HOT OFF THE PRESS!!

MCB

*************************

2007 "Little Mo" Internationals
Austin Tennis Academy
Austin, Texas

 

Cindy Brinker Simmons, daugther of Maureen "Little Mo" Connolly and MCB President, signs her book (Little Mo's Legacy) for the "Little Mo" International players at the Austin Tennis Academy in Austin, Texas.  Pictured in photo are Michelle Wang (Washington), Ana Konjuh (Croatia) and Tara Donaho (Texas)

 

"Little Mo" Players play in Pete Sampras / Todd Martin exhibition in Chicago
Nancy Watland, Michal Kuszernko, Brice Polender, Haley Wilcox, Ty Ana Williams, Darnesha Moore,  Sylvia Gothard ("Little Mo" Tournament Director for Midwest Sectionals and North Regionals) with Todd Martin and Pete Sampras

 

     P R E S S        R E L E A S E

November 5, 2007                                                        Carol Weyman
For Immediate Release                                                  Cartennis@aol.com 
                                                                                     (214) 352-7978

Cindy Brinker Simmons Named New President of the

Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation

Transition of Leadership Announced as the Foundation Celebrates its 40th Anniversary

(Dallas, TX) Nancy Jeffett, chairman emeritus and co-founder of the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation, announced today the new officers of the Foundation.

Cindy Brinker Simmons, oldest daughter of the late Maureen “Little Mo” Connolly Brinker, who was a three-time Wimbledon winner (1952-54) and the first woman to win the Grand Slam in tennis (1953), was named as president. Brenda Brinker Bottum, the second and youngest daughter of “Little Mo,” was named vice president. Elizabeth Jeffett Norman, daughter of Mrs. Jeffett, was also named vice president. Ms. Brinker Simmons, Ms. Bottum and Ms. Norman will continue to serve as directors of the Foundation as well as Mrs. Jeffett and Norman Brinker, husband of the late Mrs. Brinker. Mrs. Jeffett will also assume the title of chairman emeritus and co-founder of the Foundation.

 Bryan Dunklin was elected as legal counsel and secretary.

Carol Weyman, who has continued to implement the daily activities of the Foundation for 18 years, serves as executive vice president.

 “I am very excited that Cindy, Brenda and Elizabeth are taking over the leadership of our Foundation after 40 successful, gratifying years,” said Mrs. Jeffett. “Maureen and I had a resolute mission to help influence junior tennis and to support those promising young stars who would later impact this wonderful sport. She would be so proud of what we have accomplished these last four decades and that her two dynamic daughters and Elizabeth will continue to honor and further the legacy of their mothers.”

Ms. Brinker Simmons was a graduate of the University of Virginia in 1979 where she was the number one singles player on the tennis team and served as captain of the team her fourth year. She received the University’s distinguished “Athlete of the Year” award her fourth year. Throughout her junior tennis career, Ms. Brinker Simmons was ranked number one in her age division in Texas. Her national rankings ranged from being in the top 10 to the top 20 throughout her junior career.

Currently, Ms. Brinker Simmons serves as president of Levenson & Brinker Public Relations, an award-winning public relations firm that is nationally recognized for its strategic communications excellence. In 1980, she founded “Wipe Out Kids’ Cancer” in memory of her mother, which is one of the largest pediatric cancer organizations in Dallas and benefits critical oncology research projects at Children’s Medical Center Dallas. Ms. Brinker Simmons is very involved in philanthropy and has received numerous awards honoring her charitable work.

In 2001, Ms. Brinker Simmons wrote the popular book, LITTLE MO’S LEGACY, A Mother’s Lessons, A Daughter’s Story that chronicles the lessons her mother taught her in life and in death.

The Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation has impacted junior tennis development in the United States and throughout the world with its diverse programs and activities. For further information on the Foundation, please contact Carol Weyman at (214) 352-7978 or log onto www.mcbtennis.org.

 

P R E S S   R E L E A S E

                                      

For Immediate Release                                                           Information:  (214) 352-7978

October 25, 2007                                     Contact: Carol Weyman
                                                                 www.mcbtennis.org 
                                                                 Email:  Cartennis@aol.com

                                                                                  

                 “LITTLE MO”  NATIONALS

        presented by Church’s Chicken

              CHAMPIONS CROWNED

Dallas…The 10th annual “Little Mo” Nationals was held at the prestigious Austin Tennis Academy in Austin, Texas from October 20-22, 2007.  The event was hosted by the Austin Tennis Academy staff, players and volunteers.  The Tournament  Director was Brian Notis and Assistant Tournament Director was Deb Cahill.

