Impact
Records
Stephanie Schrage
Millburn High School
Impact Statement
Schrage capped off a stellar high school career before heading to Princeton University.
Biography
Stephanie Schrage, who will play tennis in college at Princeton University, finished her high school career with a runner-up finish in the 2016 state individual championships.
Schrage captured the state title as a junior after a runner-up finish as a sophomore. She only lost three matches in her entire scholastic career with over 100 victories. Two of the losses came in the state finals, while the other was in the state quarterfinals as a freshman. Schrage has been a big part of the Millburn program that won four straight New Jersey Tournament of Champions state titles during her time in the program.
Millburn has won 99 straight matches heading into the 2017-18 high school sports season. She is ranked the No. 6 recruit in the Class of 2017 by The Tennis Recruiting Network. Schrage is the second New Jersey student-athlete to win the NHSCA Girls’ Tennis Athlete of the Year Award.
Schrage was named Second-team All-Ivy in singles both her freshman and sophomore season. She was also Academic All-Ivy honoree as a sophomore. Her junior year, she went 13-9 in the fall and spring season before the pandemic canceled the season.
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Records
Professional Achievements
Personal Honors
The Heritage High School
Villaflor led his tennis teams to success both on and off the court over his 41 years at the helm.
Villaflor led his tennis teams to success both on and off the court over his 41 years at the helm.
Dick Villaflor
The Heritage High School
Impact Statement
Villaflor led his tennis teams to success both on and off the court over his 41 years at the helm.
Biography
A state doubles champion at El Reno High School in 1973, Villaflor arrived at Heritage Hall in 1978 after graduating from the University of Central Oklahoma. He won his first girls state title in 1980 in 2A, and the Chargers are still going strong. They are now the four-time defending state champions, and Villaflor has won 21 girls state team titles. Along with the 11 titles he won when he coached the boys team, he has 32 state titles in all, along with 20 state runner-up finishes. This spring, Heritage Hall moved up to 5A after winning the past three years in 4A, giving Villaflor girls state titles in four different classifications. He also has coached boys and girls cross country and basketball during his tenure. All three of Villaflor’s children, Natalie (Class of 2004), Caleb (Class of 2008) and Carissa (Class of 2011) were state champion tennis players at Heritage Hall and earned college scholarships.
Villaflor served three one-year terms as president of the Oklahoma Tennis Coaches Association (OTCA), and now serves as its Executive Director. The OTCA named him its Coach of the Year in 2003. Villaflor was named National Girls Tennis Coach of the Year by the National High School Athletic Coaches Association in 2011 and by the National Federation of State High School Associations this year.
After being honored, Villaflor stepped away from Heritage Hill in 2013. He took a teaching and coaching position at Yukon High School.
After 41 years, Villaflor stepped down from Yukon in 2020 but plans to be active in some capacity.
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Professional Achievements
Lewiston High School
Murphy is still building on her tremendous career that boasts twelve State Titles, including one in 2019.
Murphy is still building on her tremendous career that boasts twelve State Titles, including one in 2019.
Anita Murphy
Lewiston High School
Impact Statement
Murphy is still building on her tremendous career that boasts twelve State Titles, including one in 2019.
Biography
Now retired from teaching, Murphy led two girls sports powerhouses at Lewiston, and her resume includes a combined 20 state championships. She is starting her 34th season as girls tennis coach, and under her direction, the Blue Devils are the five-time defending Class A state champions.
Her teams have made 18 trips to the state championship match and won 11 state titles overall, along with 13 Eastern Maine regional titles and 16 conference titles. Murphy’s career record is 391-56, and entering this season, her teams had not lost a match since the 2005 regional. Murphy also led the Lewiston girls soccer team to nine state titles, ending a run of 30 years as head coach with a third straight state title in 2009.
Murphy has received the Auburn-Lewiston Sports Hall of Fame Presidential Award 11 times and will be inducted into the Hall of Fame this year. A recipient of the USA Tennis New England Junior Tennis Chapter of the Year award for her work with Lewiston’s youth tennis program, Murphy was named the Maine Tennis Coach of the Year in 2001 and was recognized by the National Federation of State High School Associations as its National Girls Tennis Coach of the Year in 2008.
This spring, she was one of five recipients of the Unsung Heroines in Maine Sports awards presented during the Mentoring Women in Sports XIII Conference, hosted by the Maine Principals Association.
Since being honored, Murphy has continued to lead Lewiston to success. Her girls went on to place second in the state another three times in 2015, 2016, and 2018. In 2018, she was inducted into the Maine Sports Hall of Fame. Most recently, her team won the 2019 State Championship. Making this one special, her granddaughter was a team member. She has coached her daughter as well.
