Tom Pitchford Sportsmanship Award



Tom Pitchford Sportsmanship Award Winners

Year

Girls 

Boys 

2022

Autumn Rabjohns - Lake Forest

Lexi Ellis - Danville

Thomas Nelson - Jacobs

Jackson Schuetzle - Crystal Lake South

2021

Margaux Bruce - Marion 

Audrey Jones - St. Charles East

 Max Bengtsson - New Trier

Eric Rodriguez - Vernon Hills

2020

 Daniella Nenadovich - Benet

Leia Papanicholas - St. Charles N.

2019

 Melissa Cartis - York

 Michael Bukhalo - Glenbrook South

Ammaar Saeed - Naperville Central

Jacob Sossler - Beacon Academy

2018

Bridget Boockmeier - Trinity

Annie Hedges - Evanston

Nena Perry - Lasalle-Peru

Matthew Mercure - Lakes

Kevin Li - Wheaton North 

 

Year Girls Boys
2017  Liz Stefancic, West Aurora (AA)

Lawrence Hiquiana, Downers Grove South  Class AA

 

 Alison Lee, Metamora (A)

Sharene Gould-Dulabaum, Elgin Academy (A)

 Sam Bratt, Dixon  Class A

2016  Smriti Barla, Dunlap  Class A

Mack Galvin, Rolling Meadows

  Tomi Jo Mansell, Lockport  Class AA  
2015  Abbey Moore, Evanston
Colin Harvey, Stevenson
    David Zakhodin, Glenbrook North
2014 Taylor Arends (OPRF) John Westerberg (Warren)
   Laura Swenson (New Trier)  
2013 Carol Finke (New Trier) Jackson Evensen (Ottawa)
2012 Morgan McGinnis (Edwardsville) Jason Brown (Deerfield)
    Michael Sellitto (Glenbrook South)
2011 Meredith Maltby (Glenbard West) Hitoshi Kawashima (New Trier)
    Ian Hinkamper (Quincy Notre Dame)
2010 Kristy Dodge (Barrington) Stephan Rauh (Metamora)
    Paul Schlais (Warren)
    Danny Park (Rockford Guilford)
    Blake Bazarnik (Stevenson)
    Kyle Freischlag (Downers Grove South)
2009 Heather Nisbet (Buffalo Grove) Michael Moore (Glebnrook South)
  Ashton Nisbet (Buffalo Grove) Rahul Kamath (Downers Grove South)
  Hanna Mar (Hinsdale Central)  
  Michelle Dut (Gurnee Warren)  
2008 Stephanie Youngberg (St. Ch East) Igor Fedorov (Gurnee Warren)
2007 Katie Kargl (Downers Grove South) Chase Klaus (Peoria Richwoods)
2006 Eva Delk (Wheaton North) Jon Wroble (Hinsdale Central)
2005 Elise Nattier (Flora) Nate Rauh (Metamora)
    Jeff Dawson (Wheaton St. Francis)
2004 Crista Gilmore (Normal Community) Garrett Fischer (Collinsville)
2003 Elizabeth Lumpkin (Nap. Cent.) Stephen Yau (Carbondale)
    Jeff Zanchelli (Stevenson)
2002 Lindsay McLain (Edwardsville) Paul Rose (New Trier)
2001 Jill Anderson (Normal Community) Todd Lazarski (Gurnee Warren)
    Parker Ross (Carmel)
2000 Laura DeHaan (Elgin) Tom Nagel (Ottawa)
    Ted Nagel (Ottawa)
1999 Tara Trapani (Murphysboro) Doug DeClue (Alton)
1998 Abbie Lockwood (Fremd) Paul Dunn (Glenbrook North)
1997 Erica Watson (McHenry) Tom Buetikofer (Hins Central)
1996 Erica Johnson (Hersey) Nate Bobofchak (Galesburg)
    Derek Rasheed (Freeport)
1995 Katherine Nasser (Hersey) Dennis Carroll (Lyons)
    Mark Caudill (Wheaton North)
    Evan Hornbuckle (Moline)
    Brian Landweier (Prospect)
    Jeff Laski (Naperville North)
    Brian Panek (Deerfield)
    Jeff Payne (Sterling Newman)
    Kevin Ross (Rolling Meadows)
1994 Hillary Bauer (Glenbrook North) Nate Bobofchak (Galesburg)
  Leah Meyers (Wheaton North) Andrew Lam (Springfield)
  Alice Rangsithianchai (H-F) Christian Trimmer (Glenbard West)
1993 Molly Monge (Peoria Richwoods) Josh Howell (Rock Island)
    Kris Vonheimburg (Fremd)
1992 Kathy George (Danville) Josh Leighton (Glenbrook North)
  Sara Johnson (Moline) Johnny Lin (Normal Community)
    Mike Michaud (Barrington)
    Matt Schlosser (Barrington)
1991 Julie Baird (Wheaton North) Mike Benivegna (Belleville East)
1990 Laura Dvorak (Lyons) Richard Watson (Waukegan)
1989   Matt Runyan (Danville)

Tom Pitchford

The memory of the man is the projection of his spirit. We honor individuals with the "Tom Pitchford Memorial Sportsmanship Award " each season to both girls and boys. Nominations are sent in by coaches and a committee selects the winners. 

A tribute to Tom Pitchford

October 1988 witnessed the passing of Mr. Tennis, truly a legend. We will forever value his tremendous contribution to tennis. His untimely death saddened junior tennis and created a vacuum never to be filled.

Tom Pitchford was the moving force in Illinois High School Tennis for years, a great inspiration and example for all tennis enthusiasts.

As a tournament director, Tom had few peers. He loved the challenge of organizing and mastering the details of the task. He thought the bigger the better. The Illinois State Tennis Tournament came of age under his direction. Coach Pitchford was indeed a blessing to Illinois tennis. Tom gave his all to make Illinois tennis a success. At a time when the state tennis tournament was floundering, he was the driving force to bring the tournament up north making it a respected state championship meet.

 The spirit of Tom Pitchford is ever present on the tennis courts of Illinois. He expressed all that is good in the game and in the hearts and minds of men and women who coached the sport and have been touched by his presence.

Nomination Form