The Opening Ceremony was held on Friday afternoon with the players parading on court  to “We are the Champions”.  The matches began at 8:30 am on Saturday morning and continued through Monday afternoon. 

The “Little Mo” Nationals is the only national tournament for young players who are 8, 9, 10 and 11 & under and is the culmination of the yearlong “Road to the Little

Mo Nationals”. The “Little Mo” tournaments are designed to be fun and provide good competition for the younger player at the sectional, regional, national, and international level. 

The prestigious “Little Mo” Nationals draw was made up of the top 16 players from across the country in eight age divisions:  Boys and Girls 8, 9, 10, and 11.  The draw of 16 was comprised of the four semifinalists from each of the four Regionals.  The winner of each division was crowned “Little Mo” National Champion.

      The winners of each division were:

Girls 11:    Ellen Jang-Milsten – Alpharetta, Georgia

Girls 10:    Bridget Forster – Lebanon, Pennsylvania

Girls 9:      Ingrid Neel – Rochester, Minnesota 

Girls 8:      Dominique Schaefer – Ventura, California

Boys 11:   Toshiki Matsuya – Redmond, Washington

Boys 10:   Spencer Furman – Woodinville, Washington

Boys 9:      Michal Kusznerko – Chicago, Illinois

Boys 8:      Spencer Brown – Spartanburg, South Carolina

Sportsmanship Awards:  Jake Devine and Paola Maza

The “Road to the Little Mo Nationals” began in the spring with a “Little Mo” tournament held in each of the seventeen sections. (Approximately 1,500 youngsters participated at the Sectional level.)  The quarterfinalists from each age division at each Sectional advanced to one of the four “Little Mo” Regionals held in the summer.  The semifinalists from each age division at each Regional advanced to the “Little Mo” Nationals.

Carol Weyman, MCB Executive Vice-President of the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation and “Little Mo” Tournament Chairman presented the trophies.   Sponsors of the event included Church’s Chicken, Smacker’s, Golfsmith and Balle de Match.

The players enjoyed a fun slip ‘n slide swimming party on Saturday evening at the Austin Tennis Academy.  Also, a disc jockey led the dancing and games.

The “Little Mo” tournaments are sponsored by the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation in memory of its tennis champion namesake, Maureen Connolly, who was known as “Little Mo”.  She was the first woman to win the Grand Slam in 1953 at 18 years of age.   She is still the youngest Grand Slam champion and the only American woman.

The top four players from the “Little Mo” Nationals will advance to the main draw in the 2nd annual “Little Mo”International Open.  The event will be held from December 5-9, 2007 at the Austin Tennis Academy in Austin, Texas.  The qualifier is open to any player from the USA and worldwide.  The top four from the qualifier (December 5-7) and the top four from the “Little Mo” Nationals will comprise the Main Draw which will be held December 8-9.  The winner of each age division (Boys 8, 9, 10, & 11 and Girls 8, 9, 10, & 11) will be crowned “Little Mo” International Open Champion.

The “Little Mo” program is one of the many events sponsored by the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation to further junior tennis development worldwide.

 Full results:  www.usta.com  (id #809658207)

 

P R E S S   R E L E A S E

October 17, 2007                                                                                       Tournament Chairman: Carol Weyman

For Immediate Release                                                                                                            Cartennis@aol.com

                                                                                                                                                www.mcbtennis.org

10th ANNUAL “LITTLE MO” NATIONALS

sponsored by Church’s Chicken

Top Seeds Announced

Dallas…This week, the youngest and brightest stars in tennis will be playing in the “Little Mo” Nationals at the Austin Tennis Academy in Austin, Texas from October 20-22, 2007.   The event will be hosted by the Austin Tennis Academy in Austin, Texas and presented by the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation.  Brian Notis is the Tournament Director and Deb Cahill is the Assistant Tournament Director.

The “Little Mo” Nationals is the only national event in the United States for boys and girls 8, 9, 10 and 11 & under and is the culmination of the yearlong “Road to the Little Mo Nationals” circuit.  The circuit began with over 1,500 youngsters nationwide participating and the top 128 will be featured at the Nationals.  The matches will begin on Saturday morning, October 20 at 8:00 am and continue through Monday, October 22.

