP award three times, and served as co-captain during his senior year, leading the team to a 25-2 record. 

 

The 2022-23 season marked the completion of Dan’s 14th season as head coach of the USAFA men’s tennis team. He has led the Falcons to a 148-175 career record. Air Force is coming off its second straight winning season in 2023 and the third in the last four seasons. The Falcons earned a national ranking of 63 in February, 2023, tying for the highest ranking in program history.  

Virgina Dunn Smith Kraut

 

Born in Donnellson, IL, in 1915, Virginia was the daughter of William Ferris and Hattie Mansfield Dunn who had moved to Colorado in 1924. She graduated from Denver East High School in 1932 and attended the University of Denver and the University of Colorado. 

 

Virginia was a well-known tennis player in the 1930s winning numerous titles including state titles in three states. In later years she played in USTA National Senior tournaments winning a number of titles. Her last national title came in Women’s 80s Doubles at the USTA Women’s National Grass Court Championship in 1996. Virginia passed away in 2005.

Luke & Clancy Shields

 

Luke (1985-) and Clancy (1987-) were born and raised in Grand Junction, CO. Both enjoyed tremendous success on the junior circuit and in NCAA competition, and have gone on to become highly decorated collegiate coaches. 

 

A highly accomplished junior player, Luke went on to play collegiately at Boise State University, amassing numerous accolades. He earned ITA All-American honors in singles in 2007, and in both singles and doubles in 2005. Luke was named the Western Athletic Conference (WAC)  Player of the Year in 2007, and helped lead the Broncos to the WAC title in 2005, 2006 and 2007. He earned All-WAC First Team honors in singles and doubles every season, and owns the BSU career (119) and single-season (35; twice) wins record. While head coach at Fresno State (2014-21), Luke was a two-time Mountain West Coach of the Year honoree, in 2017 and 2019. He was named Intercollege Tennis Association (ITA) Northwest Region Coach of the Year in 2019. He spent a year at Oklahoma and was announced as the new head coach at his alma mater, Boise State University, in 2022.

 

A top national and international junior player, Clancy was a member of the US Junior Davis Cup Team. He joined the Boise State squad a year after Luke, in 2005, earning All-WAC first-team honors (for doubles and singles) seven times. He helped the Broncos to three WAC titles in 2006, 2007 and 2009. Clancy was a first-team Academic All-American in 2007, and the 2009 Rafael Osuna Sportsmanship and Leadership Award winner.  As head coach at Utah State for three seasons, Clancy led the Aggies to the 2016 Mountain West title and was named ITA Mountain Region Coach of the Year and Mountain West Coach of the Year. He was hired as head coach at the University of Arizona in 2017. Clancy was named Pac-12 Coach of the Year in 2019 and 2021, and was named ITA Southwest Coach of the Year in 2019. His 2022 Wildcat squad was PAC-12 Conference Regular Season Champions, the first-ever title in school history.

Dale Lewis

 

Dale Lewis was one of the winningest coaches in intercollegiate athletics in the United States, and his mastery of the college tennis spanned a 22-year career at the University of Miami. During that time the University of Miami won a total of 364 dual matches, while losing only 35, for an amazing 91.2% winning percentage. Only three of Lewis' Hurricane squads failed to finish in the Top 10 national rankings and his teams posted the longest winning streak in the history of intercollegiate tennis. From 1958 to 1964, Lewis' Hurricane teams posted 137 straight victories in dual match competition.

 

During his tenure as the head coach for the Hurricane tennis program, Lewis guided the careers of more than two dozen Hurricane netters who went on to earn All-American recognition. Prior to his arrival at the University of Miami, in 1958, Lewis led Indiana University to three Big Ten Conference tennis championships.

 

For a ten year span, Dale served as the head tennis professional and manager at the Denver Country Club during the summer months. He also served as tournament director for the Colorado State Open during that time. He also coached the U.S Davis Cup team to the world title eleven times. He is a member of  numerous halls of fame including the  International Tennis Association Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame, the Miami Hurricanes Hall of Fame and Indiana University Athletics  Hall of Fame.

Charles Oliver

 

“Charlie” graduated at the top of his class at the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, in 1949. He served in the Korean War in Japan, as chief of staff for the commander of USAF, Europe, and for many years as deputy director of the Department. of Athletics at the U.S. Air Force Academy, establishing the U.S. Olympic training center among his many milestones. In addition to a B.S. in engineering, he attended the Wharton School, completed a master’s at Columbia and doctorate in education at the University of Northern Colorado.

 

Charlie was the number one tennis player in the U.S.A. from the time he was a freshman in high school under the early tutelage of tennis legend Don Budge, through his tenure at West Point, during which he beat three Wimbledon tennis champions. Later he played an exhibition match in Denver with then world no. 1, Pancho Gonzales  losing in the third set, 15- 13. Charlie was ranked No. 8 in U.S. Men’s singles rankings in 1944.

 

After a 30-year service with many decorations including Legion of Merit and Bronze Star, he served as chief tennis pro at the Philadelphia Cricket Club, where he mentored future pros such as Lisa Raymond. He was a member of the U.S. Senior Davis Cup Team and inducted into multiple tennis halls of fame.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Colorado Tennis Hall of Fame decided not to induct any new members for the Class of 2020.

Gigi Fernandez

 

Gigi, a native of Puerto Rico, was a pioneer for female sports on the island. From a young age, her natural ability coupled with her instinct on the court, were signs that Gigi would reach levels that no one on the island had ever dreamed possible.

 

Upon graduating from high school, Gigi accepted a scholarship to Clemson University where she reached the singles finals of the NCAA Championship as a freshman. The success of her first year in college prompted her to turn professional in 1983 becoming Puerto Rico's first female professional athlete, in any sport.

 

Gigi won the first of her 17 major championship at the US Open in 1988, and after moving to Aspen in 1989, she continued her illustrious professional career, winning 2 Olympic Gold Medals in doubles with Mary Joe Fernandez (no relation) and 16 additional Grand Slam doubles titles. With an astounding 71 titles on the WTA tour (2 singles, 52 doubles plus the 17 majors) Gigi is recognized as one of the best doubles players of all-time.

 

In 2000, Gigi was honored as the Puerto Rican Athlete of the Century and was inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2010.

Jeff Cathrall

 

Few Coloradans have dominated play in their junior divisions like Jeff Cathrall (Woodland Park) in the 1980s.

 

Raised in Colorado, Jeff developed his game here at high altitude and yet some would say his game was better-suited for low altitude play, where he reached incredible heights in both the junior and collegiate ranks.

 

Consistently ranked tops in the state and section in every age division, Jeff also excelled at the National level. He reached new heights in national rankings as he aged up — top 50 (12s), top 35 (14s), top 20 (16s) and flirted with the top 10 his final year of 18s – finishing 11th in the country!

 

After Jeff added a state high school No. 1 singles title to his resumé in 1984, he turned his sights to college — for the academics and tennis — at Stanford University. Playing on the same team with Patrick McEnroe, Jeff and his Cardinal teammates won National NCAA titles three years in a row (1988, 1989, 1990).

Randy Crawford

 

Many know Randy Crawford (Aspen) as the consummate tennis professional, wonderfully talented yet also incredibly humble. Randy grew up in Texas, won the state high school championship his senior year and went on to play No. 1 at Texas Christian University for four years. Randy became TCU’s first All-American tennis player, reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament and was named Co-Athlete of the Decade ('70s) for the Horned Frogs.

 

He played on the pro circuit for two years and reached a high of No. 69 in the world before a stomach injury prompted his tour retirement.

 

Randy was brought on to coach Martina Navratilova in 1987 and 1988 as she retained her No. 1 world ranking. He went on to coach Gigi Fernandez who also reached No. 1 in the world in doubles. The Aspen connection proved to be very powerful as he’s been the Director of Tennis at the Maroon Creek Club in Aspen since 1990.

Kellen Damico

 

Holder of one of the most impressive junior tennis resumes in Colorado history, Kellen captured the 2006 Wimbledon Junior Championship boys’ doubles title (Nate Schnugg), and was finalist that same year at the Australian Open Junior Championships (Schnugg).

 

In 2007, he advanced to the French Open Junior boys’ singles semifinals, and was also finalist in doubles (Jonathan Eysseric). Kellen competed in the main draw in men’s doubles at the US Open in 2006 and 2007. In 2007, he captured the boys’ doubles title (Schnugg) at the USTA Boys’ 18 National Championships in Kalamazoo, MI.

 

In ITF world rankings, Kellen reached a ranking high of No. 1 in doubles and No. 5 in singles during his junior career.

 

At the University of Texas, Kellen was a 2008 doubles All-American and named to the NCAA All-Tournament Team (No. 1 doubles w/ Ed Corrie). In 2010, he won the Big 12 Championship crown at No. 2 doubles (Ed Corrie).

Scott Davidoff

 

As one of the top ranked juniors in the country, Scott could have played college tennis nearly anywhere, but chose the University of Colorado out of the desire to help put the school on the Division I tennis map. He did just that, and during his junior season, the team won the 1993 Big 8 Championship, losing to Stanford in the second round at the NCAA National Championships.

 

After competing on the ATP tour, Scott was hired as Head Men’s Tennis Coach by his alma mater, where he received regional coach of the year honors during his tenure. He began coaching on the ATP and WTA tour in 2002, leading players to more than ten grand slam tournament titles combined.

 

Scott served as Olympic coach in 2008 and 2012 (India), and 2016 (China). In 2014, Scott and former tour player, Mahesh Bhupathi, started the International Premier Tennis League throughout Asia, in which top players, including Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams have competed.

Nancy Rudd Popof

 

It was at Green Gables Country Club where a very young Nancy took her first swing at the tennis ball, but, on the courts at the Denver Tennis Club, where she really began to flourish as a player.

 

During her junior tennis career, Nancy was among the top two players in the USTA Intermountain section in every age division, from 1966-1973. She held a USTA national ranking high of No. 25 in 1972 in the G16 division.

 

Nancy went on play collegiate tennis at Stanford University from 1975-78. She captained the team during her senior season, when it took home the 1978 AIAW (pre-NCAA) Team Championship title edging out USC 5-4, breaking the Trojans' 36-match winning streak that began in 1975. It was Stanford's first-ever national team championship title in women’s sports.

Dave Benson

 

Ranked among the top 30 players in the nation in Boys’ 16s, Dave was a standout at Cherry Creek High School, pocketing back-to-back No. 1 singles titles and helping his Bruins squad to the school’s first ever state team championship title in 1972.

 

As a junior at Trinity University, the team narrowly lost the NCAA Division I National Championships title 5-4 to Stanford in 1977, the same year he received team MVP honors.

 

Dave captained the US Junior Davis Cup squad in 1978 and ’79, traveling with the nation’s top ten boys. He returned to become the head coach at Cherry Creek, capturing six state titles in as many years.

 

Dave and his brother, John, founded Benson’s Tennis Camp in the 1980s, working with junior players for more than a decade before selling the program to NIKE.

