Join Us in Congratulating These USTA Heart of America Award Winners
USTA Heart of America is the sum of its incredible parts: the players, both junior and adult, who go above and beyond on and off the court; the coaches who give their all to help their players achieve their dreams; the organizations that help foster interest and growth in the sport of tennis; and the facilities that host our leagues, tournaments, and other events each year.
Without these players, coaches, organizations, and facilities, tennis in our district wouldn’t be what it is today–a thriving, exciting, accessible, and rapidly growing part of the USTA Missouri Valley section (and, of course, the USTA as a whole). That’s why, each year, we encourage our members to nominate those in our district who elevate the game at a local level for the annual USTA Heart of America Awards. For a list of 2022 awards criteria, please click here.
The following individuals, as well as those representing award-winning facilities and organizations, will be honored at the USTA Heart of America Annual Awards Dinner on November 9 at Indian Hills Country Club in Mission Hills, KS.
2022 USTA Heart of America Award Winners
Stephanie Waterman Junior Sportsmanship - Female
Bryson Langford
Junior Player of the Year - Female
Audrey Spencer
Junior Player of the Year - Male
Cooper Woestendick
Emerging Jr Player of the Year – Female
Ella Wang
Emerging Jr Player of the Year - Male
Rishi Goli
Junior Sportsmanship Awards
Remi Jennings - Girls 10
Kynsey Smith – Girls 12
Neema Kimaku – Girls 14
Shelby Smith – Girls 16
Lera Alexin – Girls 18
Wyatt Markham – Boys 12
Micah Ward – Boys 14
Arjun Reiland – Boys 16
Christopher Smith Jr. – Boys 18
Adult Player of the Year - Female
Denise Chiao
Adult Player of the Year - Male
Grant Huddin
Adult Player - 4.0 & Below - Female
Jill Burgdorfer
Adult Player - 4.0 & Below - Male
Duane Strader
Shawna Froeschl Adult Sportsmanship - Male
Charles Wohlers
Shawna Froeschl Adult Sportsmanship - Female
Maria Andrew
Outstanding Contributor to USTA League Tennis
Connie Bennett
High School Coach
R. Scott Hanover
Outstanding Contributor to USTA Tennis Youth Programs
Christopher Claypool
Outstanding Contributor to Youth High Performance Program
Jared Ward
Outstanding Contributor to Junior Team Tennis
Kyle Aaron
Outstanding Official
Marvin Stringfellow
Family of the Year
The Marrs Family
Outstanding Diversity Achievement
Dr. Melissa Burns
Community Service Excellence
Katie Bolton Green
Volunteer of the Year
Chinmoy Dev
Facility of the Year
Overland Park Racquet Club
Member Organization
Genesis - KC
Outstanding Community Tennis Association
Stephanie Waterman Foundation
Outstanding Junior Tournament
L5 Jayhawk
Outstanding Adult/Senior Tournament
Husband & Wife
Event of the Year
Lob & Learn Pro-Am Event
Distinguished Service to USTA Heart of America
Deborah Fabrizius
From all of us at USTA Heart of America, CONGRATULATIONS! Thank you for representing our district with great sportsmanship, coaching, community service, and for facilitating our many leagues and tournaments.
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