For 30 years, the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation has organized the “Little Mo” to further junior tennis development for boys and girls.  In 1992, a young Andy Roddick, age 10, won the “Little Mo” tournament when it was a Texas-only event.  Andy won the U.S. Open in 2003 and considers the “Little Mo” his first “big win”.  Andy gives each “Little Mo” Nationals player a personally autographed card each year.   In 1998, the foundation expanded the “Little Mo” nationwide and created the “Road to the Little Mo Nationals” circuit.

Last year, the circuit expanded to an international level with the 1st annual “Little Mo” International Open for all players who are 11 & under worldwide (123 players representing 17 different countries participated).  The 2nd annual “Little Mo” International Open will be held at the Austin Tennis Academy in Austin, Texas from December 5-9, 2007.   (entry forms are available on www.mcbtennis.org)

The “Road to the Little Mo Nationals” began in the spring with a “Little Mo” tournament held in each of the seventeen sections.  The quarterfinalists from each age division at each Sectional advanced to one of the four “Little Mo” Regionals held in the summer in Atlanta, Georgia (East), Dallas, Texas (South), Homewood, Illinois (North), and San Diego, California (West).

 The prestigious “Little Mo” Nationals draw will be made up of the top 16 players from across the country (the four semifinalists from the four Regionals in boys and girls 8, 9, 10, and 11 & under.)  The winner of each age division will be crowned “Little Mo” National Champion.

 The Opening Ceremony will begin at 5:00 pm on Friday, October 19 at the Austin Tennis Academy.  The players will parade onto center court behind the flags and will sing the national anthem.  Joyce Pierce, former singer with the Fifth Dimension touring group and mother of Aron Pierce, a "Little Mo" player, will sing the national anthem.  Prior to the ceremony, Henri Elkins will entertain the crowd with his amazing "Bijou Tennis Show".  It is a unique production combining tennis skills and comedy. 

On Saturday evening, the player pizza party will be held at the Austin Tennis Academy.  The party gives the players a chance to meet players from other cities around the country and also enjoy a night of fun with games and prizes.

The #1 seeded players are:

 

Girls 11:  Gabriella Umoquit – Mission, TX        

Girls 10:  Karina Traxler – Rockwall, TX          

Girls 9:    Ingrid Neel – Rochester, MN              

Girls 8:    Dominique Schaefer – Ventura, CA 

 

Boys 11:  Jordi Arconada – Rio Piedras, PR

Boys 10:  Kyle Seelig – Hatfield, PA

Boys 9:   Titus Strom – Plano, TX

Boys 8:   Noah Schachter – Steilacoom, WA

 

The “Little Mo” tournaments are sponsored by the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation in memory of its tennis champion namesake, Maureen Connolly, who was known as “Little Mo”.  She was the first woman to win the Grand Slam at only 18 years of age in 1953.  She is still the youngest and only American woman to have accomplished this magnificent feat.  The MCB Tennis Foundation has promoted junior tennis development for forty years and continues to benefit countless numbers of boys and girls throughout the country.  Smackers, a product of the Bonne Bell Company, is the “Official Lip Balm” of the “Little Mo” Nationals.  Other sponsors include Balle de Match and Golfsmith. 

 For more information, call the MCB office (214) 352-7978  or email: Cartennis@aol.com  

Also, please visit www.usta.com to view the draws and results:  ID #809658207. 

 Information is also available on www.mcbtennis.org and click on “Little Mo” Tournament Information / Results

(scroll to Nationals).

                                                             ************************

Jeffett Honored At 40th Anniversary Of Connolly Brinker Foundation


By Tennis Week
10/05/2007

USTA President Jane Brown Grimes, the WTA's long serving Peachy Kellmeyer and one of Amnerica's greatest ever champions, Tony Trabert, were on hand in Dallas last week to recognize Nancy Jeffett's life long service to tennis at the 40th anniversary of the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation.

As the event is always highlighted by a junior match between the USA and Great Britain, LTA chairman Stuart Smith was also present to recognise Mrs. Jeffett's dedication to the sport. With her own family's support, Nancy has been a tireless promoter of the game in Texas and was especially influential in the development of the fledgling WTA Tour in those early days when World Tennis publisher Gladys Heldman and Billie Jean King, along with Philip Morris chairman Joe Cullman were busy creating the most successful world-wide tour in all of women's sport.