Mary Jane Metcalf Donnalley

 

Growing up in Denver, Mary Jane launched onto the national tennis scene, reaching a US ranking of No. 13 in Girls’ 18 singles and No. 5 in doubles with Gussy Moran in 1940, and a top 25 US women’s ranking in 1941 and ’42.

 

She was also an accomplished coach and an important figure in the history of American tennis. Mary Jane designed the Mary Baldwin College tennis courts and developed a powerhouse women’s team — going undefeated for nine consecutive seasons — being named the Pepsi-Cola Outstanding Collegiate Tennis program in the US in 1967.

 

She returned to Colorado during the summer in the mid-1960s to teach at the Denver Tennis Club, and is author of numerous tennis articles and books on tennis.

Dennis Ralston

 

An International Tennis Hall of Fame member, Dennis reached the 1966 Wimbledon singles final, the same year he held a world ranking high of No. 5.

 

He is the holder of five Grand Slam doubles titles, and a finalist on seven other occasions in men's and mixed doubles. In 1963, Dennis was a member of the US Davis Cup squad that swept Venezuela at Cherry Hills Country Club. He served as Davis Cup coach (1968-’71) and was coach to professionals including Chris Evert and Gabriela Sabatini.

 

Dennis helped design the tennis facility at The Broadmoor, and as its director of tennis from 1993-2007, the resort was regularly ranked among the top in the country by Tennis Magazine.

Don Willsie

 

The mainstay of tennis umpiring in southern Colorado, Lt. Col. Don Willsie, US Air Force, retired, began officiating at the Lynmar Racquet Club and The Broadmoor Hotel beginning in 1976. Since that time, Don has also directed and organized umpiring operations for tournaments and college and high school matches in southern Colorado, and has trained dozens of new umpires for the USTA.

 

In addition, Don served as the director of junior development for the Southern Colorado Tennis Association for several years. In 2013, he received the USTA Nicholas E. Powel Award at the US Open in recognition of the importance of officiating at the local level.

Rich Berman

 

A top Southern California junior tennis standout, Rich received All American Honors at Cal State Long Beach for his college play. He quickly moved into teaching — all but a handful of those years in Colorado — where he’s produced dozens of top junior players.

 

In 1993, Rich began teaching and coaching wheelchair tennis. He served as coach to Australia’s David Hall, and while working together, Hall dominated wheelchair tennis across the globe, finishing No. 1 in world singles rankings for six years. With Rich in his coaching box, Hall amassed an unmatched nine Australian Opens, eight US Opens and seven British Opens and won gold in Sydney at the 2000 Paralympics.

 

With Bill Trubey, Rich created the wheelchair tennis curriculum for the PTR — the world’s largest tennis teaching organization.

 

Later, in 2014, Rich teamed with Hall again to create a free online resource for wheelchair players to learn mechanics and strategy of the game.

Bob Curtis

 

During the years he called Colorado home, Bobby firmly cemented his place in the state’s tennis history. Born and raised in Houston, TX, he dominated on the courts, winning the University Interscholastic League Texas State Boys’ Championship singles title in 1936, ’37 and ’38 — each of the three years he played.

 

While at Rice University, Bobby won the Southwest Conference doubles championship three times in all and captured the NCAA national doubles title in 1947 with partner Sammy Match. He was inducted into the Rice University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1973 and Texas Tennis Hall of Fame in 1992.

 

In 1950, Bobby and Clayton Benham took home the National Public Parks Championship doubles crown, and in 1951 he beat Bill Talbert in the Good Neighbor Championship. He’s titleholder of one Denver City Open singles crown (1951), four doubles titles (1951, ’58, ’60, ’61), one mixed doubles title (1951) as well as two USTA Intermountain doubles championships (1950, ’52).

Susan Mehmedbasich Wright

 

Winner of nine national junior tennis titles, Susan reached a US ranking high of No. 3 in Girls' 18s. In 1974, at age 17, she joined the WTA tour, defeating former world No. 3 Wendy Turnbull. She left tennis but returned after moving to Grand Junction in 2000.

 

From 2003-2015, Susan amassed 80 Gold Balls, 35 Silver Balls and 10 Bronze Balls in national championship play. While on the US International Team, she earned 9 gold medals. Susan won four ITF world doubles titles (2006, ‘09, ‘12 and ‘13) and has completed the US “Golden Slam” on four occasions (2007, '08, ’12 and ‘14).

 

She's been ranked No. 1 in US singles 8 times, 6 times in team doubles, 9 times individually in doubles and 3 times in ultra-senior father-daughter doubles. Susan held the No. 1 ITF world ranking in W50 singles (2008) and W55 doubles (2013), and in 2014 she was inducted to the USTA Northern California Tennis Hall of Fame.

Andy Potter

 

A Colorado native, Andy won his first USTA Intermountain Summer Sectional Championships at age 10. He went on to win the tournament for three years in a row at age 16, 17 and 18.

 

He captured the 1986 Colorado High School State Championships title at the No. 1 singles spot for Regis High School. Andy reached a national ranking high of No. 29 in singles and No. 2 in doubles in the boys’18s division. He won boys’ 18s doubles titles at both the USTA National Clay Court Championship and USTA Indoor Championship in 1988.

 

Andy captured 12 major Colorado open titles in all at the Denver City Open, Colorado State Open and Intermountain/Boulder Open combined – 3 singles, 8 doubles and 1 mixed doubles.

 

Receiving NCAA All-American honors in 1992 at the University of Kentucky, Andy captained the team that won the school’s first SEC Championship in its 75 year history and reached a team ranking of No. 3 in the country.

Sara Anundsen

 

A native Coloradan, Sara was undefeated in prep competition, capturing the No. 1 singles high school state championships title in each of the three years she competed for Columbine High School (2001-03). She was also a dominant force on the national junior circuit, twice earning a top-2 ranking in the G16s. Sara won the 2002 Denver City Open women’s doubles title, and in 2003 picked up the DCO women's singles title and the Colorado State Open women's doubles crown.

 

A two-time All American at the University of North Carolina (2006-07), Sara partnered with Jenna Long to compile an impressive 29-6 record en route to capturing the 2007 NCAA doubles title, the first in school history. The duo was named ITA National Doubles Team of the Year, and earned a wild card berth into the US Open.

 

As assistant coach for the UNC Tar Heels, Sara helped lead the team to a second place finish at the 2014 NCAA championships.

Esequiel "Kelly" Lovato

 

For 25 years, Esequiel "Kelly" Lovato was program director at La Alma Recreation Center in west Denver, starting one of Denver Parks’ first youth tennis programs. A community/anti-gang activist, Kelly knew the value of a strong recreation center where the community could use their energy in positive ways.

 

Recognized in 1993 by the Rocky Mountain News as one of the Hispanic community’s unsung heroes, Kelly spent his life working with inner-city youth who were exposed daily to a host of dangers. He profoundly impacted an entire community and changed countless lives, teaching kids about responsibility, respect and how tennis could open doors to bigger opportunities. While many of his students went on to be successful tennis players, many more went on to become successful people.

 

Kelly was recognized previously with USTA Colorado’s inaugural Arthur Ashe Award in 1992 for his contributions to under-served populations.

Cory Ross

 

A two-time Colorado High School State No. 1 singles champion 1998-1999) and nationally-ranked junior player, Cory played collegiate tennis, first at Baylor, and then for three years at Louisiana State University, where he was named Second-Team All-Louisiana twice, in 2002 and again in 2003. In addition to his outstanding athletic performance, Cory was also recognized for his outstanding sportsmanship, winning the prestigious 1998 Bobby Kaplan Sportsmanship Award at the Boys’ 16 National Championships in Kalamazoo, MI, among many others.

 

In 2007, Cory completed the "Colorado Slam", winning all four of the major Colorado men's open singles events (Elam Classic, the Denver City Open, the Colorado State Open and the Intermountain/Boulder Open) in the same year, 40 years after Harold Sears accomplished this feat.

 

During his playing career, Cory captured 31 major Colorado events — amassing 10 Singles, 12 Doubles and 9 Mixed in all.

Art Thomson

 

Despite an inauspicious start in his first-ever tournament, Art competed for George Washington High School, later matriculating at the University of Colorado-Boulder, where he competed at the No. 1 singles position, finishing third in the Big 8 Conference.

 

Art captured the 1981 Colorado State Open singles title at age 34, and holds three major Colorado open doubles titles – two Denver City Open crowns (1971 and 1972) and one Intermountain Championships (1973), and was runner up at the Denver City Open twice (1970 and 1973).

 

A dominant force in age division play in Colorado and across the country, Art amassed 23 “triple titles” (singles, doubles and mixed) between the ages of 35-55, and in 1993, was named USPTA 45 and over singles player of the year.

 

During his 50 plus years as a teaching professional in Colorado, Art has shared his love and passion for the game of tennis with countless students.

Nicole Leimbach

 

Nicole earned the No. 1 US ranking in 14s, 16s and 18 singles, capturing numerous National titles along the way. While at Pine Creek, she won the Colorado 4A Girls’ High School State title at the No. 1 position four times, from 2001-04, only the third person to ever accomplish this feat.

 

Ranked as high as No. 3 in NCAA Division I rankings while at the University of Southern California, Nicole was named Pac-10 Rookie and Player of the Year in 2005 when she captured the Pac-10 title. She was named Athletic All-American at USC in 2005, and again in 2006 and '07 after transferring to Texas Christian University, where she graduated Cum Laude in three years.

 

Nicole held a WTA Tour ranking of No. 476 in the world, winning two Pro Circuit titles in 2004.

Rita Price

 

Rita is a multiple World Champion and a double-digit National Champion, despite being a bit of a late bloomer who picked up the game seriously when she was 62 years old. Her first tennis tournament was the 1978 Denver City Open. Price won her first major title at the Senior Olympics in 1991, capturing the title again 1995 and 1997. She won in mixed doubles in 2001 and in 2003. During that period, she also captained Colorado’s first senior league team to win a National Championship in 1992 (and again in 1994). 

 

She captured her first USTA Gold Ball at age 79 in the 75s division (2005 US Grass Court Championship). She then started to roll, winning the 2006 doubles title at the Japan Friendship Cup and adding a pair of national titles in singles and an additional doubles gold ball. Price won three gold balls in 2007, as well as the 2007 World Championship doubles title in Christchurch, NZ. She earned the singles and doubles titles at the Senior Olympic Games in 2008 and another gold ball in doubles, bringing Price her first No. 1 world singles ranking, in the ITF 80s division. In 2009 she won the singles title at the Perth, AUS World Championships.

 

In 2011, Price held the No. 1 singles ranking in the nation in women's 85 singles, earning three national titles. In 2012, Rita won five gold balls, and three more in 2013. In 2014, Rita completed a Gold Slam, winning the USTA 85s doubles championship on all four surfaces (including a singles championship on clay). She won a second Gold Slam in 2015. Price has been celebrating her 90s in style, sweeping doubles at every national championship since 2016 with her long-time partner Doris Lutz. She and Lutz have split the gold and silver balls at most of those events, with Price sweeping in 2016-17 and sharing titles in 2018-19.