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Records
Professional Achievements
Brookfield Central High School
“Quantity plus Quality equals Success”
-Dave Steinbach’s motto
“Quantity plus Quality equals Success”
-Dave Steinbach’s motto
Dave Steinbach
Brookfield Central High School
Impact Statement
“Quantity plus Quality equals Success”
-Dave Steinbach’s motto
Biography
Steinbach has coached Brookfield Central’s boys’ and girls’ tennis teams for 28 seasons and his teams have combined for 13 Division 1 state team titles and 13 runner-up finishes. Nine of those titles belong to the girls’ team, which took state gold five straight years from 1983-87 and also won three titles this decade, in 2002, 2003 and 2006. He has coached two boys’ doubles teams and two girls’ doubles teams to state titles.
The chairman of the United States Tennis Association’s No-Cut Program, his girls’ tennis teams boast 120 players and his boys’ teams 95 players. Now retired from teaching at Brookfield Central, Steinbach is on the faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
A past president of the Wisconsin High School Coaches Association (WHSCA), Steinbach has earned many national coaching honors, including Coach of the Year by the National Federation of State High School Associations in 2003; High School Tennis Coach of the Year by Racquet Sports Industry magazine in 2006; and Coach of the Year by the United States Professional Tennis Association in 1998 and 2007. The WHSCA named Steinbach Division 1 Boys Coach of the Year in 2000 and Girls Coach of the Year in 2002, 2003 and 2007.
Since being honored, Steinbach has continued to lead Brookfield Central. Steinbach has coached 13 State Championships teams and 13 teams to State Runner Up finishes. His teams have qualified for the state tournament 39 times over the course of his career. He has also notched over 1,000 victories.
Steinbach has had a ‘no cut’ team policy throughout his career. He has coached over 6,000 student athletes according to Brookfield Central. On October 6, 2018, Brookfield Central honored Coach Steinbach with the dedication of the Dave Steinbach Tennis Center .
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Professional Achievements
Haddonfield Memorial High School
“We try to get them to enjoy the sport. One of our goals is to get them involved as life-long tennis players.”
-Jeff Holman
“We try to get them to enjoy the sport. One of our goals is to get them involved as life-long tennis players.”
-Jeff Holman
Jeff Holman
Haddonfield Memorial High School
Impact Statement
“We try to get them to enjoy the sport. One of our goals is to get them involved as life-long tennis players.”
-Jeff Holman
Biography
In 33 seasons as Haddonfield’s girls’ tennis coach and 31 at the helm of the boys’ team, Holman has coached more than 2,000 matches and has won a national-record 1,730 of them. That includes a record of 871-120 as girls’ coach. His program regularly attracts about 120 boys and girls players each year. Holman’s traveling team, made up of varsity and JV players, includes 27 girls, along with another 30 or so involved in the program’s intramural league, which meets up to three times per week and often sends girls to varsity and junior varsity matches.
Last fall Haddonfield finished 30-3 and won the Colonial Conference, Group 2 South Jersey and Group 2 state championships, advancing to the Tournament of Champions semifinals. His team won the inaugural Tournament of Champions crown in 1980. Holman, whose teams have won 30 conference titles, 27 sectional crowns and 14 state group championships, was named the state’s Girls’ Tennis Coach of the Year this season by the Newark Star-Ledger. He was inducted into the Camden County Sports Hall of Fame this year.
Since being honored, Holman has continued to lead Haddonfield to success on and off the tennis courts. In 2014 Holman hit win 1,000 for his boy’s teams. Through 2019 Holman boasts 1,169 Girls’ wins and 1,146 Boys’ victories. Collectively, Holman’s teams have won 30 NJISAA State Championships. Both teams have won 41 Colonial Conference titles.
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Articles
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Professional Achievements
Personal Honors
Jasper High School
Yarbrough has coached more then 30 years at Jasper and guided players and team to state championships over this tenure.
Yarbrough has coached more then 30 years at Jasper and guided players and team to state championships over this tenure.
Ed Yarbrough
Jasper High School
Impact Statement
Yarbrough has coached more then 30 years at Jasper and guided players and team to state championships over this tenure.
Biography
Overall, Yarbrough has coached 37 years at Jasper. Last fall he finished his 34th season at the helm of the boys’ tennis team; this spring marks his 21st season leading the girls squad. He is the state’s all-time winningest coach with 813 dual-meet victories – 501 with the boys’ team and 312 with the girls.
