Southern Tennis Hall of Fame

Fran Chandler, Tennessee, 2015

Fran Chandler, Tennessee, inducted in 2015

Finalist at the 1980 TSSAA State Single Tournament in 1980 while attending Jackson Central Merry High School
Played number 1 singles and doubles for Murray State University posting a 52-6 singles record and winning the 1982 Female Athlete of the Year Award
Transferred to the University of Mississippi after her sophomore year, earning All-SEC honors in 1983 and 1984 and winning the 1984 Ole Miss Female Athlete of the Year Award
Won the Equitable National Husband and Wife Mixed Doubles Championships in 1985 2 years after marrying Willie Chandler
Won 12 National Singles Championships and 5 National Doubles Championships, ranked number 1 in the nation 7 years and ranked in the top three 4 other years between 2001 and 2012
Represented the United States on the World Cup Team, winning 3 Margaret Court Cup titles as team captain and won the individual World Doubles title in 2008 and the individual World Singles title in 2010 and 2013 and was ranked number 1 in the International Tennis Federation
Received the 2008 Slew Hester Adult Achievement Award and has been inducted into the Jackson-Madison County Hall of Fame, the Tennessee Tennis Hall of Fame, and the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame

Brenda Carter, South Carolina, inducted in 2015

Played intramurals at Georgia Southern University
Competed in adult tournaments since the 1980’s, moved to Charleston in 1999 and made her first major mark winning the 55’s singles and doubles titles at the 2001 National Hardcourt Championships, the first of many national singles and doubles titles
Ranked number 1 in her age division 8 times from 2001 to 2013 (and within the top 5 the 4 remaining years), won the 2013 65’s singles national championships on 4 different surfaces (clay, hard, grass and indoor, dubbed the “Golden Slam”) and won doubles titles in 3 of 4 championship events
Won a World Singles title in 2007 and also has a World Doubles title and a World Mixed Doubles title
President of the National Senior Women’s Tennis Association 2009 to 2011 and served two terms on the USTA Adult/Senior Competition Committee
Played on numerous South Carolina Senior Cup, Southern Intersectional and National teams and captained the champion United States 65’s team at the 2014 Kitty Godfree Cup
USTA South Carolina Adult Player of the Year twice (2001 and 2006), USTA Southern Slew Hester Adult Achievement Award twice (2003 and 2011) as well as the NSWTA Margaret Russo Sportsmanship Award and the Betty Gray Washington Sportsmanship Award and was inducted into the Georgia Southern Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999 and the South Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame in 2009

Judy Utley, North Carolina, inducted in 2014

USTA League and recreational player and helped create the Gate City Women’s Tennis League and the Carlton Harris, Jr. Tennis League and was President of the Greensboro Tennis Association
Served as North Carolina State League Coordinator and as a member of the Board and was elected President of USTA North Carolina in 2000
Chaired the North Carolina Tennis Patrons Foundation Board and the Foundation Building Committee which raised over $1 million to build the USTA North Carolina offices and North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame
Received numerous North Carolina awards for her dedication to the sport including the 1989 Adult/Senior Tennis Council Award, the 1990 and 1997 District Service Award and the 1997 USTA League Award
Chairman of the USTA Southern League Committee, elected to the USTA Southern Board in 2001, President in 2007 and Chairman of the Southern Tennis Patrons Foundation in 2011
USTA Southern Delegate, a member of the USTA Executive Committee, Learning and Leadership Committee, Adult League Committee and Chairman of the USTA League Regulations Subcommittee, a USTA Council Chair and Chairman of the USTA Advisory Group on Committees
Received the Gerrie Rothwell Award, Jacobs Bowl and Charles Morris Volunteer Service Award from USTA Southern, the Barbara Williams Leadership Award from USTA and was inducted into the North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame in 2011

Randy Stephens, Georgia, inducted in 2014

Began playing tennis as a freshman in college and played on the Georgia State University varsity team in 1976 and 1977.
Tournament Director for the Southern Closed 14’s and a teaching professional for twenty years before becoming a financial advisor in 2007.
Elected President of the following organizations and served two terms for each: Macon Tennis Association, USTA Georgia, the Georgia Professional Tennis Association and the Southern Professional Tennis Association.
Chaired numerous USTA Southern Committees, including Junior Competition, Sanction and Schedule, and Nominating (twice), elected Southern President in 2001 and later served two terms as Chairman of the Southern Tennis Patrons Foundation.
USTA Southern Delegate and a member of the USTA Executive Committee, chaired the USTA Tennis Innovation and Wheelchair Committees and served on numerous other national committees as well as the ITF Wheelchair Committee.
Ranked number 1 in Georgia and in USTA Southern Men’s 35’s, 45’s and 55’s Doubles and 35s Mixed Doubles.
Received the USTA Southern Jacobs Bowl in 2000, the Charles Morris Volunteer Service Award in 2003 and has been inducted in numerous Hall of Fames including the Georgia Tennis Professionals Hall of Fame, the USPTA Southern Tennis Hall of Fame, and the Georgia Tennis Hall of Fame.

Armistead C. Neely, Georgia, inducted in 2014

Outstanding junior player and a member of the United States Junior Davis Cup team
Played number 1 for the University of Florida in the late 1960’s where he never lost a SEC singles dual match in 3 years of competition, was a 2-time All American, served as team captain and won 2 SEC singles and 2 SEC doubles titles
Began a 7-year pro career in 1971 where he won 11 titles on 5 continents, appeared in 3 Grand Slams and cofounded the first international tennis satellite tour, the first tournaments to award ATP points for satellite competition and established a Masters satellite tour-ending event
Coached the University of Alabama men’s team from 1977 to 1981
Supervised or directed more than 50 professional and junior tournaments, along with USTA satellite tour stops in Florida and Texas
Won 9 singles and 17 doubles titles at USTA National Championships in various age categories and played for 9 United States teams in international team competition, including 5 championship cup teams
Inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame and the Georgia Tennis Hall of Fame