 

The pandemic of 2020 was the only thing to keep Price away from a National Championship, having won a gold ball in 24 consecutive events. Dating back to her first year of competition in the USTA 85s, Price has won 43 gold balls in the last decade, 51 overall, in addition to her dozens of second place silver ball trophies.

Gil Roberts

 

Under Gil’s guidance during his three years as Colorado Tennis Association president (1975-77), individual membership more than doubled and club membership nearly tripled.

 

He professionalized the organization — opened an office, created the position of executive secretary, and then, to keep Colorado USTA members informed, started a newspaper — High Bounce (1976).

 

Gil went on to represent Colorado at the sectional level, working to create more cohesiveness in the region, thus giving the Intermountain section a stronger voice at the USTA national level. He served the USTA in various leadership capacities from 1976-1985, including time on the executive committee and chairman of the Junior Davis cup committee.

John Whistler

 

At Denver East High school, John captured the high school doubles championship in 1955, helping the angels win the team title. He matriculated at the University of Colorado, captaining the tennis squad his senior year.

 

John captured the 1963 Denver City Open singles crown and was runner up in 1962, ’64 and ’67. He and fellow Colorado Tennis Hall of Famer Jim Landin amassed an impressive eight total doubles titles in the Denver City (1963, ’65, ’68, ’69 and ‘73) and Colorado State Open (1965, ’68 and ’73) .

 

From 1952 to 1976, John and his father Rick, won every Father/Son tournament they entered accumulating numerous titles in Colorado majors as well as four USTA national titles.

Clayton Benham

 

Clayton was born in 1920, and raised on a sugar plantation in Hawaii. After graduating from Kamehameha in 1940, he played football and tennis for a year at San Mateo Junior College in California. In 1947, Clayton competed at the US National Championships, losing in the first round to two-time Roland Garros singles champ and 1954 Wimbledon champion Jaroslav Drobny. He won the 1950 National Public Parks Doubles Championship in Detroit, Michigan, with fellow Coloradan Bobby Curtis.

 

He enrolled at Denver University, and starred at the No. 1 position in singles and doubles for three years, serving as Pioneers head coach in his last two seasons. Clayton won the Denver City Open men's singles title in 1950, 1952 and again in 1953. He also won the Intermountain men's singles championship in 1950 and again in 1952.

 

Clayton returned to Hawaii and was head football coach at Kamehameha from 1954-57 and supervisor of physical education and athletics from 1958-73. He retired from teaching in 1982, and continued to play tennis several days a week right up until his death in 2002.

Chad Harris

 

A native Coloradan, Chad held the No. 3 ranking in the country in the Boys' 14s division, and the No. 2 spot in the 16s division. He finished his junior career at No. 5 in the Boys' 18s division. At Cherry Creek High School, Chad helped the Bruins win four State Championship titles by capturing the No. 1 singles title three consecutive years, 1997-9.

 

At Vanderbilt University, Chad compiled more wins than any other player in school history (101). In his junior season (2002-03), the Commodores fell to No. 1 ranked Illinois in the NCAA finals, ending the year at No 4 in team rankings with Chad at No. 10 in the individual rankings. In his senior season, Chad advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Championships. He ended his collegiate career at No. 8 in the nation.

 

In 2000, at age of 18, Chad won the Colorado State Open, becoming the first teen to win the event since Bobby Riggs in 1937 at 19. He followed that up in 2001 with championship titles at the Colorado State and Denver City Open, becoming the first teen to win both singles titles in the same year.

Victoria Heinicke

 

Born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, Victoria played her first tournament at age 6, and by the time she was a teenager, began playing on the men’s and women’s circuit. In 1956, she won the first of her 17 USLTA titles. Victoria won national singles and doubles titles in the Girls' 13s, 15s and 18s divisions, and ranked No. 1 four times (G15s, 1958-9; G18s 1961-2).

 

When she was 14, Victoria became the youngest competitor to play the US Championships at Forest Hills. In 1960, at 15, she sat at No. 8 on the women’s tour. After losing in the round of 16 at Wimbledon in 1962, she came back strong at Forest Hills, defeating Billie Jean and then Wimbledon champion Karen Hantze Susman.

 

Indelicately dubbed "the Grunter" by fellow tour players, she is remembered by tennis journalist and author Bud Collins as the sport's first-ever grunter, a harbinger of modern tennis' epic noise makers. She retired from competitive tennis at the age of 19 and moved to Colorado Springs that same year and became a fixture on the Colorado Springs tennis teaching and coaching scene.

Warrick Jones

 

A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Warrick was introduced to tennis at age 11 and took to the sport quickly, competing in USTA tournaments with good success. As a senior, he reached the finals of the Ohio State High School Championships. A recognized leader on and off the court, Warrick was selected to be a ball boy for the US Davis Cup squad on four separate occasions.

 

After graduating from Long Beach State, Warrick competed in professional satellite tour events, becoming a two-time champion at the American Tennis Association (ATA) Championships.

 

He enlisted in the US Army in 1984 and was stationed at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs. While in the Service, Warrick was a three-time Army Tennis Team member and won the Armed Forces Tennis Championships three times (one singles and two doubles crowns), and since coming to the state has won numerous Colorado State Open age division events.

 

On the national stage, Warrick has won five USTA National Championships—the National Hard Court Men’s 40 and 45 singles, the National Indoor Men’s 45 singles and doubles, and the National Grass Court Men’s 50s doubles. He was also a multiple selection to compete on the USA National Dubler Cup Team (M45).

Cliff Buchholz

 

Cliff's accomplishments in and contributions to the sport of tennis are many. Growing up in St. Louis, Cliff had a stellar junior career before moving to Colorado, and was ranked inside the top 20 in the nation before going to college. Cliff attended Trinity University, earning All-American honors.

 

After moving to Colorado, he opened the Cliff Buchholz Tennis Ranch in Steamboat Springs, and was a member of the original Denver Racquets, who, alongside Colorado Tennis Hall of Famer Stephanie Hagan, lead the Racquets to Denver's first world championship team title in any sport.

 

For more than 30 years, Cliff ran professional events around the country: the Rawlings Tennis Classic, the Pilot Pen Tennis Championships, and the Lipton International Players Championship (now known has the Sony Ericsson Open, considered the fifth major on the pro tour).

 

Throughout his life Cliff has owned numerous tennis and fitness clubs both in and out of CO. Currently, Cliff owns both Miramont Lifestyle Fitness and the Fort Collins Tennis Center.

Maricaye Christenson Daniels

 

Born in Grand Junction, Maricaye Christenson Daniels took up tennis at age ten, during a time when she also excelled at diving and horse jumping. In spite of the scarcity of indoor courts, practice partners and weather-friendly months for an outdoor-sport, success came rather quickly for Maricaye.

 

Her junior career led her to the University of Southern California where she played No. 1 singles, and was ranked in the top ten in the Southern California women's open singles for 10 years in succession. After graduating from USC, she joined the women's professional tour, which took her around the world and played at famous venues such as Wimbledon, Forest Hills, and the French Open.

 

Maricaye won several tournaments as an adult, including winning singles, doubles and mixed at the Intermountain Championships in 1977. As a senior player, she has won numerous gold and silver USTA National Championship balls.

 

She continues to compete in sectional and national events.

Scott Humphries

 

Born and raised in Greeley, Scott Humphries is one of the greatest tennis players our state has ever produced. Scott first started playing with fellow Colorado Tennis Hall of Famer Sherrie Farris.

 

A member of Team Colorado, he finished the year No. 1 in the nation at age 12. He also won the 12s national championships in singles and doubles. Scott moved to California before relocating to the Palmer Tennis Academy at Saddlebrook Resort in Tampa.

 

Scott would go on to win several national doubles titles alongside longtime partner, BJ Stearns. In 1994, he became the first American in more than a dozen years to capture the Boys' Wimbledon Championship.

 

After becoming an All-American at Stanford, Scott left to compete on the ATP tour. He focused exclusively on doubles, following two elbow surgeries at the age of 21. His professional career includes 11 tour finals, a semifinal appearance at the Australian Open, and a quarterfinal appearance at Wimbledon with Justin Gimelstob.

 

After his professional career, Scott worked with American Mardy Fish and later with former world No. 1, Jelena Jankovic.

Alicia Salas

 

Alicia began her competitive career training at Ken Caryl Ranch and Team Colorado. She played junior leagues, and by the age of nine had won her first tournament. Alicia was the top-ranked player in both Colorado and the Intermountain section throughout her junior career.

 

In 2000, Alicia became the first four-time 5A Colorado No. 1 high school singles champion. She graduated from Cherry Creek High School and matriculated at the University of Notre Dame.

 

During her four-year career with the Fighting Irish, Alicia was twice voted MVP. In 2004, she was named the Midwest Region's Senior Player of the Year. Following her collegiate career, Alicia was one of five women's college tennis players selected to compete on the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's American Express "All-Star team" in Hong Kong and Beijing.

 

In a five-year span beginning in 2001, Alicia won seven women's singles, eight women's doubles and eight mixed doubles titles at the Denver City, Colorado State, and Boulder/Intermountain Open Championships.

Clarence Dodge

 

Clarence honed his game by practicing with and playing against some of the top ranked players in the country. A big, strong and athletic player, Clarence won the consolation singles title at the 1897 US National Championships in Newport, the tournament that later became the US Open, and was ranked as high as No. 16 in the nation.


After graduating from Yale, Clarence became a dominating force in Colorado tennis. Clarence owned and published what is now the Colorado Springs Gazette. During that time, he regularly traveled to play tournaments throughout Europe.

Along with tennis, Clarence had a great passion for civic and philanthropic work. He served as a state representative for two terms, and served as both chairman of the state YMCA and president of the Colorado Springs YMCA. Clarence was the first resident west of Chicago to be elected to the International Committee of the YMCA.

Art & John Hagan

 

Well-known sports business entrepreneurs Art & John Hagan are Colorado natives. Art and his younger brother John both played high school tennis, and both attended college on tennis scholarships.


The brothers worked together at The Aspen Leaf, a tennis retailer. They helped grow the business from one store, to 17 stores across three states.

 

The Colorado tennis community greatly benefited from the Hagan's support. They brought the first women's professional tennis tour event to Colorado with the Virginia Slims of Denver tournament. The Hagan's stores often donated balls, racquets and shoes to many area charities. For a number of years, their business supplied men's and women's USTA events with trophies.


John served on the product development team for Head Tennis Products, leaving his mark on the design of racquets and shoes. He strung the racquets of some the best players in the world, including Arthur Ashe, Billy Jean King and Bjorn Borg. Art served on the Colorado Youth Tennis Foundation, Colorado Tennis Association, the Intermountain Tennis Association and the Denver Tennis Club boards.

Brenda Vlasak

 

Brenda Vlasak started playing tennis at age five, and has gripped her tennis racquet with two hands ever since. At age eight, she won her first tournament at Ken Caryl Ranch.

