Greater Columbus Tennis Association

Each year at the end of the summer season, the GCTA has an awards ceremony to honor the winning teams and individual Champ of Champs from those teams. These winners are listed on the respective Men's and Women's League pages. Area Junior Qualifier champions and runners-up are listed on the Area and District Qualifer page. Jr. Davis Cup team members and Jr. Wightman Cup team members are listed on the Jr. Davis and Wightman Cup page.

GCTA Media Award
John Hulkenberg
SNP Papers

John graduated from Westerville North High School in 1979. He continued his education at Otterbein College, where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications. He worked for The Public Opinion in Westerville from 1983 to 1989. Since that time, he has been involved with the Suburban News Publications. John began as a sports reporter, then became an Associate Sports Editor, and is presently the Sports Editor. He is also a freelance writer and photographer for the Columbus Monthly Magazine. He was the Editor of the Mid-Ohio Golfer from 1993 to 1995. John has received numerous awards from the Suburban Newspapers of America, the Ohio Prep Sports Writers Association, the Press Club of Cleveland, the Society of Professional Journalists, and the Ohio State School of Journalism.

GCTA Special Recognition Award
Jim Hendrix

Jim played tennis and soccer at Upper Arlington High School. In 1978, he was the Ohio High School Athletic Association State Doubles Champion with partner, Dave Braun. From 1978 to 1979 he played varsity tennis for Tulane University. He transferred to the Ohio State University, where he played on the varsity team from 1980 to 1983. He received his MBA in banking and finance from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University. Jim has been the Executive Director of the Racquet Club of Columbus since 1989. He currently serves on the USTA/Midwest Section USA League Tennis Committee. Jim has served as Sectional USA League Tennis Verifier, as USTA/Midwest Section Boy's 14 Endorser, as Head OVTA Verifier, and on the USTA/Midwest Section Junior Recreation Committee. Jim is a former member of the Ohio Valley Tennis Association Management Committee. He has performed a very important role for the GCTA in that he has been involved as a volunteer or as the tournament director for the GCTA Area Qualifier since 1990. Jim is a GCTA Board Member and has run numerous tournaments, hosted many high school events--from the sectional level to the state level--, and has hosted many varsity Ohio State matches.

GCTA Special Recognition Award
Jeff Johnston

Jeff began playing tennis after graduating from the Ohio State University in 1982. He described himself as a "self-taught" player. As his skills developed, he played on a number of 4.0 GCTA teams. He was the Tennis Chairman at Scioto Country Club in 1997. He was the GCTA Men's League Chair for five years. He organized league schedules, oversaw all aspects of the running of the league, and helped with the organizing of the year-end Men's Champion of Champions Tournament. He has served as a GCTA Board Member, a GCTA Vice President, and he was President of the GCTA from 2000-2002. He represented tennis interests as an Ohio Valley Tennis Association Delegate at Large for two years. Currently, Jeff is closest to the game of tennis as a parent and travel partner for his daughter, Christine. She is a nationally ranked player of outstanding ability. He has enjoyed meeting people from around Columbus, the Midwest, and the United States because of this unique experience. And of course, he enjoys spending quality time, one on one, traveling with Christine to the tournaments.

GCTA Special Recognition Award
Jane McMeekin

Jane is a member of the GCTA Board. She has served on the Women's League Board for a number of years. Since 1999, she has been the Secretary to that board. She is responsible for all score cards, for total record keeping, and all mailings. She is a key figure in making the Women's League run smoothly. Jane has been a participating member of the GCTA for 20 years. She plays at the 4.0 level and has captained her team for 10 years.

GCTA Special Recognition Award
Ty Tucker

Ty grew up in Zanesville, Ohio. He attended Zanesville High School where he was an Ohio High School Athletic Association State Champion. He also attended the Palmer Academy in Tampa, Florida. He was Tennis Magazine's Male Junior Player of the Year for 1982-83 when he was just 13 years old. Ty was the youngest invitee to the Olympic Tryout Camp in 1984. He was invited to the National Junior Davis Cup Tryouts in 1986 and 1987. He is the holder of nine national junior titles. His Alma Mater is the Ohio State University. While there, he was a two-time All-American. Ty was All-Big Ten in 1989, 1990, and 1991. He advanced to the Final 16 of the 1990 and 1991 NCAA Championships. He went undefeated in the Big Ten in 1991 and was an integral part in OSU winning the Big Ten Championship that year. He had a career singles record at OSU of 64-22. He was a member of the United States Team in the 1994 McDonald's International Challenge in Australia where he won the Doubles Championship with Andre Agassi. Ty's highest ranking on the professional circuit was number 38. He was the Ohio State Assistant Coach from 1997 to 1999. In 1999, he took over as the Head Coach. He was named Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2001 when his team captured the Big Ten Title. He was selected as a member of the prestigious Ohio State All-American Century Team in 2002. Ty led his 2003 Buckeye team to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen.

