Current Nominations

As nominations come in, they will be listed on this page. After reading each nomination, you will then be able to submit your selection from the vote button.

2025 Award Categories and Nominees

Girls Sportsmanship 10U:

Boys Sportsmanship 10U:

Girls Sportsmanship 12U:

Payton Fleming, Robins, IA— Payton is an outstanding 10 year old tennis player who competes in the 12U division. She has proven to be an excellent student of the game and she not only works very hard in practice but she displays an exceptional amount of mental toughness! I wish to nominate Payton for the Sportsmanship Award for Girls 12U as she never gets angry while playing. Payton just takes it as it comes and maintains a very even keel while competing at a high level with girls 2 years older than her. Payton also is very complimentary and kind towards her opponents, win or lose. Please consider Payton for this sportsmanship award! Thank you, Spencer Eells

Boys Sportsmanship 12U:

Jacob Tobey, Muscatine, IA— Jacob has been taking tennis lessons since he was 7 years old. He is 12 years now and has grown so much in both his tennis game and in his off-court game, in terms of his character. This year I noticed that his sportsmanship and positive attitude towards others, has begun to really shine through. He competed in our L7 Jr. Tournament as well as Great River Tennis Association's first Junior Team Tennis Program this year. I was and am so proud of how he has carried himself this year while playing tennis for our JTT and at the tournament. He always gave his best and didn't dwell on the missed shots. His tennis game has improved immensely in just a year. The best part though is that in his earlier years, he would get frustrated easily while on the court, however as he's getting older, I see him figuring out that controlling his emotions and focusing on having fun while playing, has helped him really embrace the pressure and to have fun doing it.
Jacob is growing into a wonderful young man who shows his opponents respect, who now plays with a calm confidence for the fun of it! Thank you for your consideration of the Boys 12U Sportsmanship award for Jacob Tobey.

Girls Sportsmanship 14U:

Boys Sportsmanship 14U:

Kipton Coy, Johnston, IA—has been playing tennis for 5 years. He is playing level 7 and 6 USTA tournaments. He has also helped out with Wheelchair tennis as a volunteer to hit with some of the tournament players. He is very passionate about tennis, but also one of the kindest boys I know. Kipton when talking about matches always compliments his opponents no matter what the score was.

Girls Sportsmanship 16U:

Kaylee Cochran, Muscatine, IA— Kaylee started taking tennis lessons when she was around 12 years old. She is 15 years now. Kaylee found her passion for tennis this year! She joined the Muscatine High School Girls Tennis team her freshman year and realized that she wanted to improve for her sophomore year. Kaylee worked very hard this past summer with hopes of playing varsity. Kaylee participated vigorously in our Great River Tennis Association's first ever Junior Team Tennis Program. She attended the JTT practices, played on her own time with her parents nearly every night possible, and also played at our Tuesday Night Tennis (TNT) League. She dedicated this summer to her tennis game, as well as working on the mental part of it. In her JTT meets and at TNT, she consistently was gracious and fair with her line calling and saying "nice shot" when her opponents hit one. Her sophomore season has started this late Summer/Fall and is playing #6-7 varsity! Her hard work is paying off, and it's because of her persistent practicing, competing, and confidence building thru fair play, respectful play, and fun play!
I am very proud of how far Kaylee has come in just a few months. Her tennis skill and character in sportsmanship are "off the charts" in my opinion and I believe it's because she has truly found tennis to be a passion of hers. She is a student of the sport who continues to improve on and off the court!
Thank you for your consideration of awarding Kaylee Cochran the Girls 16U Sportsmanship award.

Boys Sportsmanship 16U:

Ethan Wang, Ames, IA—Ethan is a freshman on the Ames high school team. I have been working with him since he was 10 years old. He has been competing for Iowa in several USTA events and he shows sportsmanship every time he competes.

Leo Welden, Cedar Rapids, IA— Leo has demonstrated great sportsmanship on the court day in and day out, between his hardworking attitude, willingness to uphold fair play, and most importantly his ability to maintain a cool and level head even when faced with challenging situations on court.

