Carter & Lena Elliott, Class of 2000

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.”