GCTA Special Recognition Award
Jake Will, Sr.

Jake has served for a numbers of years as a GCTA Board Member. During that time, he has been part of the Men's League Board, serving as a score keeper for the 3.5 League. He was born and raised in Upper Arlington and still lives there with his wife, Margaret. They have four children and nine grandchildren. Jake graduated from Our Lady of Victory High School and went to the Ohio State University where he was a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. After graduating from OSU, he served two years in the United State Army. He is a member and Past President of the Northwest Kiwanis Club, a current member of Building Standards of the City of Upper Arlington, Trustee and current President of the Community Improvement Corporation for the City of Upper Arlington, member and Past President of the Upper Arlington Area Chamber of Commerce, current President of the St. Agatha Church Administration Committee, and served on the Community Vision Partnership. He received the the Community Enrichment Award from the City of Upper Arlington for the year 2002. Jake runs his own company, J.L. Will and Company Builders and Developers.

Margo Mansfield Award
GCTA Female Player of the Year
The Margo Mansfield Award Fund was established by Margo's friends and family at her passing. Margo was a tennis enthusiast and dedicated much time to the Junior Wightman Cup. It is said that she was more interested in how you played the game than if you won or lost. Sportsmanship and character are very important criteria for this award.
Kelsey Linville

Kelsey has been captain of the Upper Arlington Varsity A tennis team two seasons. She was the recipient of the Most Valuable Player Award during her 2000 and 2001 years. Technically, she was also the recipient in 2002 because the entire team was selected for that award. She has made it to the Ohio High Athletic Association Tennis Tournament three years in a row. She was the only freshman to qualify to that tournament in 2000 in Division I. She finished third in the State tournament in 2001. In 2003, she won the Girls' 18 GCTA Area Qualifier and the Ohio Valley Tennis Association District Tournament. She played in the USTA Midwest Closed Tournament. In addition, Kelsey has qualified and participated in the National Clay Courts in Memphis, Tennessee, in both singles and doubles. She was endorsed to the Supernational Hardcourt tournament in San Jose, California, again in singles and doubles. She played into the round of 64. In 2002 and 2003, she was select to play for the Ohio Valley Junior Wightman Cup Team at Butler University. The Ohio Valley Tennis Association awarded her the Ruth Johnson 2002 Sportsmanship Award with respect to her play on the Junior Wightman Cup Team. Kelsey has twice been selected by Larry Larson of 610 Radio and the Suburban Papers as the Athlete of the Week. Mr. Larson selected her to participate with a select group of student athletes from central Ohio to speak to middle school student throughout Columbus. She maintains a 3.94 GPA at Upper Arlington High School and is a member of the National Honor Society.

GCTA Male Player of the Year
Thomas Jagels

Tom played four years varsity tennis at Dublin Coffman High School. He was the Most Valuable Player on the team two seasons. He qualified to the Ohio High School Athletic Association District Tennis Tournament three times. Twice he made it to the OHSAA State Tournament. In 2003, he was the first tennis player from Dublin Coffman to win the OHSAA District Tournament. In the second match of that tournament, Tom defeated the number one seed in the tournament, Craig Smith of Pickerington High School. Tom was down in the match 2-6, 0-3 and came back to win the match in three sets. Though Tom had played Craig numerous times, to that point he had never beaten him. On Saturday of the tournament, he beat Trenton Haywood of Thomas Worthington High School. In the District finals, Tom beat Reynoldsburg's Micah Scott to advance to the State Tournament. Tom finished the season with a 23-4 record. He was voted to the Ohio Tennis Coaches Association All State Tennis Second Team. He qualified five times to the Ohio Valley Tennis Association District Tennis Tournaments. Twice he qualified to the USTA Midwest Closed Tournament. He finished his USTA career with a number eleven ranking in the Ohio Valley and a number 84 ranking in the Midwest. Tom is currently enrolled at Ohio University.