 

Brenda continued to play tournaments through grade and middle school, winning her first national singles title at the Columbus Indoor Championships (G12). She reached No. 16 in the G14 division. The next year, firing her signature two-handed backhand and forehand, she parlayed a USTA National Indoor Championship and a fifth-place at the National Clay Court Championships to a top-3 national ranking.

 

Brenda's collegiate career began at Tyler Junior College in Texas, where as the No. 1 singles player she led the team to a pair of NJCAA titles (1998-99). After transferring to the University of Arkansas - where she played No. 2 singles and No. 1 doubles - Brenda and her Razorback teammates advanced to the NCAA Championships

 

Brenda became the head coach of the men's and women's tennis teams at University of Northern Colorado, following 2006 and in 2010 was named the university's UNC's director of tennis.

Kent Woodard

 

Kent was 7 years-old when his father built a tennis court in the backyard of his family's Grand Junction home. Before that, no one in the family had ever played tennis. By the time he was 13, he was competing across Colorado, and in regional and national tournaments.


For two years, Kent played on the perennial top-10 University of Utah tennis team. He later transferred to the University of Colorado at Boulder, where he competed at No. 1 singles and doubles.

 

After college Kent started dominating the Colorado tournament scene. He amassed 13 titles at the Denver City Open, Colorado State Open and Intermountain Sectional Championships combined.

 

But Kent wasn't just a Colorado phenomenon, he also traveled around the world playing tournament-level tennis. He finished sixth in singles on the South African Tour, and played pro tournaments in Sweden and Spain.

 

After his competitive days, Kent spent many years as a tennis professional at the Maroon Creek Club in Aspen.

Chester Harris

 

An avid tennis lover and true advocate of the game, Mr. Harris (as he was known to everyone) was a fixture at Denver’s City Park for decades. He introduced scores of people to tennis, and was a powerful force in bringing minorities into the game.

 

Selfless in the gifts of his time and his talents, Mr. Harris received his compensation in seeing the growth of the sport in his community, as well as watching his students improve their game. He taught more than tennis. He wanted to develop good human beings, able to articulate and to concentrate in the classroom. He taught his students to be good citizens, many who have passed along these lessons to future players. His influence has helped bring new generations to the sport, and introduce players of diverse backgrounds to tennis long after his death.

 

In 1992, the City Park Racquet Club renamed its premier event, the Chester Harris City Park Open, in his honor.

Vernon John

 

A crafty and powerful left-hander, Vernon would rise to No. 7 (No. 5 in doubles) in the nation as a junior. He captured the 1933 Cheyenne Mountain Invitational singles title, one of the top tournaments in the country at the time, defeating Californian Jack Tidball, the 1933 National Intercollegiate singles champion. In 1934, Vernon became the youngest man to win the Denver City Open Men’s Singles title. He won it again the following year, taking the doubles title as well.

 

He attended the University of Southern California, earning intercollegiate rankings in both doubles (No. 7) and in singles (No. 2), reaching the finals at the 1936 National Intercollegiate Championships. Later that year, he competed at the US National Clay Court Championships, losing to eventual champion Bobby Riggs 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 in the semifinals. Despite the loss, John would go on to beat Riggs several times in future sanctioned events.

Rhona Kaczmarczyk

 

Born in Dublin, Ireland, Rhona was 15 when she first represented her country at the Federation Cup, an honor she would have on three more occasions. A national champion at every junior age group, she was Ireland's top-ranked player at age 16. After a brief professional career, Rhona attended college in the United States.

 

She has been a consistent challenger at the championship level here in Colorado, amassing more than 11 singles and doubles titles at the Denver City Open, Colorado State Open and Intermountain Championships. In 1996, Rhona won the singles and doubles titles at both the Denver City Open and Intermountain Championships. She dominated the State Open in 1997-8, winning both the singles and doubles titles in each of those years. In 2006, at the age of 41, Rhona pulled off the rare singles/doubles sweep again at the Denver City Open. That same year, Rhona also captured the USTA National Women's 40 Indoor Championships and earned the USTA Colorado Joan Birkland Award as the state’s top female player.

Jack TerBorg

 

Jack discovered tennis when his family moved to a house across the street from Washington Park in Denver. After three perfect seasons (1945-47) at No. 1 singles at South High School, Jack received a scholarship to the University of Southern California where he played his freshman and sophomore years.

 

He transferred from USC to Denver University where he completed his undergraduate work and later law school. The DU team captured the Skyline Conference championship for two consecutive years with Jack playing No. 2 singles and fellow Colorado Tennis Hall of Fame member Irwin Hoffman at No. 3.

 

A prolific champion, Jack won 6 major Colorado singles titles – two Denver City Opens (1958, 1962), two Colorado State Opens (1961, 1962) and two Intermountain Sectional Championships (1954, 1961). He also amassed 9 doubles championships, including 8 Denver City Open doubles titles in 12 years (1950, 1952, 1955-8, 1960-61) and the 1954 Colorado State Open doubles title.

Becky Varnum Bucolo

 

A native Coloradan, Becky became the first-ever Colorado prep tennis player to win four consecutive No. 1 singles titles, finishing her prep career a perfect 68-0, never losing a single set. The top-ranked player in the Intermountain Section, Becky rose to No. 18 in the country.

 

She was named as a Sportswoman of Colorado three times (1994, 1996, 1998), earning automatic induction into the Sportswomen of Colorado Hall of Fame in 1998.

 

At the University of Notre Dame, Becky earned Big East Rookie of the Year (1998) honors, and by 2001 she was ranked No. 8 in the country in doubles, earning All American accolades. She was voted team captain in 2002.

 

In local competition, Becky holds 10 Denver City, Colorado State, and Intermountain Section Championship titles, seven coming in 2001 when she dominated the local calendar with singles victories at the State and Intermountain Championships, mixed titles at the City and Intermountain, and a sweep of the women’s doubles titles at all three major events.

Paula Coulter

 

Despite not picking up her first racquet until she was a teenager, Paula quickly developed her tennis skills, ultimately reaching the elite ranks of the professional tour.

 

A graduate of Marycrest High School, Paula attended Denver’s Metropolitan State College, competing on the men’s tennis team. She later transferred to Odessa College in Texas, where her on-court success led her to Junior College All-American honors in 1976, the same year she played in the main draw of the Australian Open. She went on to compete on the WTA professional tour, earning a personal ranking high of 78 in the world.

 

An amazing doubles player with a phenomenal net game, Paula was a dominant force in Colorado tennis beginning in the late 1970s. She holds five consecutive Denver City Open women’s doubles titles (1984-88) and one mixed doubles title (1984); six Colorado State Open women’s doubles crowns (1977, 1981, 1985, 1988, 1994 and 1996) and one singles crown in 1981; and three Intermountain Sectional Championship women’s doubles titles (1981, 1983 and 1986).

 

Paula has also competed in USTA women’s national age division tournaments, collecting a national title (gold ball) along with 2 silver and 2 bronze balls (for second and third).

Charles Gates, Jr.

 

A graduate of Stanford University in 1943, Charlie became President and CEO in the family business, Gates Rubber Company, a world leader in the manufacturing of automotive and industrial hoses and belts.

 

Charlie was a passionate advocate of community progress and was involved in directing money to charitable organizations through his leadership of the Gates Family Foundation (GFF). In 1975, the GFF gifted the Gates Tennis Center to the citizens of Denver. Wanting to ensure its long-term sustainability, the GFF entrusted the facility to The Park People, a non-profit organization committed to preserving and enhancing Denver’s parks.
For the next 20 years, the GFF spent $1.5 million on improvement projects at the Center. Beginning in 2004, plans were developed to update the Center to serve the next generation of tennis players. At his last board meeting prior to his death, Charlie expressed his wishes to invest the dollars necessary to make the project a reality.

 

In his honor, the newly constructed West Center Court bears his name. Charlie’s Court is a fitting homage to the man whose leadership helped transform the one-time trash dump at Pulaski Park into one of America’s premier public tennis complexes.

Allen Kiel

 

Allen began playing tennis in high school, later competing for two years on the tennis team at DePaul University, and then finishing his collegiate career at the University of Northern Colorado, where he remained undefeated in conference play.

 

He owned and operated tennis clubs in his native Chicago, teaching players of all ages and abilities, including former No. 2 in the world, Andrea Jaeger.

 

Allen co-wrote the first USPTA certification test, and in 1974, was one of seven USPTA professionals who helped develop and pilot the National Tennis Rating Program (NTRP), used for all USTA league play.

 

As a USTA volunteer, Allen has served the Colorado tennis community in many significant ways over the decades – as vice president of USTA Colorado, president of the Colorado Youth Tennis Foundation and president of USTA Intermountain. Allen also helped spearhead the creation and implementation of Touch Tone Tennis, the predecessor of TennisLink, which revolutionized the way players registered for USTA leagues and tournaments.

 

He has been a member of numerous USTA committees, assisting in numerous initiatives focused on creating new opportunities for players, minorities and volunteers.

Katie Koontz

 

A native Pennsylvanian, Katie took up tennis at the age of 35. But the late start hasn’t kept her from reaching the pinnacle of the sport in national competition.

 

She won her first national championship title (gold ball) in 1990. Since then, Katie has added an additional 20 gold balls, 18 silver balls (runner-up) and five bronze balls (3rd place) to her trophy collection.

 

In 2004, Katie and her doubles partner captured the elusive “Gold Slam”, winning all four USTA National Championships on different surfaces – indoor, clay, grass and hard court – in the same calendar year. They extended that streak to seven consecutive national titles, just one surface win shy of back-to-back Gold Slams.

 

Katie has represented the United States in numerous international competitions, captaining the US Kitty Godfree Cup Team (Women 65 and older) to a second place finish in 2004. She has also competed on the Alice Marble Cup Team for Women 60 and older.

Jeff Loehr

 

A Colorado native who began playing tennis at the age of 3, Jeff was fated to join his father, James, in the Colorado Tennis Hall of Fame.

 

Jeff owns two high school state singles titles, and was a member of the Wheat Ridge High School championship team in 1991 that broke Cherry Creek’s winning streak of 19 straight team titles.

 

Jeff attended the University of South Florida from 1992-1996. He rattled off 18 straight wins to start his senior year, finishing with a 27-4 record and earning a Top-100 NCAA Division I ranking.
For nearly two years, Jeff competed on the men’s professional tour, reaching the top 500 in the world. In 1998, he was among the top 40 American male players.

 

Jeff dominated local events in the 1990s, winning the Denver City Open singles title for the first time at the age of 18 in 1993, and again in 1996 and 1999. He earned the City doubles titles in 1999 and 2005 as well. Jeff also owns four Colorado State Open singles titles, taking his first in 1996, followed by back to back wins in 1998 and 1999 (including the doubles title), and then again as a dark horse in 2005. In 1999, he captured both the Intermountain Sectional singles and doubles championship.

Tariq Abdul-Hamid

 

Tariq grew up playing tennis at Denver’s City Park, later playing at the University of Colorado-Boulder. His true passions are teaching and mentoring others, and he has dedicated much of his life to growing tennis, especially in City Park. He has coached hundreds of youngsters, many who became accomplished players and tennis teaching professionals.

