USTA Missouri Valley Connections to National Public Parks Tennis Championships

Dating back to the first championship hosted at Dwight Davis Tennis Center, USTA Missouri Valley sites have hosted an incredible 19 championships. This year was St. Louis’ tenth time hosting the event, while Springfield, Mo. has hosted five times, Kansas City has hosted three and St. Joseph, Mo. has held one championship. 

USTA Missouri Valley's involvement hasn’t been all hosting, either. USTA Missouri Valley players have made a strong name for themselves over the years. In the 100 year history of the tournament, USTA Missouri Valley players have won an astounding 226 titles, including 20 in 2023. These titles include 115 Men’s, 66 Women’s, 29 Mixed, 9 Parent-Child, 4 Boys and 3 Girls titles.

Plenty of notable USTA Missouri Valley names fall among those champions, as well. A name many St. Louis residents know very well, Ted Drewes won the first of his four titles in the second running of the tournament in 1924. Virginia Baer Dueker, another St. Louis resident was the first woman to ever claim a title at the tournament in 1930. In total, 19 current USTA Missouri Valley Hall of Fame members have won titles across all divisions.

USTA Missouri Valley residents have also been actively involved with the championships off the courts. There are currently three residents serving on the National Public Parks Tennis Association Board of Directors: President Scott Hanover of Kansas City, Mo., Treasurer Sue Oertel of Mason City, Ia. and Board Member Myra Rowen of St. Louis, Mo. These volunteers all dedicate their time to help promote tennis in public parks. 

Three other USTA Missouri Valley players have been recognized for their lifetime commitment to public parks. Each year, the National Public Parks Tennis Association awards the Jean and Hollis Smith Lifetime Achievement Award to a recipient who is an outstanding advocate of parks programming. Gerry Perry of Springfield, Mo., Jodie Adams, formerly of Springfield and Scott Hanover have all received this award for their service.

USTA Missouri Valley has been honored to have had such a big impact on the first 100 years of this tournament. We can’t wait to see what the next 100 years will bring! To view photos from the 2023 event, please click here.