NORTHERN CALIFORNIA ROCKS USPTA AWARDS: Northern Californians excelled at the recent USPTA World Conference in Las Vegas. Veteran Bay Area teaching pro Ken DeHart (who has some of the best hair in the USPTA) won the group’s coveted George Bacso Lifetime Achievement Award. DeHart heads the tennis program at Portola Valley’s venerable Alpine Hills Tennis and Swimming Club. The USPTA also honored the Lafayette Tennis Club. After it burned down in October 2019, its future seemed to be toast. But Hunter Gallaway has overseen matters as it has risen from the ashes. He won the USPTA’s Large Facility Manager of the Year Award. Ruby Hills’ Kevin Pope won the Lessons for Life Award and Humboldt County’s Peter Dauphinee won the Industry Excellence Award for his tireless work in an underserved area.
Two-time Slam winner Stan Smith, who’s the President of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, was inducted into the USPTA Hall of Fame along with Zina Garrison and Lori McNeil’s coach John Wilkerson, as well as Trish Faulkner. Also of note, Las Vegas’ Amanda Shaw won the USTA/USPTA Community Service Award.