 

He demands dedication and hard work from his students. These qualities and skills transfer into other aspects of their lives, opening the door to other opportunities, including attending college.

 

In 1995, Tariq was honored with the Colorado Tennis Association’s Arthur Ashe Award for his contributions to under-served populations. Two years later, he received the 9 WHO CARE AWARD to recognize his volunteer efforts in teaching underprivileged youth. He also received the 9 WHO CARE Prospector Award, acknowledging him as Denver’s top volunteer. Tariq was also recognized with the Urban League of Metropolitan Denver Community Service Award in 1998.

Ned Cooney

 

A leader in the Colorado Tennis Umpires Association since 1984, Ned was a fixture at the largest tournaments in the state for more than 25 years, including the Colorado State Open, the Denver City Open and Boulder Open, where he served as referee. He refereed both the boys’ and girls’ Colorado High School State Championships for more than a decade.

 

Ned held board and administrative positions for the Colorado Tennis Association, and for more than a decade, he answered readers’ challenging rules questions in his regular Ask Ned feature in Colorado Tennis newspaper. His exemplary service earned Ned the Colorado Tennis Association Ade Butler Award (Umpire of the Year) in 2003 and again in 2007.

 

Ned officiated his final tournament just days before he passed away on August 31, 2007. In his memory, the Meadows Club renamed their tournament the Ned Cooney Memorial Meadows Club Adult Open.

Sandra Elliott

 

At Grand Junction High School, Sandra was a basketball and tennis standout, earning consecutive No. 1 singles titles her junior and senior years. She was honored with the Joe Biggs Memorial Award as the school’s outstanding athlete and scholar.

 

In 1983, Sandra led the University of Northern Colorado to fourth place at the NCAA Division II National Championships. Compiling a 24-0 record, she captured the national doubles championship title, in addition to reaching the singles final. She won the doubles title again in 1985 and 1986, reaching the semifinals in singles both years and earning All-American honors.

 

Ranked No. 1 in singles and doubles by the Division II Intercollegiate Tennis Coaches Association (ITCA), Sandra was named to the ITCA All Star Team, and was a two-time recipient of the ITCA Scholar Athlete Award.

 

In 1996, Sandra was inducted into the University of Northern Colorado Hall of Fame, and was joined by the rest of her 1983 Bears team, which was inducted in 2001.

Roald Flater

 

After serving two years in the US Army during World War II in Europe, Roald attended and played tennis at Northwestern University, where he obtained his Mechanical Engineering degree in 1949. In 1962, he moved to Denver and has had a virtual lock on the No. 1 spot in every age division from the 45 through 80 and over in Colorado and Intermountain rankings. He has also held USTA national and ITF world rankings as well.

 

Roald holds several titles in USTA national competitions, and has represented the US against Mexico numerous times in the Osuna Cup. In 2007, he was a member of the USTA International World Cup Team at the Gardnar Mulloy Cup in New Zealand. Roald is also a passionate tennis instructor, coach and official. In 1972, at the age of 45, he earned his teaching certification and was the head professional at Hiwan Country Club.

 

He became the Intermountain Section’s first Prince representative and helped Howard Head roll out the world’s first oversized racquet.

Andrea Jaeger

 

Sister Andrea (she became an Anglican Dominican nun in 2006), uses her professional tennis career to help children with terminal illness and their families.

 

She became the youngest-ever Wimbledon seed at 15 years-old, and was the youngest semifinalist in US Open history. A finalist at the 1982 French Open and 1983 Wimbledon, Andrea climbed to the No. 2 world ranking, her career-best. Her tennis career ended with a severe shoulder injury at the 1985 French Open, and she retired in 1987.

 

During her playing career, Andrea became aware of her life calling to help children. With the prize money she earned on the tour, she moved to Aspen in 1989 and started the Little Star Foundation, which provides specialized medical, financial, educational, camp, family and hospice programs – at no cost to the families – for terminally ill, abused or at-risk children.

 

In 2001, she was inducted into the World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame.

Bruce Avery

 

Bruce is regarded as one of the most important and influential umpires in the nation. His career as an official began in 1970 as a volunteer linesman for the Virginia Slims Tour in Denver. He was instrumental in the formation of the Denver Tennis Umpires Association, served as referee for the Denver City Open for twenty years and has officiated at many Mountain and Front Range tournaments.


Bruce has chair umpired tour events across the country, and has officiated for 27 years at the US Open: nine years as a chair umpire, 11 years with the chief umpire’s staff, and the last seven in charge of the tournament’s officials evaluation program.

After retiring from on-court professional officiating in 1989, Bruce became part of the team of fifteen national trainers and evaluators who certify and evaluate officials at all levels of USTA tennis. For the last two years, Bruce has chaired the National Trainers and Evaluators Committee where he writes certification tests, coordinates curriculum and assigns trainers and evaluators to more than 200 tournaments and schools every year.

Willard Douglass Corley & Willard Douglass Corley, Jr.

 

Few Coloradans have had the kind of impact on the growth of tennis in the state that Douglass had. He was president of the Southern Colorado Tennis Association during the 1950s-60s, and represented the Intermountain Section for the US Lawn Tennis Association. Douglass helped organize and build the Colorado Springs Racquet Club in 1965, and in 1968, the club named its nascent junior tournament, The Corley Cup, in his honor.


His son, Doug, won the Colorado High School championship in 1953 and 1954. At Colorado College, he won eight singles and doubles Rocky Mountain Collegiate Conference titles. He competed at the 1957 NCAA Championships, winning the singles consolation draw. Doug compiled six titles in the region’s three major tournaments: Denver City Open, Colorado State Open and Intermountain Sectional Championships. He also competed in the US Open three times and the qualifying round at Wimbledon.

Don Harker

 

Don is “the grand old man of Denver tennis.” He is regarded as one of the strongest and most impressive players in Colorado tennis history. A steady and smart player, Don was very consistent and was best known for grinding down his opponents during matches.


He was an avid tournament player for many years, and between the years of 1897-1925, Don won no less than 24 titles combined in the Denver City Open and Colorado State Open, and held a top position in the state for over 25 years. A number of his titles came when he was in his 40s, when he competed against players many years his junior.

Undoubtedly, Don would have captured more Denver City Open titles had the tournament started earlier. He had been competing for 17 years prior to the inaugural year of the tournament in 1914.

Carlene Petersen

 

Carlene attended William Jewell College, where she won numerous tournaments, and became the first woman to play on the men’s tennis team, where she competed at the No. 1 singles spot her sophomore through senior years. Carlene was the first woman to participate in the NAIA Men’s Collegiate Championships in 1964.


An avid competitor, she won many Missouri Valley and Intermountain Section tournaments and is holder of at least 17 combined titles at the region’s three major tournaments: Denver City Open, Colorado State Open, and Intermountain Sectional Championships.

Carlene was a tennis professional at many clubs within the Denver area, and coached the women’s tennis team at the University of Denver for 10 seasons, beginning in 1974. She received Conference Coach of the Year honors while at the University of Denver, and in 1994, was inducted into the William Jewell College Athletic Hall of Fame.

Bill Wright

 

Bill attended Southern Methodist University, helping his team win the school’s first Southwest Conference Team Championship. He competed in the US Open five times, and achieved a No. 44 national ranking in 1963 and No. 52 in 1964.


Bill was the tennis director for the Vail Recreation District for 27 summers, and in 2003, Vail dedicated the Bill Wright Tennis Center at Ford Park in his honor.

After coaching stints at the University of Denver, Colorado State University and the University of Illinois, he spent 12 years at the University of California-Berkeley and 19 years at the University of Arizona. His 1980 UC-Berkeley squad won the National Indoor Team Championships and was runner-up in the NCAA Team Championships.

Bill has coached 12 All-Americans, a Pac-10 singles champion, and a doubles team that reached the quarterfinals at the French and US Opens. He also coached and captained the US Junior Davis Cup team. Bill was selected NCAA Coach of the Year in 1978, Pac-10 Coach of the Year in 1981, Region 8 Coach of the Year in 2002 and 2004. In 2006, he was inducted into the Intercollegiate Tennis Hall of Fame. In addition, he published Aerobic Tennis in 1980, an instruction book emphasizing fitness.

Miko Ando

 

A Denver native, Miko took to the sport of tennis at an early age. She captured both singles and doubles titles from 1984-91 at the Intermountain junior sectional championships, and was ranked No. 1 in the section in every age division. Nationally, Miko was ranked in each age division beginning in 1986 when she debuted in the girls' 12 rankings at No. 17. In 1988, she rose to No. 1 in the 14s. That same year she was also ranked No. 6 in doubles. In 1989, she was No. 8 in the 16s singles and No. 1 in doubles. She ended her junior career in 1991 with a national ranking of 18.

 

Miko competed internationally as a member of the US national squad, one of only two girls selected. She attended Manual High School in Denver where she went undefeated in high school competition, never dropping a set in four years. She is title holder of three Colorado high school No. 1 state championship titles, in 1989, 1991-2. She did not play in the 1990 championships because she was away defending her title at Seventeen Magazine's national tournament.

 

Miko attended the University of Arizona, playing No. 2 singles and doubles. She transferred to the University of California-Berkeley, and played at No. 4 singles and No. 2 doubles. In her junior year, she and her partner won the NCAA National Indoor Championships. 

 

In Colorado, Miko captured the Denver City Open singles title in 1989 at just 15 years of age, and again in 1994. She took home runner-up honors in 1989, 1992-3. A four-time Denver City Open doubles champion (1989, 1992-1994), she also won the Colorado State Open doubles title in 1993. Miko was also known for her sportsmanship, earning the CTA's Margaret Rogers Phipps Award in 1985. In 1991, she was inducted into the Sportswomen of Colorado Hall of Fame.

Arnold Brown

 

As a teenager in Detroit, Michigan, Arnie was a talented table tennis player. His talent for the game helped him to become a proficient tennis player as well. He attended Western Michigan University on a tennis scholarship, where he played No. 1 singles and was the team captain. After graduation, Arnie became serious about table tennis again and went on to win numerous state championships, including 26 Colorado state and Intermountain titles. 

 

Arnie moved to Denver to become an insurance agent. In the early 1960s he joined Cherry Hills Country Club as a tennis teaching professional. Under Arnie's guidance, Cherry Hills became one of the top clubs in Colorado for junior tennis. And while he was there for only five years, the mark he left on Colorado tennis is legendary.

 

Thanks to Arnie's efforts, Colorado tennis gained international recognition. He and Colorado Tennis Hall of Famer Gene Reidy arranged for the Davis Cup to come to Cherry Hills Country Club in 1963. The U.S. squad, led by Dennis Ralston, defeated Venezuela 5-0. Other members of the team included Marty Reissen, Eugene Scott, and a Davis Cup rookie named Arthur Ashe. It was the only time a Davis Cup match has been played in Colorado. While playing a key role in all aspects of hosting the Davis Cup, Arnie was also a top junior teaching pro in Colorado, producing numerous tournament players, many at the National level. Among them was 8-year-old Jake Warde, a 2002 Colorado Tennis Hall of Fame inductee. Arnie introduced Jake to tennis and ultimately developed him into one of the finest junior players ever to come from Colorado, becoming the first Coloradan to hold a national No. 1 ranking in any age division. During that time, Arnie founded the Cherry Hills Invitational, a tournament that brought in many nationally ranked junior players.