Girls Sportsmanship 18U:

Maddie Rowan, Clinton, IA— Maddie is one of the most positive people you will ever meet. She is filled with joy even when the going is tough. She has beautiful technique when hitting her shots. She is a great verbal communicator for all on the team.

Micayla Edkin, Muscatine, IA— Micayla started taking tennis lessons around 13 years old. She is 17 years now. Mickie is an awesome young lady who is very polite, gracious, and astute in the game of tennis! She is the tennis student a coach dreams of; she listens, she soaks in the knowledge and skillfully puts her new knowledge into practice. She has shown so much improvement, especially in her tennis serve. Her easy-going attitude suits her well and keeps her grounded in tight matches. Her line calls are fair, and if too close to call, her opponent gets the benefit of the doubt! I've never seen her get upset about a "bad" call or missed shot. She continues to play each point, one at a time, which is playing in the moment. Mickie played a lot of tennis this summer, including our Junior Team Tennis Program, Team practices, and private lessons, in preparation of her high school tennis team season. Each time she competed, she exhibited great character, fair play, and a love for the game by having fun! I saw Mickie's tennis game improve every time she picked up the racket and it has shined through at #2-4 on the varsity team!
Thanks for considering Mickie for the Girls 18U Sportsmanship award.

Boys Sportsmanship 18U:

Bobby Evers, Clinton, IA— Bobby is not only an outstanding tennis, player, but he is a 3.8 student in class. He has beautiful technique. He plays #1 on his team and sets a flawless example of sportsmanship for the rest of the players. He loves to volunteer. He has 160 plus volunteer hours.

Liam Miller, Des Moines, IA— Liam plays high school tennis and USTA tournaments. He is the most well behaved young man I have seen in 20 years. He is fair on court and gracious after his matches weather he wins or not. If the ball is close, he calls it in. Liam never argues or debates with his opponent or with their calls. He just keeps playing with a smile on his face. HIs genuine self-respect transfers to his respect for his opponents and his doubles partners. He has encouraging words and attitudes with his partners -it's always about the team. He is a top player on his team and takes time to help the lower varsity boys - he cares, he is kind and sincere.

Adult Player of the Year:

Nathan Williams, Cedar Rapids, IA— Nathan competes as the #1 single on his 4.0 team, playing out of Waterloo. He also proudly represents Iowa as a talented athlete competing in national tournaments for players challenged with disabilities. In the past year, Nathan won championships in the Xperience Tennis Invitational in Charlottesville, Virginia, and in the Heartland Challenge Tournament in Lincoln, Nebraska. He and his doubles partner won the Missouri Valley Adaptive Tournament in Edmond, Oklahoma, qualifying them for the National Adaptive Tournament in October in Orlando. Nathan was thrilled to be selected as one of eight players to compete in the singles competition at this upcoming event, as well.

Nathan has been named as "Special Olympics Athlete of the Game" for the September 13 UNI football game. He is looking forward to representing Iowa in the 2026 USA Games in Minneapolis.

Previously, Nathan took home the gold medal for the 2022 USA Games in Orlando, defeating the 2018 gold medal winner. Pairing up with his mother, Teresa, Nathan won their division of the Adaptive Tournament in 2023. Nathan placed second in the top division by one game in doubles competition at the 2024 Adaptive Tournament, and was a 2023 finalist in the Xperience Tournament and the champion in 2024.

Nathan shares his love for tennis and is a wonderful promoter of the sport when he participates in Cedar Rapids Parks and Recreation Special Olympics events, exhibiting to others with disabilities that with practice and determination, they too can excel. I have to smile when he tells me he enjoys carrying his tennis bag through airports because it always results in conversations with other enthusiasts. One of my favorite pictures is when he was so pleased to be meeting Tiafoe. Nathan was thrilled to attend a few days of the Cincinnati Open just last week.

While I'm impressed by Nathan's growing list of tennis accomplishments, I'm most impressed by his sportsmanship – both on and off the court. He visited me in Atlanta, and I watched with pride during his warm-ups, cross-overs, and post-game. What a kind, unassuming, gracious player he is! I was beyond proud to point him out to spectators as my nephew.

