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—Tribune PhotoSTUDENT AND COACH—Margo Loveland and her coach since she started playing tennis at age nine, Bill Baker, admire the Joe Dnbben Memorial plaque. The award, to be presented every year to the best local tennis player, was instigated by local tennis enthusiasts in honor of the late Mr. Dribben, a rabid net fan. Miss Loveland is the first winner of the coveted plaque.Margo Loveland Compiles Outstanding Net RecordMargo Loveland, the finest tennis player developed in La Crosse during the past decade, 1ms compiled an outstanding record playing on the courts around the Midwest.Poised and confident, this attractive young lady has reached the age where she must find new competition to conquer. Now 13 and headed for her freshman year at Stephens College on Columbia, Mo., Margo is no longer eligible to compete in many of the tournaments she dominated so many times.Winner of numerous trophies since beginning tournament competition back in 1951, Margo has added a new award to her collection.She was recently designated the ' first winner of the Joe Dribben Memorial plaque by local tennis enthusiasts. The plaque, in memory of the man who contributed so much to tennis locally, will be awarded each year to the outstanding La Crosse netter.it it itBy actual count Margo has won an assortment of 39 different ten-ms awards and Sunday she hopes to make it an even 40 in the City Recreation Department’s mixed doubles tournarnefit at the La Crosse State College courts.Margo and Bill Baker, the man who has been her tennis coach since sfie took up the game at age nine, are the defending mixed doubles champions of the city.During her career, Margo, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Loveland of 447 N. 24th St., has done considerable traveling to play tennis.Besides the tournaments around Wisconsin every summer, Margo has also played in Illinois, Iowa, Michigan and Ohio events.During the summer and fall at home, Margo plays tennis virtually every day. ’‘Whenever Margo leaves the house during the day i I know she's headed for the ten-; ms court,” her proud mother said.☆ * ☆ i With college days beckoning,’ Margo believes she’ll be able to play even more tennis at Stephens, an exclusive girls’ school. “The seasons in Missouri are longer and I hope to play a lot during my free time at school,” Margo said.She’ll receive additional training from an expert at Stephens, too. Mary Hardwick Hare, a ranking English player and former Wimbledon champion, makes spring and fall visits to the'i school giving tennis instructions to the students.This summer Margo was one of 11 girls in the Western Assn., the group which governs tennis in the Midwest, to spend four days at a training school in Kalamazoo, Mich. The training school staff included such tennis greats as Don Budge, Pauline Betz and Mrs. Hare.it it itTennis has been good to Miss Loveland and by her own admission she became interested in the popular sport through the encouragement of her parents and the patient and thorough training given by Baker in the City Recrea-I tion Department’s summer pro-j gram.! “Mr. Baker deserves much of the credit for my winning in tennis,” Margo said. She also lauded the training offered young people in the city by the recreation department and encouraged others to take advantage of the pro-j gram.it it itWhile she has won a lot of matches and has the trophies as j proof of her prowess, Margo has j also tasted the sting of defeat, ;“The one big thing tennis has ! taught Margo,” Mrs. Loveland j said, “is respect for her opponents and how to take defeat gracefully.”Baker has nothing but praise j for his star pupil. “She has always followed instructions and is eager to improve on her game,” Baker said.“And,” Baker continued, becoming a champion has not spoiled Margo in any way. She’s been both a true champion and a good loser.”Among the championships won by Miss Loveland she considers the 1954 victory in the State Jay-cee tournament, for girls 15, among her greatest thrills. She defeated Jean Sorum of Madison, her chief opponent in the state, for the championship.it it it Here is a list of the championships won by Miss Loveland since 1951:1951 and 1952—La Crosse women’s singles: 1953—girls 13, Rochester invitational; 1954—La Crosse women’s singles; girls 15, state Jaycee tournament; girls 15, Rochester invitational; City mixed doubles with Phil Ander-1955—La Crosse women’s singles; women’s doubles with Janet Fraser, Wisconsin Open, Janesville; 1956—La Crosse women’s singles; girls 18, Cedar Rapids, I| Iowa; girls 18 doubles with Re I nee Wagner, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; La Crosse mixed doubles with j Bill Baker; women's doubles with Janet Fraser, Southern Wisconsin 1 open, Janesville; women’s doubles with Janet Fraser, Fond du Lac J open; women’s doubles with Janet Fraser, Wisconsin closed, Wauwatosa; girls 18 singles, Wisconsin closed, Wauwatosa; women’s j doubles with Janet Fraser, Chene-j qua Country Club open, Oconomo-; WOC.j 1957—La Crosse women’s sin-jgles; girls 18 singles, Wisconsin [open, Ripon; women's doubles j with Janet Fraser, Wisconsin open, | Ripon; women’s singles, Fond du Lac open; women’s doubles with j Janet Fraser, Fend du Lac open; i women’s singles, Wisconsin ; closed, Wauwatosa; girls 18 singles, Wisconsin closed, Wauwatosa.In addition to the above-mentioned championships. Miss Loveland also represented La Crosse on the Western Assn. Junior Wightman cup team during the past three years. She also won championships in the Milwaukee Journal District tournament in La Crosse in 1952 and 1954 tlirough 1957 and holds major ranking in the state and Western Assn.-KEN BLANCHARD;)cTROPHY COLLECTION—These are the 39tennis trophies Margo Loveland has won since entering tournament competition in La Crosse and around the Midwest in 1951. Miss Loveland,—Tribune Photo*18, will try for her 40th trophy today when she and Bill Baker, her tennis coach, defend their title m the city mixed doubles tournament at the La Crosse State College courts.
Newspaper Details
La Crosse Sunday Tribune
La Crosse, Wisconsin, US
Sun, Sep 08, 1957
Page 17
Full Page
Clipped by
La C.
WI, USA 14 Aug 2024
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