 

Word of Arnie's coaching success spread throughout the country, and with no indoor courts in Denver at the time, Arnie reluctantly moved to Boston where he could coach year-round. He spent time as a pro at various clubs throughout the Northeast including the Suburban Indoor Tennis Center outside of Boston, the Wianno Country Club on Cape Cod and the Belmont (Mass.) Country Club. He continued to produce top junior players including Ferdi Taygan, who went on to win the NCAA doubles title with Peter Fleming and reached career high professional rankings in the top 100 in singles and top 10 in doubles.

Chet Murphy

 

A former long-time tennis professional at the Broadmoor Hotel, Chet is internationally known as a tennis teacher having conducted clinics for players and teachers throughout the United States as well as Canada, Mexico, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore and Hong Kong.

 

Born and raised on the south side of Chicago, Chet began playing tennis as a sophomore in high school. With his twin brother, Bill, he won the Illinois state high school doubles championship in both his junior and senior years. He went on to play No. 1 singles and doubles at the University of Chicago. His senior year, Chet was the Big Ten singles and doubles champion as well as the NCAA runner-up in both events.
Chet and Bill teamed together to play in the Eastern grass court circuit, the major tournaments of the era. With wins over players such as Gardnar Mulloy and Bobby Riggs, they rose as high as No. 9 in the national men's doubles rankings.

 

After serving five years as a navy aviator, Chet began a successful coaching career. He first taught and coached at the University of Chicago, followed by stints at the University of Detroit, University of Minnesota and the University of California-Berkeley.

 

During one of his summer breaks, Chet accepted a teaching position at the Broadmoor. In his first season there, there were only two courts. By the next summer, six courts were added and Chet launched a program that helped established the Broadmoor as one of the preeminent tennis facilities in the United States.

 

While at the Broadmoor, Chet and a few club members established the Broadmoor Family Invitational Doubles Tournament. Prominent players from the region, as well as local tennis playing families, were invited to play. The tournament grew to become one of the most popular in southern Colorado.

 

Chet is an honorary member of the USPTA and has been a featured speaker at many of their annual conferences. He has served as president of the U.S. College Tennis Coaches Association, chairman of the U.S. Tennis Committee for World University Games and of the USTA Committee of School Tennis Development. He has been inducted into the National Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame, the Tilden Tech High School Hall of Fame and the University of Chicago Sports Hall of Fame. He has also been awarded the USTA Educational Service Award.

 

In addition to his on-court achievements, Chet is the author of several highly regarded tennis books and has contributed articles to tennis magazines and educational journals.

Jeanette Paddock

 

Jeanette's involvement in tennis spans three decades. An intense competitor and winner of National, Intermountain and Colorado titles, she has also been a dedicated and highly successful high school coach. Jeanette was a pioneer NTRP verifier at the district and sectional levels, and a founder and coordinator of the southern Colorado Junior Team Tennis program. Since 1985, she has been a USPTA teaching professional and the Director of Tennis at Lynmar Racquet Club in Colorado Springs, where she has organized numerous tournaments, events and tennis programs. As a player, Jeanette's top competitive years were 1971-1991. In age division competition, she has won national doubles titles on clay and indoor hard courts, and was a national indoors singles and doubles runner-up as well as grass court doubles runner-up. Jeanette held national rankings for ten years, and was ranked as high as No. 11 in Women's 35 Singles. In 1983, she played in the 35s division of the U.S. Open. Jeanette held the No. 1 ranking in 35 singles in the Intermountain Section for five consecutive years in addition to top 3 rankings in 40 singles and 35 doubles. She is also the title-holder of numerous southern Colorado open singles championships.

 

Jeanette was the recipient of the National USPTA Female Player of the Year/Open Division in 1987, and again in 1990 for the 35s division. She was the Intermountain USPTA Player of the Year from 1987-91 for the 35s Division. Jeanette was inducted into the Colorado Sportswoman Hall of Fame in 1987.

 

As head coach at Air Academy High School, Jeanette produced her first state champions in 1982 at the No. 1 doubles position. In the 2004 and 2005 seasons, her teams placed second in 5A competition, and earned three individual state titles, including the 2005 No. 1 singles championship. In 2004, her squad was awarded the Colorado Tennis Association's Willa Wolcott Condon Award for the outstanding girls' high school tennis team, and Jeanette received All-Colorado Girls Tennis Coach of the Year honors. Jeanette was named USPTA-Intermountain High School Coach of the Year in 2002 and again in 2005. 

Willa Wolcott Condon

 

Born in Boulder in 1910, Willa began playing tennis at an early age. Her father, a son of pioneers, was an administrator and controller at the University of Colorado. He had regular tennis matches with P.I. Folsom, for whom the current CU football stadium is named, and many other professors. This group comprised Willa's main set of practice partners.

 

She graduated from Boulder Prep High School in 1926 where she played on the tennis team. While still in high school, Willa began a dominance of Colorado women's tennis that lasted eight years.

 

Willa won 19 major Colorado and regional singles championships. At ages 14 and 15, Willa reached the women's singles final of the Denver City Open. She went on to win the tournament five times between 1926-32. Her mastery continued with three women's singles titles in the Cheyenne Mountain Invitational in Colorado Springs between 1930-33, five Colorado State tennis championships between 1927-34 and four Intermountain singles titles from 1928-32. Willa also had success as a doubles player, winning five consecutive Colorado State doubles titles beginning in 1930. After graduating from the University of Colorado in 1930, Willa moved to San Francisco to attend Mills College. From there, she went on to work as a secretary at the Mayo Clinic. It was there that she met Bill Condon of Greeley, whom she married in 1940. They moved back to Denver in 1946 and had two daughters, Karen and Ann. Back in Denver, Willa continued to play tennis. Beginning in 1952, she started playing a weekly doubles match with a group of women that included Colorado Tennis Hall of Famer, Carolyn Byrne. That Friday morning tradition lasted 40 years. In her honor, the Colorado Tennis Association named its annual award for outstanding girls' high school tennis team the Willa Wolcott Condon Award.

 

At her memorial, the minister spoke of Willa's love for tennis and it's impact on her life when he said, “The style with which Willa played tennis is the style with which she lived her life. She placed her shots while the world ran ragged chasing them; and she placed her shots carefully, thoughtfully, skillfully and accurately so that what she did made a difference.”

Adolph "Ade" Butler

 

Ade is well known for professionalizing tennis umpiring in Colorado. As the referee and chair umpire of the United Bank Tennis Classic, which began in the 1970s and lasted through the early ‘80s, Ade brought tennis umpiring to a new level in our state.

 

Ade also helped to bring fair representation for states at the Intermountain Sectional level. In the early 1970s, he worked to recruit and organize Colorado tennis clubs and high schools to register with the United States Tennis Association (USTA), thereby strengthening Colorado’s position and bringing about a new era in representative government at the Section.

Carolyn Roberts Byrne

 

A New York native, Carolyn was introduced to tennis in 1922 at the age of 9. Later in the 1920s, she began competing in regional and national tournaments on the East Coast, like the U.S. Nationals at Forest Hills. In 1931, Carolyn was the New York state champion, carrying a national ranking of No. 12 in the Girls 18s singles division, and a No. 2 ranking in doubles.

 

During the Depression, Carolyn was forced to drop out of national competitions in order to help support her family, and then resumed national play in 1936, where she held a national ranking of No. 15. Carolyn moved to Colorado in 1943. She won the Denver City Women’s Singles title in 1947 and 1951, and was a finalist there in 1948 and ‘49.

 

She won the Intermountain Sectional Championships Women’s Doubles crown in 1948 and the Colorado State Women’s Doubles title in 1961.

Richard Gugat

 

Rich has experienced the kind of coaching success that few people have known. As the head coach of the U.S. Air Force Academy’s men’s tennis team for the past 30 years, he has established one of the most respected collegiate tennis programs in the nation.

 

At the time of his induction, he was one of only three active coaches in the nation to reach the 600-win plateau. His career record of 672-198 represents the most wins in Academy history for a coach in any sport and has an outstanding winning percentage of .772. In addition, another highlight of Rich’s career is recording 23 consecutive 20-win seasons through the 1980s and ‘90s.

 

His 30-year coaching stint is also the longest of any coach in any sport in Academy history. Rich was named the 1987 Western Athletic Conference Coach of the Year.

Fay Shwayder

 

A Denver native, Fay first picked up the game at Denver City Park, where her lifelong love affair with tennis began. Fay had a long and distinguished tennis career. She first captured the Denver City Championship in 1933 at the age of 17.

 

Twenty-five years later, at the age of 42, she was again crowned the tournament’s singles champion. Fay was a singles finalist eight other times. Alongside fellow Colorado Tennis Hall of Famer Phyllis Lockwood, Fay captured the Denver City women’s doubles title four times, in 1954 and 1956-58. The pair also captured three Intermountain Sectional Championship women’s doubles titles in 1954, 56, and 59.

 

Partnering with Doug Corley, Fay earned the 1956 Denver City Championship Mixed Doubles title. Fay also captured the Colorado State Open Women’s Singles title in 1963, and the doubles title in 1964 with Ann Rockwell.

Joseph Thompson

 

Joe picked up the game of tennis as a self-proclaimed “little league dropout” at the age of 12. In those days no one was teaching tennis, so Joe went to the city library and read every book he could find on it. By the age of 16, this unknown from the “poor side of the tracks” had captured the Terre Haute Boys’ 18s championship. He would go undefeated in high school conference play for two years en route to a top-5 Indiana ranking.

 

He attended Indiana State University, completing both his undergraduate and graduate degrees in 1971. Joe became a hospital administrator at Columbus State Psychiatric Hospital working with the mentally ill, training therapists for work in the art, music and recreational therapy divisions – an experience Joe later said was invaluable for his future career in teaching tennis. He moved to Colorado in 1973 and began his new career in tennis. He was the Director of Tennis at Rolling Hills Country Club in Golden for more than 25 years..

 

A member of the US Professional Tennis Association since 1975, Hoe was on the forefront of developing innovative grassroots programs to grow the sport of tennis, including USPTA’s Tennis Across America, Little Tennis, Champions of Champions, the USPTA Adult Tennis League and the recent Tennis Welcome Center initiative.

 

A member of the CTA Board in 1982 and a past president of the Intermountain PTA, Joe is a two-time recipient of the Intermountain PTA Professional of the Year award (1983, 1986). In 1987, he received his Master Professional certification, and has since served on numerous national tennis committees. After  receiving the USPTA’s prestigious Alex Gordon Award as America’s top teaching professional in 1998, Joe served as the National President of the USPTA for three consecutive terms (1999-2002).