As a former USTA and ALTA competitor, I am impressed by Nathan's talent. I played against Nathan about 10 years ago and vowed ... never again. I learned that watching Nathan play is a lot more fun than playing against him!

Thank you for considering Nathan Williams to proudly represent USTA as your Adult Player of the Year.

Junior High Performance Male Player of the Year:

Junior High Performance Female Player of the Year:

Sescie Haan, Clinton, IA— Sescie is the nicest person you will ever be beaten by. She is a dedicated player with flawless sportsmanship. She lead her team to a MAC conference championship. She has been on a team that finished in the top 8 three of her four high school years leading her team. She was MAC champion at #1 singles for Clinton High School. Sescie Haan was state runner up this year! Her grades are fantastic, and she will attend Iowa next year in engineering. She donates time to church and to other organizations.

Emerging Junior Male Player of the Year:

Isaac Lors, Norwalk, IA— has played park and rec in Norwalk for years in the summer. In the evenings he is dedicated to playing under the lights for hours with teammates or family. He went from being number 9 on the Norwalk High School team in singles as a freshman to 1 or 2 as a sophomore. He is committed to the sport and it shows through the amount of hours he spends on the court. This summer he helped with Norwalk Park and Rec coaching 3-12 yr olds tennis and then would stay to hit with middle school and high school players daily.

Oliver Fuller, Clinton, IA— Oliver is a compassionate and dedicated tennis players. He is well rounded player. He is a strong base line hitter. He uses the strategy of hitting deep loopers to push someone into the fence line and then attack the short ball he receives. He is great at attacking short balls and heading to the net to finish a point. Oliver has a great and consistent top spin serve. In a tournament in a tight match he has great concentration and consistency as shown by him hitting a 123 shots in a row to win the point against his opponent.

Emerging Junior Female Player of the Year:

Micayla Edkin, Muscatine, IA— Micayla started taking tennis lessons around 13 years old. She is 17 years now. Mickie is an awesome young lady who is very polite, gracious, and astute in the game of tennis! She is the tennis student a coach dreams of; she listens, she soaks in the knowledge and skillfully puts her new knowledge into practice. She has shown so much improvement, especially in her tennis serve. Her easy-going attitude suits her well and keeps her grounded in tight matches. Her line calls are fair, and if too close to call, her opponent gets the benefit of the doubt! I've never seen her get upset about a "bad" call or missed shot. She continues to play each point, one at a time, which is playing in the moment. Mickie played a lot of tennis this summer, including our Junior Team Tennis Program, Team practices, and private lessons, in preparation of her high school tennis team season. Each time she competed, she exhibited great character, fair play, and a love for the game by having fun! I saw Mickie's tennis game improve every time she picked up the racket and it has shined through at #2-4 on the varsity team! Thanks for considering awarding the Emerging Junior Female Player of the Year award to Mickie.

Tennis Family of the Year:

The Schulte Family, Cedar Rapids, IA— I am honored to nominate the Schulte Family for the prestigious USTA Iowa Tennis Family of the Year Award. The Schultes have been an integral part of the Iowa/Cedar Rapids tennis community, and their dedication, sportsmanship, and passion for the sport have not only made a significant impact on the tennis communtiy but also on the broader tennis landscape.
Background:
The Schulte family consists of parents Jim and Jennifer, along with their children, Anthony, Autumm, and Dylan. For the past 11 years, the Schultes have been committed to the growth of tennis in their local area, with each family member playing a key role in both competitive and recreational events. Their involvement extends far beyond the court, as they also support various charitable initiatives and community-building efforts within the sport.
Why They Deserve to Win:
1. Family Involvement and Achievement:
What sets the Schultes apart is their collective involvement in tennis. All three children have competed in USTA tournaments and High School Tennis, with Anthony winner the 2025 State High School Championships in Iowa City. Dylan placed 2nd in the 2025 state singles championship. Despite their individual accomplishments, the Shultes consistently support and encourage one another at every match, epitomizing the spirit of teamwork.
2. Community Engagement:
Beyond their personal success, the Schulte family has contributed immensely to our tennis community. They are also supportive of local charity events that raise funds for tennis programs.
3. Positive Role Models:
The Schultes are a model of sportsmanship and dedication. They have fostered an environment of respect, integrity, and inclusion both on and off the court. Their enthusiasm for tennis is contagious, inspiring others to take up the sport and become part of this wonderful community.
In conclusion, the Schulte Family embodies everything the IOWA USTA Tennis Family of the Year Award stands for. They inspire us all with their relentless dedication, family spirit, and contributions to both the sport and community. Their legacy in the tennis world is undeniable, and they are truly deserving of this honor.
Thank you for your time and consideration of this nomination.

