Subscribe

News

USTA Middle States Announces 2019 Hall of Fame Inductees

August 11, 2019

USTA Middle States announced the class for the 2019 Middle States Hall of Fame. The inductees are Shari Bucklin-Webber, Virgil Christian, Dan Faber and Ann LoPrinzi.

The 24th Middle States Hall of Fame Induction Dinner and Auction will take place on Thursday, Oct. 17 at the Boathouse at Mercer Lake in West Windsor, N.J.

The USTA Middle States Hall of Fame Induction Dinner and Auction takes place every two years and rotates among the Middle States districts. The event provides an opportunity for all who love the game of tennis to celebrate the past and support the future.

Proceeds from the Middle States Hall of Fame benefit junior tennis programs and further tennis education objectives in Middle States, through the USTA Foundation.

Shari Bucklin-Webber

Bucklin-Webber has been a tennis leader and pioneer for 30-plus years. She began her career as a standout junior and collegiate player, continuing to play competitively after leaving school. Since then she’s stood out in USTA Tournaments (local and national) and through Intersectional play. Bucklin-Webber shares her expertise on the tennis court with the many players she coaches. She was the first woman to be named PSAC (Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference) Men’s Coach of the Year. She most recently took over the Kutztown University tennis program.

Virgil Christian

Currently the Senior Director of Market Development and Collegiate Tennis at the USTA, Christian’s work in tennis spans every level. Christian provided the vision for the USTA National Campus, which has shifted the landscape of tennis in the United States. He is an innovator and leader in the area of properly-sized equipment and courts, helping to introduce the game to a new generation of tennis players. On the local level, he’s assisted with more than 400 tennis facilities and park and recreation programs in Middle States.

Dan Faber

Faber’s dedication to improving lives through tennis spans two decades. During that time he has had a profound impact on education and opportunity for youth. Currently the Executive Director of the USTA Foundation, Faber began his career as a teacher in Pennsylvania. He later became a staff member at NJTL of Trenton, eventually becoming the organization’s Executive Director. Faber took NJTL of Trenton to new heights while also developing the Academic Creative Engagement (ACE) curriculum in 2012, which is utilized by NJTL chapters across the country.

Ann LoPrinzi

LoPrinzi broke new ground in local USTA circles as a volunteer, player and writer. Perhaps best known for her writing, LoPrinzi spent nearly 30 years writing a twice-weekly tennis column in the Trenton Times, a regional daily newspaper covering central New Jersey. She often wrote about USTA Tournaments, USTA League Tennis teams and the many tennis happenings in New Jersey and Middle States as a whole. LoPrinzi has served the USTA in various roles at the district, section and national level.