The USA won a closely-contested match in the 33rd Maureen Connolly Challenge Trophy. The event marked the 40th anniversary of the Maureen Connolly Tennis Foundation Tennis, which supports and promotes tennis through its numerous events and junior programs.

Mrs. Jeffett co-founded the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation with Maureen Connolly Brinker in 1968.

During the awards dinner on Saturday, Sept. 29, Tony Trabert and Sir James Harvie-Watt from the International Tennis Hall of Fame presented the prestigious "golden achievement award" for outstanding contribution to the game on an international level to Mrs. Jeffett. Stuart Smith, president of The Lawn Tennis Association was also present to honor Mrs. Jeffett. Chris Evert sent a letter which was read by Peachy Kellmeyer and Billie Jean King and Ilana Kloss assisted with a video message to Nancy. Included in the video were congratulations from Pam Shriver, Virginia Wade, Martina, Rosie Casals, Elise Bergin, Wendy Turnbull and Tracy Austin. All players referenced Nancy's importance to the development of the women's tour.

Bud Collins reflected that Nancy was the first woman to hold a Davis Cup match outside of a private country club when she staged the 1965 Davis Cup match at Samuel Grand park in Dallas. Arthur Ashe played for the USA.

 

" Little Mo" kids get the chance to play in an exhibition match at the Dr. Pepper Arena in Frisco, Texas before the Sampras/Ginepri match.
 

Carol Weyman and Nancy Jeffett from the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation with Pete Sampras and "Little Mo" players in Frisco, Texas. From left:  Ingrid Neel, Karina Traxler, Arman Dave and Titus Strom. 
For Immediate Release - September 24, 2007

 

INTERNATIONAL TENNIS HALL OF FAME TO HONOR NANCY P. JEFFETT AS 2007 GOLDEN ACHIEVEMENT AWARD WINNER

 

NEWPORT, RI - The International Tennis Hall of Fame has announced that Nancy P. Jeffett, President and Trustee of the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation, is the 2007 recipient of the prestigious Golden Achievement Award. The Golden Achievement Award is given by the International Tennis Hall of Fame and presented annually on a worldwide basis to individuals who have made important contributions to tennis in the fields of administration, promotion or education, and have devoted long and outstanding service to the sport.

 

Presentation of this year's Golden Achievement Award will be made on September 29 at the Dallas Country Club in Dallas, Texas, the site of the 33rd annual Maureen Connolly Challenge Trophy event to be held September 27-29. Sir James Harvie-Watt, Chairman of the Hall of Fame's International Council and member of the Executive Committee, along with Tony Trabert, President of the International Tennis Hall of Fame and 1970 Hall of Famer, will be in Dallas to present the Golden Achievement Award to Jeffett.

 

Nancy Pearce Jeffett is considered one of the most influential women in the sport of tennis. Born in 1928 and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Jeffett was a junior tennis champion with a USTA Girls 18s ranking of No. 10. Tennis would always be a focal part of her life, and in 1956 she moved with her husband to Texas and assumed a leadership role in the tennis community while raising her two children. Jeffett is most noted for teaming with Grand Slam champion Maureen 'Little Mo' Connolly in 1968 to establish a tennis foundation, The Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation.  Four years later, Jeffett assumed full responsibility for the foundation following the untimely death of her friend from cancer. Over the next 30 years Jeffett developed an organization that today inspires youth tennis, sponsors a dozen major tournaments and has contributed more than $4 million to player development - from tennis programs in public parks to professional tournaments. This year, The Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation celebrates its 40th anniversary.

 

Honored worldwide, Jeffett founded numerous national and international competitions including the Maureen Connolly Brinker (MCB) Girls' 14 national championships (1972 - present); the Maureen Connolly Challenge Trophy (U.S. vs. Great Britain, ladies 16 and under; 1973 - present); the Virginia Slims Tournament of Dallas (1975-1989; began as MCB Memorial Tournament in 1970); the ITF Connolly Continental Cup (U.S. vs. all nations, ladies 18 and under; 1976 - present); Bonne Bell Maureen Connolly Brinker Cup (U.S. vs. Australia, ladies 14, 16, 18; 1977-1991); and the ITF Maureen Connolly Cup (U.S. vs. all national, ladies 55 and over - 1992 - present). Jeffett over the years has actively been involved as a member of the United States Tennis Association (USTA) Executive Committee 1973-1994, was chairwoman of the Wightman Cup 1978-1990 and chairwoman of the Federation Cup 1981-1990, and was a member of the ITF Federation Cup Committee 1988-1996. She is also a Life Trustee of the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