BJ and Heather Fleming Family, Robins, IA—Here is their tennis resume:
Gabi Fleming – DOB: 12/18/08
• Back-to-back State 1A Singles Champion as a freshman & sophomore (without dropping a set and only dropping 1 game in the 2025 tournament)
• Lead the Xavier Girls Tennis Team to Team State Runner-up in 2024 and clinched the Team State Championship in 2025 with a win at #1 doubles with teammate Tia Halabi.
• 2025 Baird Iowa Open Triple Crown Winner
o Women’s Open Singles Champion defeating mother Heather Fleming in 3 sets in the finals
o Women’s Open Doubles Champion with partner Heather Fleming
o Mixed Open Doubles Champion with partner Dylan Schulte defeating mother Heather Fleming and father BJ Fleming in the finals
• Earned academic honor roll recognition all 4 semesters so far in high school and was also inducted into the National Honor Society
• Des Moines Register Athlete of the week- 5/31/24 Gabriella Fleming, Jack Briggs are the Register's Athletes of the Week
• 2025 Iowa High School Sports Awards Girls Tennis Player of the Year
• 2025 Mississippi Valley Conference Awards
o Girls Tennis Athlete of the Year
o First Team All Conference
o First Team All Metro
Mack Fleming – DOB: 6/10/14
• Ranked 11th Nationally for the class of 2033 Player Overview - Mack Fleming
• December 2024—L5 in Florida—placed second in Boys 12s singles (at the age of 10)
• Winter 2025—L5 in Rochester, MN—placed second in Boys 12s singles (at the age of 10) & first in Boys 12s doubles
• Summer 2025—L4 in Niles, Michigan—placed 2nd in Boys 12s doubles
• Winter 2025—Coe College Midnight Madness Doubles Event—went undefeated with partner and father BJ Fleming (including wins over a team comprised of 1A Boys State Singles Champion Charlie Legrand and Tennis Teaching Professional Jeremy Ellerby)
• Fall 2025—Coe College Singles Event—went 3-1 with wins over 2 players from the Coe Women’s Tennis Team and a straight set win over 2-time 1A Girls State Runner-up, Kate Holton
• Sportsmanship Award Winner at L4 in Niles Michigan (July 2025)
• 2025 Mississippi Valley Open Boys 16s singles champion (at the age of 11)
Payton Fleming – DOB: 6/10/14
• Ranked 38th Nationally for the class of 2033 Player Overview - Payton Fleming
• Went 2-1 in the 2025 Elmcrest Country Club 4th of July Tournament (with wins over Xavier Girls Tennis Players Kelsey Weiss and Gemma Younadham) (at the age of 11)
• Doubles Champion in Hawkeye Tennis Center WTN event with partner and mother Heather Fleming (including a win over Coe Women’s Tennis Players Sophia Fain and Alice Tysoe) (at the age of 10)
• Runner up in Girls 16s Doubles at the 2025 Mississippi Valley Open at the age of 11 (with partner Kelsey Weiss)
• Reached the semifinals of the Girls 14s singles at the 2025 Mississippi Valley Open
• Runner up in 2024 Baird Iowa Open Girls 14s Singles (at the age of 10)
• Volunteered her time to play practice matches against various Xavier Highschool Girls Tennis Team players while parents BJ & Heather helped the Xavier players with singles and doubles strategy
• An avid artist, donated a painting she created with a tennis court and the Statue of Liberty holding a tennis racket for the Elmcrest Tennis Pro-Am event silent auction, raising $200 for JDRF. Also volunteered to sell raffle tickets at the same event.
BJ & Heather Fleming
• 4-time National Husband-Wife Open Champions with highest national ranking of #1
• Placed 3rd 4 times at the National Husband-Wife Open Championships
• Placed 2nd 4 times at the National Husband-Wife Open Championships (most recently in June of 2025)
• Met at UNI where we both played collegiate tennis
• Volunteered many hours in the months leading up to the 2025 Girls Tennis Highschool Season and during the season, spending time on the court with the players focusing on strategy, primarily doubles strategy as well as mental toughness strategies.
• BJ has captained USTA 9.0 18+ and 40+ mixed doubles teams for 15+ years, with teams placing as high as 6th at Nationals in 2024 (with teammates Lisha Coffey, Ryan Murphy, Tiffany Williams, Phil Williams, Theis Kolln and Allie Motoyama) and 2nd in 2019 (1st in mid-2000s under Captain Susan Stamats)
• Compete each year in the Elmcrest Tennis ProAm event to raise money for JDRF
• Heather is 8-time Adult Women’s Open singles champion of the Baird Iowa Open (competing in the tournament all but 2 or 3 years since the age of 9)
• 2025 Baird Iowa Open
o BJ & partner Anthony Schulte runner-up in Men’s Open Doubles (won the 2024 Midlands Men’s Open doubles)
o Heather- 2025 Women’s Open Singles runner-up, beating MacKenzie Sagers in the semis before losing in the finals in 3 sets to daughter Gabi Fleming
o Women’s Open Doubles Champion with daughter Gabi Fleming
o BJ & Heather Mixed Open Doubles Runner up, losing to daughter Gabi Fleming and partner Dylan Schulte in the finals

