Class of 2021 Hall of Fame and Annual Conference Announcement

USTA Missouri Valley is excited to announce plans for our 2021 Annual Conference and our Hall of Fame Class of 2021.

Our 2021 Annual Conference is back in person and will take place at the Olathe Conference Center. During the Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Celebration on Saturday, December 4, we will have the honor of inducting three new members to the USTA Missouri Valley Hall of Fame: Scott Hanover of Kansas City, Mo., the late Al Penelton of East St. Louis, Ill. and Tara Snyder of Truckee, Calif. (formerly of Wichita, Kansas).

Hanover’s accolades as a tournament director and his impact on tennis around USTA MIssouri Valley are immeasurable. He currently serves as the Executive Director of the Stephanie Waterman Foundation in Kansas City. The foundation provides under-resourced inner-city youth free tennis programming, life skills and enrichment programs. Additionally, Hanover serves as  the Vice Chair of the USTA National Competition Pathway, where he oversees six committees. 

In 2018, Hanover ran a record 44 USTA sanctioned tournaments - but his dedication to tennis began as a young adult in Iowa. While a student at Grand View College in Des Moines, Hanover began his years of service in tennis, beginning with USTA Iowa in the mid-1980s. He was also the youngest person to become the USTA Missouri Valley Executive Committee President.

Hanover helped found the USTA Heart of America Hall of Fame in 1999 and lends his talents at the mic as the emcee of the USTA Missouri Valley Hall of Fame ceremony. 

Penelton was an athlete growing up and played several sports at Vashon High School in St. Louis. He picked up tennis as a way to stay in shape as he got older. It wasn’t until 1978 that he became an official. As a service line umpire, he is considered one of the finest ever to do it. 

His gifts as an official are the reason he was also inducted into the Black Tennis Hall of Fame in 2021. The first pro tournament he worked was in 1978 - the WCT Classic at the Checkerdome. Just four years later, he worked his first of what would be 37 consecutive US Opens. He has also been an official at the three other Grand Slams multiple times, as well as the Olympics and numerous Fed Cup events. 

In 1996, he was honored with the highest award given to USTA umpires - the John T. McGovern Award -  which is voted upon by fellow umpires. 

Tara Snyder grew up in Wichita and was coached as a child by her father, Darrel. Tennis was a natural fit for Snyder, whose father owns Mid-American Courtworks,  a tennis court resurfacing company in the area. Snyder quickly rose up the ranks as a junior, becoming USTA Missouri Valley’s No. 1 player and climbing as high as No. 3 nationally. She won the U.S. Open Junior Singles title in 1995. 

A career in professional tennis came calling soon after, where she captured a silver medal in the Pan American games in 1999. Career highlights also include victories against Maria Sharapova, Marion Bartoli and Martina Hingis. Snyder also spent a significant part of her career playing World TeamTennis (WTT), including stints with the St. Louis Aces, Wichita Advantage, Springfield Lasers, Kansas City Explorers and Texas Wild. 

It is through World TeamTennis she met her husband, former No. 40 ranked doubles player Brent Haygarth. 

You are invited to attend the Hall of Fame induction and Awards Celebration to honor the classes of 2021 and 2020.

Register now