 

Jeffett is a past recipient of the prestigious USTA Service Bowl (1970) and has also won numerous 'Service to Tennis' awards including the World Championship Tennis award (1983); the Chuck McKinley award (1993); the International Tennis Federation award (1994); and the Virginia Slims award (1996). She was also the USTA's Samuel Hardy Award recipient in 1992. In Dallas, the Dallas Tennis Association's Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Jeffett in 1995, and renamed in her honor. Jeffett was inducted into the Texas Tennis Hall of Fame in 1983 and the St. Louis Tennis Hall of Fame in 1999. She is also an Honorary Member of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (Wimbledon) having been elected for her services to international tennis.

Past recipients of the Golden Achievement Award are: Brian Tobin of Australia (1999); Gil de Kermadec of France (2000); Pablo Llorens Re񡧡 of Spain (2001); Enrique Morea of Argentina (2002); J. Howard "Bumpy" Frazer of the United States (2003); John Curry of Great Britain (2004); Eiichi Kawatei of Japan (2005); and the late James R. Cochrane of Great Britain (2006).

 

Nominations for the Golden Achievement Award are submitted by tennis federations from around the world, and then voted on by the Golden Achievement Award Selection Committee. For more information, please email us at newport@tennisfame.com or visit us online at www.tennisfame.com.

 

Contacts:

Kat Anderson, International Tennis Hall of Fame, 401-849-3990, kat@tennisfame.com

Carol Weyman, Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation, 214-352-7978, Cartennis@aol.com

 

Click Here for 2007 "Little Mo" Sectional, Regional and Nationals Dates
 

 

                   

Carol Weyman (MCB Executive Vice-President) and Nancy Jeffett (MCB President) watching the matches at the BONNEBELL Cup in Burlingame, California

   *************************

Left to Right:  Sarah Lee, Breaunna Addison, Sabrina Santamaria, Monica Turewicz, Ellen Tsay, Gabrielle DeSimone, Kimberley Po-Messerli (Captain)

*************************

P R E S S       R E L E A S E

April 9, 2007
For Immediate Release
www.mcbtennis.org

Contact:  (214) 352-7978
Cartennis@aol.com      
  

USA WINS  BONNEBELL CUP
 (USA vs. Australia)
presented by:
The Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation

Dallas…The United States defeated the Australian team 24-3  in the 21st  BONNEBELL Cup international girl’s team competition held at the Peninsula Tennis Club in Burlingame, California from March 29 – 3, 2007.  The event is officially sanctioned by the USTA and Tennis Australia.

The competition consisted of six girls who are 14 and under from each country.  They each played two matches per day and the winning country is determined by the best of twenty-seven matches.

Representing the United States:  Ellen Tsay (Pleasanton, CA), Monica Turewicz (Lake Forest, IL), Gabrielle DeSimone (Rancho Santa Fe, CA), Sarah Lee (Los Angeles, CA), Sabrina Santamaria (Los Angeles, CA), and Breaunna Addison (New Braunfels, TX).   The USA Team Captain was Kimberly Po-Messerli (Rolling Hills Estates, CA).

Representing Australia:  Alexandra Nancarrow (Canberra, ACT), Nina Khoury (Hobart, Tasmania), Maddison Tobias (Corowa, NSW), Nicole Hoynaski (Putney, NSW), Jennifer Nguyen (Keiraville, NSW) and Georgina Carswell (Brisbane, Queensland).  The Australian Team Captain was Rachel McQuillan (Newcastle, NSW).

The United States team has won the event every year except 1980, 1987 and 2002.  The United States continues to lead the competition 18-3.  The event alternates countries each year between Australia and the United States.  The beautiful silver Bell is a replica of the Liberty Bell and was donated back into the competition by Jess Bell of the Bonne Bell Company, title sponsor of the event.