Facility of the Year:

Waukee Northwest High School, Waukee, IA—Waukee NW tennis courts host the boys team state tournament. In the summer of 2025 Waukee NW also hosted the National Senior Games tennis competitions with players from all over the country. All of the players participating in the NSG commented on how much they loved the facility.

Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Center, Iowa City, IA— The HTRC facility does a great job with juniors programs, from red ball on up; they also have a fantastic amount of adult programming as well. Their staff is dedicated, run programs smoothly, and ensure a fantastic experience for all.

Member Organization of the Year:

Outstanding Community Tennis Association:

Great River Tennis Association, Bob Weis, President, Muscatine, IA— GRTA of Muscatine has been working hard this past year. Two main projects that GRTA is working on are: 1. providing assistance, guidance, and expertise in the removal and new construction of 8 High School Tennis courts and 2. Our GRTA president, Bob Weis, along with his steering committee has been diligently working with local stakeholders, community members, and a company called CSL for a feasibility study on if indoor tennis courts could be viable in Muscatine. We've worked closely with USTA's Tennis Venue Services, John Terpkosh, on the High School project, being the first Iowa CTA to utilize the USTA grant funds for this project. The courts are being built as I'm writing this! We hope to do the same for our Muscatine Indoor Tennis Facility as we learn more about the viability of this project.
Other great things that our GRTA has done and continue to do are:
1. Hosted a May Tennis Event to engage the Muscatine community to come out and play (we had 52 participants and it generated tennis lessons and the excitement to play the game).
2. Organized our first JTT (Junior Team Tennis) this June. We had 9 players consisting of two teams. The kids were led in 2, 1.5 hour long practices a week and had a JTT meet on Fridays. This JTT season was 4 weeks long. The feedback from the parents and kids was positive and we're planning on doing it again from here on out.
3. We continued the tradition of providing tennis play opportunities for adult play on Tuesday nights, coined TNT (Tuesday Night Tennis). We had anywhere from 4-16 people participate each Tuesday night from May 27th-August 19th.
4. GRTA also put on an Adult Red Ball program for 6 weeks in June/July, which was a big success! We had 6 adult participants and they had a blast, and so did I teaching it! They wanted more, so we plan on doing this program throughout the summer season next year.
5. Finally, I had a total of 28 students, mostly juniors, but some adults as well, taking lessons this summer. GRTA, once again, paid half of the junior's group lesson fees, which is a great help to those needing a little financial assistance.

