Vernon John, Class of 2009

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.