Brenda Brinker Bottum, Maureen Connolly’s daughter, presented the trophy to the winning USA team.  Nancy Jeffett, president and trustee of the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation, Connolly Bottom (granddaughter of Maureen Connolly) and Steve Rogers (Tournament Director)  were also a part of the Closing Ceremony.  Along with the Bonne Bell Company, two other sponsors of the event: the LBH Group (Wimbledon & Lily’s) was the “official warm-up” sponsor and the Coral Beach Club in Bermuda and local sponsors: United American Bank, Mollie Stone’s, RS Tennis Academy and Malouf’s.

This is one of the many tennis tournaments presented by the foundation to further junior tennis development in the United States and throughout the world.

*match scores available on www.mcbtennis.org.  Click on BONNEBELL CUP

 

*************************

 

Cindy Brinker Simmons (Maureen Connolly's daughter) presents trophies to Nicole Long (Plano, TX) 3rd Place and Maddy Murray (Denton, TX)  4th Place for MCB Girls' 14 Championships.  Maddy received the Sportsmanship Award.

                                       *************************

P R E S S       R E L E A S E

                                            

March 26, 2007
For Immediate Release
www.mcbtennis.org

Contact:  (214) 352-7978
Cartennis@aol.com                                         

                         

           HALEY MARTIN WINS MCB GIRLS’ 14

 

Dallas, Texas…Haley Martin (#1 seed) from Tulsa, Oklahoma won the 36th annual Maureen Connolly Brinker Girls’ 14 National Championships at T-Bar-M Racquet Club in Dallas, Texas.  She defeated Sachia Vickery  from Miramar, Florida 6-4, 6-3.  The event was held from Friday, March 23 through Sunday, March 25.

Nicole Long (Plano,TX) defeated Madeleine Murray (Denton,TX) for Third Place and Fourth Place 6-1,6-3.  Tina Jiang (Somerset, NJ) defeated Mimi Fotopoulos (Prairie Village, KS) for Fifth and Sixth Place 6-3, 6-1   In the Consolation Final, Mackenzie Knoop (Albuquerque, NM) defeated Lauren May (Niceville, FL) due withdrawal.  The Sportsmanship Award was presented to Madeleine Murray (Denton,TX).

Invitations were sent to the top players who are 14 & under from each section of the USTA.  This singles-only event is sanctioned by the USTA and is on the National Junior Tennis Schedule.

Cindy Brinker, daughter of Maureen Connolly Brinker, presented the trophies to the winner and runner-up along with Carol Weyman, Executive Vice-President of the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation.

This is one of the many events the MCB Tennis Foundation organizes to promote junior tennis development.  Maureen Connolly was the first woman to win the Grand Slam at 18 years of age in 1953.  She is still the youngest and only American woman to win the Grand Slam.

                                       *************************

Steve Darrington, father of Max Darrington from England and current "Little Mo" International player, emailed the following story:   

Dear Carol:  You might be interested to know of a rather touching interaction we had while shopping recently in England. We were in the store buying the weekly groceries and Max was proudly wearing his "Little Mo" International sweatshirt. An old lady approached him and said,  “My word young man, you must be too young to know about Little Mo!” ... Max replied to her with a detailed description of Little Mo's Grand Slam winning exploits and her history. (He did a big project on "Little Mo" and his trip to Texas for school). The old lady was very impressed and told me that she had seen "Little Mo" play at Wimbledon in the year she won!

                                       *************************

Tara Eckel receives MCB Special Achievement Award at the Dallas Tennis Association Junior Banquet on Sunday, January 28, 2007.

Cindy Brinker Simmons, daughter of Maureen "Little Mo" Connolly Brinker, gave a wonderful talk at the banquet about her mom, who was one of the greatest players of all time. After her talk, Cindy was honored to present Tara Eckel with the very prestigious award: MCB Special Achievement Award.

Tara is a highly passionate and competitive gal, but deeply compassionate towards others. She exemplifies the ideals of "Little Mo" through her sportsmanship, character and leadership. She has been ranked as high as #22 in the U.S., and as high as #2 in the section and while she has one gold ball and numerous sectional and national titles, her sportsmanship awards of which she has 9, are the most important to her.

She is a member of National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta and will graduate with high honors from Episcopal School of Dallas.

She plans to major in either chemistry or biology with a goal of continuing on to medical school and will attend the University of Oklahoma in the fall on a full tennis scholarship.

Congratulations Tara!

Carol Weyman (MCB Executive Vice-President), Nancy Jeffett (MCB President), Tara Eckel, Cindy Brinker Simmons (daughter of Maureen "Little Mo" Connolly).