Thank you for your consideration to grant the Great River Tennis Association the Outstanding Community Tennis Association award this year.

Outstanding Contributor to Youth Tennis Programs:

Faith Bliss, Urbandale, IA—Faith is a fixture of the Iowa youth tennis scene. More than anybody I know in Iowa youth tennis today, she is promoting the best values of the sport: Fair play, full effort, good sportsmanship, and fun. She is the force behind the Lifetime youth program, she is a huge promoter of tennis in her hometown of Ottumwa, and she is extremely well-liked by kids and parents. Iowa tennis is very fortunate to have her promoting and teaching the game.

Outstanding Contributor to Youth High Performance Program:

USTA Junior Team Tennis Organizer:

Outstanding Contributor to the USTA League Tennis Program:

Christine Amelon, Laura Wolf, Laura Anderson, Iowa City, IA— Christine, Laura, and Laura are our women's 4.0 40+ and 4.0 18+ teams. They have also been our captains for women's 4.5 teams when able. I'm not sure how many years they have been captains, but it has to be over 20 years my guess. I know Christine has served on the USTA Iowa Executive Board and is on the USTA League's committee. She is active in all thing's tennis in Iowa City. Each of these ladies has devoted many, many hours scheduling matchups, figuring out the logistics of making sure the team gets to where we need to be at the right time and in the right place. Our 40+ team competed in Districts play and then on to Sectionals this year! Keeping us all organized and on time and in the right place, with the right equipment, has been crucial to our team success and FUN level! Without these ladies leading the way for us and keeping us on track, we would not be the tight knit team we are today! Each of them has done a wonderful job recruiting new players looking for a place to play. They have invited new players and added others who used to play and are playing again! We are so thankful for them, their time, their dedication, and their awesome take on this great game we call Tennis! They always encourage us to play fair, call the lines as you see them, and most importantly have Fun!
Thanks for your consideration in awarding Christine, Laua, and Laura the Outstanding Contributor to the USTA League Tennis Program.

Outstanding Adult/Senior Tennis Tournament:

Outstanding Junior Tennis Tournament:

Outstanding Official:

High School Coach of the Year:

Jeff Hightshoe, Iowa City, IA— It is with great enthusiasm that I nominate Coach Hightshoe for the Coach of the Year award. Coach Hightshoe has exemplified excellence in coaching, mentoring, and leadership, and has had an extraordinary impact on both the performance and character development of the Iowa City and City High tennis team.
In the five seasons, Coach Hightshoe led the team to a 17 - 17 record and in 2025 he had William Feagler place 5th at the Iowa High School Championships and in 2024 and 2025 Ahbay Anil qualified for the High School State Championships. But beyond the wins, it’s the culture Coach Hightshoe has built that truly sets him apart.
Coach Hightshoe emphasizes integrity, discipline, and teamwork, instilling in student-athletes the values that serve them well beyond the court. Practices are a blend of focused drills, strategic development, and encouragement, tailored to each player’s growth. Coach Hightshoe holds each athlete to high academic and behavioral standards and has maintained a 100% academic eligibility rate among players during their tenure. Coach Hightshoe runs a Summer program weekly program for local High School players of all levels at Iowa City City High. The program has helped over 68+ players a week get on the court and into local tennis programs for the off season.
Off the court, Coach Hightshoe is an advocate for student-athlete mental health, volunteering time for team-building retreats, mentoring sessions, and community service projects. He is also spearheaded efforts to renovate the school’s tennis facilities and secure sponsorship's for new equipment, ensuring equity and access for all players.
Respected by peers, admired by students, and deeply rooted in the community, Coach Hightshoe is more than deserving of this recognition. His passion for the sport and commitment to student success make him an ideal recipient of the Coach of the Year award.

Outstanding Diversity Achievement:

Distinguished Service: