USTA Southern Announces 2017 Annual Tennis Awards
HONOREES WILL RECEIVE AWARDS IN JANUARY
ATLANTA – December 1, 2017 – USTA Southern announced today the recipients of its 2017 awards, given for outstanding achievements in tennis both on and off the court. Twenty-seven winners will be recognized during the USTA Southern Annual Meeting at the Atlanta Marriott Buckhead Hotel and Conference Center, scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 20, 2018.
Two of the most notable awards will be presented volunteers from Alabama and Kentucky.
- The Jacobs Bowl will be awarded to Eleanora Mauritson; Fairhope, Ala.; USTA Awards Committee Chair and former USTA Southern Board of Directors member
- The Charlie B. Morris Jr. Service Award will go to Jane Gamble; Paducah, Ky.; USTA Community Tennis Association Committee member and former USTA Southern Board of Directors member
Three cities have two award winners each. Wilmington, N.C., will be represented by Marilyn Sherman Spirit Award winner Lenny Simpson and Mark Kaplan Media Excellence Award winner Owen Hassell. Chattanooga, Tenn., will be represented with the Jim Russell Junior Tournament of the Year for the TN State Jr. Qualifying Championships 16U-18U, and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga for the Tennis On Campus Club of the Year. Raleigh, N.C., is the home of the two top juniors – Patrick Kypson and Abi Forbes – who will be honored with the DeWitt Redgrave III Junior Achievement Award.
Two recipients previously won their awards. They are:
- NJTL Chapter of the Year: MACH Academy, Inc.; Martinez, Ga.; 2002, 2006 and 2008
- Gerrie Rothwell Award (for outstanding service and dedication to the USTA League program):
Cookie Guarini; Greensboro, N.C.; 2012
Selected winners were nominated as candidates by USTA staff and volunteers in the section’s nine states: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. The winners were then selected from among the nominees by volunteer members of the USTA Southern Awards Committee and numerous other committees.
The President’s and the Ozaki/Hastings Junior Sportsmanship award winners will be announced later.
Here are our 2017 USTA Southern award winners:
- Adult Tournament of the Year: Crawfish Cup; Baton Rouge, La.
- Charlie B. Morris Jr. Service Award: Jane Gamble; Paducah, Ky.
- Community Tennis Association of the Year: Charlotte Tennis Association; Charlotte, N.C.
- DeWitt Redgrave III Junior Achievement Award:
Patrick Kypson; Raleigh, NC
Abi Forbes, Raleigh, NC
- Educational Merit Award: Tammy Van Cleef; Mooresville, N.C.
- Gerrie Rothwell Award (for outstanding service and dedication to the USTA League program):
Cookie Guarini; Greensboro, N.C.
- Jacobs Bowl: Eleanora Mauritson; Fairhope, Ala.
- Jim Russell Junior Tournament of the Year: TN State Jr. Qualifying Championships 16U-18U; Chattanooga, Tenn.
- Junior Team Tennis Coordinator of the Year: Michele Lee; Lake Norman, N.C.
- Local League Coordinator of the Year: Tanya Capeling; Brentwood, Tenn.
- Mac MacDougal Tennis Official of the Year: Carla Bragenberg; Memphis, Tenn.
- Marc Kaplan Media Excellence Award: Owen Hassell; Wilmington, N.C.
- Marilyn Sherman Spirit Award: Lenny Simpson; Wilmington, N.C.
- Member Organization of the Year: Tuscaloosa Tennis Association; Tuscaloosa, Ala.
- Mickey McNulty Family of the Year: The Andrew & Cindy Giannelli Family; Moncks Corner, S.C.
- NJTL Chapter of the Year: MACH Academy, Inc.; Martinez, Ga.
- No-Cut Coach Starfish Award: John Herring; Lexington, Ky.
- Slew Hester Female and Male Players of the Year:
Wendy McColskey; Durham, N.C.
Maxime Buyckx; Marietta, Ga.
- Southern Tennis Professional of the Year: Lamar Scott; Atlanta
- Special Tennis Event of the Year: Paws at the Net, Benefiting CARE for Animals; Little Rock, Ark.
- Team Tennis Event of the Year: ServeAces! Bar League; Cornelius, N.C.
- Tennis on Campus Club of the Year: University of Tennessee at Chattanooga; Chattanooga, Tenn.
- Tennis on Campus Leader of the Year: Luke Mixon, Clemson University; Clemson, S.C.
- Wheelchair Excellence Award: Meg Peavy; Louisville, Ky.