Edwin "Ned" Crow

 

Born on a dairy farm in Wisconsin, Ned was the youngest of six children. He earned a Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Wisconsin, and later settled in Boulder with his family.

 

Along with a group of tennis stalwarts, Ned helped create the Boulder Tennis Association in 1967. He was elected its first president, and served on the board in one capacity or another continually until 2000. Ned helped found the Austin Scott Memorial Tournament, the BTA’s first activity.

 

Ned was nationally ranked in his age division for more than 20 years, and has captured numerous Colorado State Open age division titles.

 

In 1985, the BTA named its fall tournament the Ned Crow/BTA Open, in honor of Ned’s commitment and service to tennis in Boulder. The Colorado Tennis Association recognized his contributions to tennis with the Bud Robineau Award in 1995.

Irwin Hoffman

 

Irwin first learned to play tennis after finding his mother’s 1918 racquet, which he strung with twine. He went on to play at East High School, where he helped his team to the 1949 state title.

 

After a stint in the US Air Force, Irwin returned to Denver in 1957 and was hired as the Director of Tennis at Green Gables Country Club, a position he still holds today.

 

In 1958, Irwin co-developed an outreach program to fuel the growth of tennis, and then organized a summer league to provide competition for all these new players. This league (now a program of the Colorado Tennis Association) attracts more than 3,000 juniors annually.

 

In 1980, Irwin was honored with the CTA’s Bud Robineau Award for service to the tennis community, and in 2000 was honored by the Colorado Youth Tennis Foundation for his contributions to junior tennis in Colorado.

Dan Luna

 

Dan played tennis at Pueblo Central High School, and in 1950 became the first Hispanic to capture the Colorado High School Boys’ State Championship Singles title. And as one of just nine Hispanics enrolled at the University of Colorado at Boulder, Dan led team to a Big Seven Tennis Conference Championship.

 

After graduating in 1954, Dan returned to Pueblo to coach high school tennis; he later became Head Tennis Professional at Pueblo Country Club. Dan went undefeated in southern Colorado for three years in the late 1950s, but his focus turned toward his professional career and to raising his six children.

 

In 1993, Dan and his family founded Luna Tennis, Inc., the first Latino non-profit tennis agency in Colorado offering tennis instruction at no cost to Denver’s low-income communities. Four years later, Dan was inducted into the Greater Pueblo Sports Hall of Fame.

Mike, Gene & Maurice Reidy

 

The Reidy brothers are entrenched in Colorado’s tennis history. Mike was instrumental in the formation of the Colorado Tennis Association, was its first secretary and was responsible for drafting the articles of incorporation. He also served as President of the Denver Tennis Club, and as Intermountain Sectional Delegate on the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association Executive Committee.

 

In 1947, Gene and Mike teamed up to capture the Denver City Doubles Championship. Gene served as Sectional Delegate on the USLTA, and was responsible for bringing the 1963 Davis Cup Tie to Cherry Hills Country Club. He also helped found the Colorado Youth Tennis Foundation.

 

Maurice was a Colorado State Junior champion and the team captain at the University of Notre Dame. At the Denver City Open, Maurice earned one singles title and five consecutive men’s doubles titles with three different partners.

Karen Sather

 

Karen was a standout at Pomona High School, and attended Southwest Baptist University where she was an All-American in 1981 and again in 1982, posting a 32-0 record.

 

She captured the doubles title at the USTA National Grass Court Championships in the 35s division, and also won titles in 35 singles and open mixed doubles at the USPTA National Championships.
Among her more than 75 tournament titles, Karen is the holder of 37 major Colorado titles from the Denver City Open, the Colorado State Open and the Intermountain Sectional – four in singles and 33 in doubles.

 

Karen was hired as the Director of Tennis at the Denver Country Club in 1984, and in 1999 became the its Athletic Director, responsible for the tennis, swim and fitness programs.

Anne Dyde

 

Anne dominated the Colorado tennis scene in the late 1950s and early 60s, winning the Colorado State Open singles title three times and the Denver City Open singles crown four times. In 1965, Anne held the state’s No. 1 ranking in both the Open and Senior divisions. Anne amassed five Intermountain Sectional Championships titles, 14 Colorado State Open titles and 17 Denver City Open titles in singles, doubles and mixed doubles. One of Colorado’s greatest doubles champions, Anne earned a No. 1 ranking in doubles and mixed doubles nine different times.

 

In 1980, Sportswomen of Colorado recognized Anne for her outstanding performance and dedication to tennis. This same dedication was noted in Sports Illustrated, which highlighted her record of playing 1,548 sets in a single calendar year, 1966.

Rosemary Fri

 

In 1963, Rosemary became the first women’s tennis coach at the University of Northern Colorado. During her tenure, the UNC women have had tremendous success. Her 1983 women’s squad was inducted into the UNC Athletic Hall of Fame. Rosemary has twice received the Wilson Coach of the Year Award, and was named Sportswomen of Colorado Coach of the Year in 1992. In 1994, she was a member of the first class to be inducted into the UNC Athletic Hall of Fame.

 

Rosemary has been instrumental in the growth of tennis in northern Colorado. In 1999, she received the Colorado Tennis Association Bud Robineau Award for her contributions to the community, and in 2001, she was honored with the Intermountain Section’s David Freed Award for her lifetime service to tennis.

Stephanie Hagan

 

An outstanding junior player in Florida, Stephanie held a top 10 U.S. women’s professional singles ranking six times, reaching as high as No. 5 in 1968. She represented America on the Wightman Cup Team, and became an original member of the Denver Racquets of the World Team Tennis league. In 1974, the Racquets captured Denver’s first world championship team title in any sport at the inaugural World Team Tennis Championship.

 

After moving to Colorado, Stephanie won 22 major state events, going undefeated in state competition for seven consecutive years from 1969-1975. From 1982-1987, Stephanie competed in the U.S. Open Championships 35-and-over division.

 

In 1992, Stephanie was inducted into the Sportswomen of Colorado Hall of Fame, and was inducted into the Florida Tennis Hall of Fame in 2001.

James Loehr

 

Born and raised in Denver, Jim is a pioneer in the field of sports psychology, holding a masters and a doctorate degree in counseling psychology from the University of Northern Colorado. He began his career in Colorado, focusing on the mental and psychological qualities of champions.

 

Today, Jim is recognized worldwide for his groundbreaking contributions to the field of performance psychology. He has worked with an array of Fortune 500 companies as well as hundreds of world-class athletes. Jim has authored numerous books and has appeared on CBS's 48 Hours and 60 Minutes, and numerous other networks and programs. His work has been chronicled in many publications, including Newsweek, Fortune and Time Magazine.

 

Jim's work has earned him an International Tennis Hall of Fame Educational Merit Award.

Dorothy Mauk

 

Believed to be the first woman in the nation to work full–time in the sports department of a major metropolitan daily newspaper, Dorothy was literally “drafted” for her pioneering position as sportswriter at the Denver Post.

Although nearly 40 different sports came under Dorothy’s purview, tennis received the most attention. She made her inaugural courtside appearance in 1965, and for 17 years she covered nearly every tournament in Colorado, including the annual United Bank Tennis Classic in the 1970s and early 80s, and the 1974 debut of Denver’s World Team Tennis franchise, the Racquets.

 

Dorothy served on the Colorado Youth Tennis Foundation board of trustees for numerous years. In 1971, the Colorado Tennis Association presented Dorothy with the inaugural Bud Robineau Award for her contributions to the tennis community.

M.H. "Bud" Robineau

 

In 1955, Bud hosted a cocktail party at the Denver Country Club. At the party, Colonel James H. Bishop, the President of the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association, urged the formation of a Colorado Tennis Association. It was organized on the spot, and Bud became the CTA’s first president.

 

Bud became a tremendous promoter of tennis in Colorado. At his urging, the dates of the Colorado State Open were changed in order to draw the country’s top players who were on their way west from the U.S. National Championships to the Pacific Southwest Championships. As a result, Colorado saw a huge influx of top-ranked players. In 1956, Lew Hoad (the reigning Australian, French and Wimbledon champion) competed in the State Open.

 

As a player, Bud competed primarily in doubles with Gardnar Mulloy. In addition to capturing several local doubles titles, he and Mulloy played together at the Wimbledon Championships.

Jake Warde

 

One of the finest junior players Colorado has ever produced, Jake was the first Coloradan to hold a national No. 1 ranking in any age division.

 

He was the top-ranked junior in singles in 1965, and again in 1966 in the boys’ 12s singles division. Jake also earned the top ranking three times in doubles in 1966 in the boys’ 12s, and again in 1967 and 1968 in the boys’ 14 division. In 1967, his national ranking reached No. 3 in boys’ 14 singles and in 1968 he held the No. 2 spot in that same division.

 

All told, Jake won a total of 10 USTA National Championship Titles. His numerous achievements inspired other Colorado junior players that they too could achieve success at the national level.

Joan Birkland

 

Blessed with incredible athletic ability, Joan excelled in tennis, golf, and basketball. Despite the lack of sporting opportunities available to women at that time, she went beyond what was expected of girls in sports during her day.

 

Joan holds the distinction of twice winning the state golf and tennis titles in the same year, 1962 and 1966. She captured 21 major Colorado and Intermountain tennis titles in all, six singles and 15 doubles crowns.

 

She has been inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame, the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame, and the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame.

 

Joan was a national leader in the advancement of girls and women in sport, and served as Executive Director of Sportswomen of Colorado for decades until her death.

Sherrie Farris

 

As a junior player, Sherrie was nationally ranked as high as No. 4 in singles. In Championship level competition, she was ranked as high as No. 3 while amassing an amazing 26 titles (9 singles, 17 doubles) in the Colorado State Open, Denver City Open and the Intermountain Sectional.

 

Sherrie began her teaching career in 1969 at the Denver Tennis Club, and since 1980 she has served as the Director of Tennis at Broomfield Swim & Tennis Club.

 

Sherrie was a Colorado Tennis Association board member from 1970 to 1978, and an Intermountain Tennis Association board member for a decade, serving as President in 1995-96. In 1982 she received the CTA's highest honor – the Bud Robineau Award. Sherrie was also presented with the David Freed Award, given by the ITA to recognize lifetime service to the sport of tennis.

E.L. (Elmer) Griffey

 

E.L. was responsible for bringing the Intermountain tournament to Colorado in 1922. He was the Tournament Director for the Denver City Open and Intermountain tournaments in Denver for over 20 years. For many years, E.L. assumed the responsibility for compiling the year-end Colorado player rankings, now the role of the Colorado Tennis Association.

 

More than anyone, E.L. contributed to the building of the Denver Tennis Club in 1928. The Club was literally a monument to E.L. who also served as its first president for 24 years. In those early days, the club was known as “Griffey’s Folly”.

 

In 1953, E.L. and three other DTC members combined to make up one of the nation’s oldest foursomes. Their combined ages totaled 306, and they played weekly. E.L. played tennis until two weeks before his death.

Tom Keach

 

Tom played his prep tennis at Pueblo Central High School and then played collegiately at Colorado State University. He began his career in education in 1952, and received his Masters in Education Administration from the University of Northern Colorado in 1959. Tom retired in 1983 after more than 30 years of dedicated service.

 

In 1961, Tom encouraged Pueblo’s Recreation Department to add tennis to its list of activities, and that summer he started the Pueblo School District's Summer Tennis Program. In seven summers, Tom introduced more than 500 kids to tennis.

 

In 1975, Tom spearheaded the building of a 17-court tennis facility at Pueblo’s City Park. The city tore down a pool and moved a softball field to build the courts. Today, the facility remains as  one of the top public park  tennis centers in Colorado, hosting the Colorado State High School Championships each year.

Jim Landin

 

Jim captured the Colorado high school No. 1 singles championship as a junior at Greeley High School. He played varsity tennis for three years at the University of Colorado, winning the Big Eight singles title.

 

The holder of 32 major Colorado titles – more than any other male in state history – Jim dominated the local tennis scene in the 1960s and early 70s, holding the No. 1 ranking in Colorado for six consecutive years.

 

Jim served six years on the Colorado Tennis Association Board of Directors, and was the tennis professional at Pinehurst Country Club from 1969-73. In 1979, he moved to Hilton Head, SC, where he taught at Sea Pines Racquet Club alongside Stan Smith. During his teaching career, he helped develop 10 nationally-ranked players.

Jeff Salzenstein

 

Jeff was the No. 1 ranked player in the nation in the Boys’ 12s division, and the No. 2 player in the country in the Boys’ 18s division.

 

He attended Stanford University where at the No. 1 spot he led his team to two NCAA Championship titles in 1995 and 1996. He was named the Senior Athlete of the Year at Stanford in 1996, and was a two-time NCAA All-American.

 

Jeff has achieved international success on the men’s professional tour and is among the top players in the world. In 1996, he won 23 matches in a row and quickly rose to No. 143 in the ATP world singles rankings. A year later, he ranked No. 69 in doubles and was among the top 10 Americans on the tour, earning “Rookie of the Year” honors from Tennis Week.

Kathleen Winegardner

Kathleen was the No. 63-ranked 18-year-old in the nation in 1982. A four–time Missouri high school state champion, she was featured in Sports Illustrated’s Faces in the Crowd.

 

At the University of Colorado, Kathleen was the Big Eight Champion at No. 1 singles in 1985, and in 1987 Kathleen was selected as the Big Eight Conference Sportsmanship Award recipient.

 

Kathleen’s dominance in Colorado championship play began in 1987, when she won the first of her 11 Colorado State Open titles, including a string of seven consecutive singles titles (1987–93). She added another singles title in 1995 to go along with her three doubles crowns. She also holds six Denver City Open titles, five coming in singles.

 

In 1990, Kathleen was inducted into the Sportswomen of Colorado Hall of Fame.

Carol Baily

 

At Arizona State University, Carol twice helped her team capture the national tennis championship. As a touring professional, she appeared in the U.S. and Australian Opens, and reached a personal high ranking of No. 51 in singles in 1980.


In Colorado, Carol captured 14 singles and 27 doubles titles in the state’s three major tournaments: the Colorado State and the Denver City Opens and the Intermountain Sectional Championship. Her 41 combined major state titles rank second all-time.

 

Carol has twice been ranked No. 1 in the world, in the women’s 40 singles and doubles in 1991 and women’s 45 singles and doubles in 1996. Representing the USA at the World Team Championships in the early and mid-1990s, Carol led the USA to three world titles – in 1993, 1995 and 1996.

John Benson

 

Colorado’s first four-time high school state champion, John won at the No. 3 singles title as a freshman then captured the No. 1 singles crown three straight years while at Cherry Creek High School. He was twice named to the U.S. Junior Davis Cup Team, and earned a No. 9 national ranking in boys’ 18s.


A three-time All-American at Trinity University, he then competed on the professional tour, attaining a world singles ranking in the low 200s and top-50 in doubles.


He and his brother David founded the Benson Junior Tennis Camps in 1984, and in 1998, John was named USTA Developmental Coach of the Year. In 1999, John was honored by the Colorado Youth Tennis Foundation for his contributions to junior tennis in our state.

Jack Cella

 

Jack was just the second Colorado player to be nationally ranked in the top 10, reaching No. 7 in the 15 and under singles division. From 1937 to 1939, Jack went undefeated and captured three consecutive Colorado high school state titles at the No. 1 singles position, the first player to accomplish that feat. Later, he became the first tennis player inducted into the Colorado High School Sports Hall of Fame.

 

Despite missing an entire decade of Colorado tournaments due to his professional status (he was a tennis professional at the Denver Country Club), Jack holds nine championship titles in the Denver City and Colorado State Opens.

 

Jack also won eight consecutive 45 and over singles titles in the Denver City Open tennis tournament in the 1960s and 70s.

Carter & Lena Elliott

Since 1957, Carter and Lena have been enriching the lives of people through tennis, and have worked to grow the game of tennis on Colorado’s Western Slope.

 

The Elliotts started the Western Slope Tennis Tournament in 1957 as a platform for bringing in competition for the local junior players. The tournament has grown to offer adult divisions, and now caters to more than 1,000 players each year.

 

The Elliotts have also dedicated their time and energy to Mesa State College, where they helped lead a fundraiser to increase the number of courts at the college from two to 10. The opening of the Elliott Tennis Center took place at a public ceremony on July 31, 1993, which was declared by the city of Grand Junction to be “Carter and Lena Elliott Day.”

Phyllis Lockwood

 

Phyllis was an all-around athlete, and a self-taught tennis player. In Colorado’s three major tournaments, the Colorado State Open, the Denver City Open, and the Intermountain Sectional, Phyllis amassed 21 singles titles and 43 doubles titles between 1936 and 1964. Phyllis achieved similar acclaim in track and field, softball, and was an All-American in basketball.

 

In 1977, she was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame for her all-around athletic prowess, and in 2000, Sports Illustrated named her as one of the 50 top Colorado Athletes of the Century, ranking her as the No. 2 woman.

 

Phyllis maintained that the primary characteristic of a winner is good sportsmanship. Since 1975, the Colorado Tennis Association has annually honored deserving girls with the Phyllis Lockwood Award for sportsmanship, leadership and achievement.

Sam & Sid Milstein

 

Brothers Sam and Sid were tennis pioneers, growing the game locally and advancing the sport around the world. Original members of Denver Tennis Club in 1928, both were strong tournament players, winning the Denver City Open doubles crowns in 1936 and 1948. They also ran the Denver City Open and Intermountain tennis tournaments from 1936 into the 1950s.

 

Ever the pioneering spirit, Sam was instrumental in the development of the yellow tennis ball and the high altitude tennis ball. They were the original owners of the Denver Tennis and Ski Shop (later known as the Aspen Leaf), and were responsible for building numerous Denver–area tennis courts.

 

In 1981, Sam and Sid received the Bud Robineau Award from the Colorado Tennis Association for their outstanding contribution to tennis.

Margaret Rogers Phipps

 

Margaret was one of Colorado’s greatest tennis benefactors. She helped make the Colorado State Open the state’s major tennis event by bringing in the world’s greatest players, including Don Budge, Gene Mako, and Jack Kramer. Margaret not only paid these top players to come to Colorado, she also paid for Denver’s top junior players to receive lessons.

 

Margaret and her husband, Colorado’s late U.S. Senator Lawrence Cowle Phipps, built the Phipps Estate between 1931 and 1933, including the Phipps Tennis Pavilion, which housed Colorado’s first indoor tennis court. The family court was a special place, and during extended rain delays, numerous tournament matches were played there.

 

Margaret didn’t become a dedicated player until age 40, but that didn’t stop her from winning the Colorado State Open women’s doubles championship three times.

Nominations/Selection Process

  • Any person or group may submit a name for consideration to the Colorado Tennis Hall of Fame. 
  • That name shall remain active for consideration indefinitely. 
  • All nominations must use the Hall of Fame Nominating Form.

 

Identification of Candidates
Candidates will be nominated at-large by written nomination form and elected on the basis of judgment gained from general public perception of the candidate and the accompanying informational questionnaire, plus any other written information provided by any interested person or group.

 

The candidate will be judged on:

  • Outstanding contributions to the sport of tennis in Colorado;
  • Tennis playing achievements within Colorado or by a Coloradan outside the state;
  • Achievements in tennis coaching (high schools, college, etc.), or professional instruction of tennis at private or public facilities, within Colorado or by a Coloradan outside the state;
  • Achievements in tennis administration, the umpiring and refereeing of tennis, the reporting and publicizing of tennis, the directing of tennis tournaments or inventive and technological advancements in tennis either within Colorado or by a Coloradan outside the state;
  • Contributions of service to organized tennis including, but not limited to, philanthropic and volunteer activities within Colorado or by a Coloradan outside the state; and
  • Considerations of tenure, maturity and residence; and
  • Considerations of sportsmanship and character will be factors.

Primary emphasis will be on tennis-related accomplishments and service within Colorado and by Coloradans outside the state. Evaluation will be based on local, state, sectional, national and international tennis accomplishments.

 

Colorado Tennis Hall of Fame Candidate List
The following candidates have received nominations for induction into the Colorado Tennis Hall of Fame. The list is comprised of players, administrators, coaches, innovators and other individuals who have contributed to the sport. This is a very prestigious honor in the Colorado tennis community. The Colorado Tennis Hall of Fame Committee welcomes public comment on this list of candidates, and also encourage nominations of those not on the current list for consideration in subsequent years. 

 

Bob Acsell

Frank Adams

Julie Anthony

John Aragon

Vasilisa Bardina

Ray Benton

Mark Bishop

C.D. Bodam

Chris Bowers

Charlie Brown

Ira Brown

Dorothy “DoDo” Bundy

Becky Callan

Kris Colglazier

Shannon Cross

Kathleen Cummings

Ken Curry

Wendy Donovan

J.R. Edwards

Kathy Elliott

Chris Evert

Bruce Foltz

Kim Gidley

Gail Godwin

Tag Grossman

Howard Head

Charles Henry

Steve Henson

Herzog Family

Jennifer Holmes

Chris Jenkins

Lee Kaley

Nicole Kenneally

Art Knott

Susan Knott

Laura Koury

Larry Loeb

Melvin McCurley

Chris Mease

Frank Moore

Barbara Mueller

Gardnar Mulloy

Martina Navratilova

Bill Oakes

Sheila Ohlsson

Jack Ormsbee

Barb Eaton Pederson

Jack Phelps

Jack Ponis

Kirk Price

David Ray

Dominic Rea

Homer Reed

Randy Ross

Diane Selke

Ed Skarwecki

Ron Smarr

Mike Sprengelmeyer

John Suter

Ted Swenson

Patti Urban

Thomas van Fleet

Ann Vento

Mark Vines

Sharon Walsh

Dennis Winders

Al Young

Ann Young

Andy Zurcher

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