The Indiana High School Tennis Coaches Association (IHSTeCA) named him District 5 Girls Coach of the Year in 2002, 2003 and 2007 and bestowed him with state Coach of the Year honors in 2007 after his team finished 19-1 and placed third in the state team tournament. This year’s team is ranked No. 4 in the state. Both of his state championships came in 1999 – a girls’ doubles title in the spring and a boy’s team crown in the fall. His teams also boast five state runnerup finishes – the boys in 1985 and 1987 and the girls in 1992, 2002 and 2003.
Inducted into the IHSTeCA Hall of Fame in 1994, Yarbrough started his Jasper coaching career as an assistant football coach in 1971 and 1972.
Since being honored, Yarbrough continued to coach until the 2010 season. He boasts over 900 career victories.
Yarbrough passed away on June 19, 2010. Yarbrough is remembered by many and honored with an annual award, the Ed Yarbrough Community Service Award. This award honors a coach with a longtime commitment to developing a tennis program in his/her community.
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Professional Achievements
Edina High School
“We try to put a product on where the kids love to play, they love to come to tennis, they learn and have fun, and we’ve been successful doing that.” -Steve Paulsen
“We try to put a product on where the kids love to play, they love to come to tennis, they learn and have fun, and we’ve been successful doing that.” -Steve Paulsen
Steve Paulsen
Edina High School
Impact Statement
“We try to put a product on where the kids love to play, they love to come to tennis, they learn and have fun, and we’ve been successful doing that.” -Steve Paulsen
Biography
Paulsen has coached Edina’s girls teams for 15 seasons, and his teams have won the last 10 Class AA state team titles, with 11 titles overall. His Hornets’ teams have won 108 of 109 conference dual meets, and his career record stands at 320-9. His players have won six state singles titles and six state doubles titles. In 2005 Paulsen was selected the Class AA Girls Tennis Coach of the Year by the Minnesota Tennis Coaches Association.
In addition to coaching girls tennis at Edina, Paulsen coaches the boys team at Eastview High in Apple Valley, and one of his players advanced to the state singles finals in 2006. He coaches eight women’s league teams and three junior development groups, and has been a clinician for the United States Tennis Association at the Fort Snelling Tennis and Learning Center.
Since being honored in 2007 Paulsen has continued to lead Edina, a perennial power on the court. Edina won sixteen straight titles from 1997 until 2012.
After 28 years Paulsen retired in 2019 and went out on top with a victory over Minnetonka 7-0 to claim their 23rd State Championship. Paulsen boasts over 600 career wins. Three of his boys’ teams have also won state titles.
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Articles
Records
Dr. Michael Krop High School
““The motivation comes from just keeping people off the streets and inspire them to do better.”
-Michael Kypriss
““The motivation comes from just keeping people off the streets and inspire them to do better.”
-Michael Kypriss
Michael Kypriss
Dr. Michael Krop High School
Impact Statement
““The motivation comes from just keeping people off the streets and inspire them to do better.”
-Michael Kypriss
Biography
Kypriss has coached nine state championship teams in a career spanning more than 20 seasons. Between 1987 and 1995, his girls’ teams at Miami Killian High won six Class 4A titles and added three state runner-up finishes. His boys’ teams were state champions in 1997 and 1998. In 1999 Kypriss moved on to Dr. Krop, with his boys’ team winning the 2004 state title. The boys’ and girls’ teams each have two runner-up finishes to their credit as well, and both teams have qualified for this month’s state team championships.
Overall, his teams have combined for more than 850 victories. The National High School Athletic Coaches Association selected Kypriss as its Southeast Region Coach of the Year this year. Also the founder and owner of the Michael Kypriss Junior Tennis Academy, located in Aventura, FL., Kypriss was selected Florida Coach of the Year by the United States Tennis Association (USTA) in 1996 and was a USTA National Coach of the Year finalist in 1991.
Since being honored, Kypriss lead Dr. Krop to prolonged success and is still leading the way. After 35 years of coaching, Kypriss boasts 16 state championships, 11 state runners-up finishes, 30 district and 24 regional titles.
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Professional Achievements
Catalina Foothills High School
“Coaching is my passion — I love connecting with the kids.” -Kristie Stevens
“Coaching is my passion — I love connecting with the kids.” -Kristie Stevens
Kristie Stevens
Catalina Foothills High School
Impact Statement
“Coaching is my passion — I love connecting with the kids.” -Kristie Stevens
Biography
Stevens’ Catalina Foothills High team recently won its sixth consecutive Class 4A state title. During the regular season they also established statewide supremacy with a 7-2 victory over the two-time Class 5A team champion, Tucson Salpointe High. Stevens also coached the individual state champions in singles and doubles four straight years, from 2001-04.
Since honoring Stevens in 2005, she continues to lead Catalina Foothills and maintains their status as one of the best teams in Arizona.
In 2019 Stevens announced she would be retiring at the the completion of the season after 26 years. Her departure was par for the course as she and the Falcons won their 15th State Championship. This feat is only matched by one other coach and team in Arizona’s storied history.
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Records
Professional Achievements
Sunset High School
“Tennis is not just a sport, but a microcosm of you and a part of who you are. Tennis is an avenue for kids to develop, and I want to help them as much as I can.”
“Tennis is not just a sport, but a microcosm of you and a part of who you are. Tennis is an avenue for kids to develop, and I want to help them as much as I can.”
Emilio Gonzalez
Sunset High School
Impact Statement
“Tennis is not just a sport, but a microcosm of you and a part of who you are. Tennis is an avenue for kids to develop, and I want to help them as much as I can.”
Biography
In Girls’ Tennis NHSCA Coach of the Year Emilio Gonzalez kept Miami, Florida Sunset High on its record-breaking path with a ninth straight and 13th overall Florida 4A title this season.
While at Sunset his teams won 10 consecutive 4A state championships. That streak is a record that still stands. He also coached the boys’ tennis team to three straight titles. In 2003 his boys team won a National Tennis Tournament. Gonzalez retired from the Dade County school
system after 40 years.
Gonzalez still helps kids of all ages on the court. He was named USTA’s Volunteer of the Month in May of 2017 for his efforts in the Miami and Clearwater tennis communities.
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Community Service
Gonzalez is a board member with the Suncoast Tennis Association.
Records
Professional Achievements
Lakeridge High school
“Surround yourself with greatness and learn from people you can trust and will always have your back.” -Anni Miller
“Surround yourself with greatness and learn from people you can trust and will always have your back.” -Anni Miller
Anni Miller
Lakeridge High school
Impact Statement
“Surround yourself with greatness and learn from people you can trust and will always have your back.” -Anni Miller
Biography
Anni Miller has continued to demonstrate a commitment to high school athletics, while also being a leader in the sport of tennis outside the prep arena,” said NHSCA executive director Bob Ferraro. “The NHSCA is proud to honor Anni Miller as the National High School Girls Tennis Coach of the Year.”
Miller coached the Pacers to their second state championship in four years this past season, her 19th with Lakeridge High. The 2003 squad also won its 15th straight Three Rivers League title. Miller, who also has an outstanding reputation as a tennis teaching professional, has previously earned two international coach of the year honors and has been an Oregon Coach of the Year on four occasions.
Miller decided to step down from her coaching responsibilities in 2007 while leaving a 22 year legacy behind.
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Professional Achievements
Beverly Hills High school
She taught her students that what was even more important than winning – and she was competitive – was sportsmanship. -Laura Coleman (Beverly Hills News writer)
She taught her students that what was even more important than winning – and she was competitive – was sportsmanship. -Laura Coleman (Beverly Hills News writer)
Susan Stevens
Beverly Hills High school
Impact Statement
She taught her students that what was even more important than winning – and she was competitive – was sportsmanship. -Laura Coleman (Beverly Hills News writer)
Biography
Stevens has been head tennis coach at Beverly Hills High for 28 years and her last two teams may have been her best. In 2000, Beverly Hills captured the CIF Division II state title for the first time in 28 years and won the prestigious National High School All-America Tournament, which was held in Newport Harbor. SchoolSports.com named the entire Beverly Hills team as its Girls Tennis Player of the Year that season, the only time the service has ever done so. Beverly Hills High repeated as CIF Southern Section champions this year, this time in Division III. Stevens retired after the 2001-2002 season.
In 2015, she was honored with the McCarthy Lifetime Achievement award by the Beverly Hills Athletic Alumni Association. Stevens passed away in March of 2017.
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Records
Professional Achievements
Cardinal Gibbons High School
Over the course of her career she has coached 26 State Championships teams thus far.
Over the course of her career she has coached 26 State Championships teams thus far.
Jo Cabana
Cardinal Gibbons High School
Impact Statement
Over the course of her career she has coached 26 State Championships teams thus far.
Biography
In nine years as head coach, Cabana has coached Cardinal Gibbons High’s girls teams to eight Class 2A state championships, including the last four years. She has coached two individual singles players and three doubles teams to state titles. This year’s team lost just one match en route to the title. Cabana also has led the Cardinal Gibbons boys teams to the last five state titles.
In 2003 Cabana left Cardinal Gibbons and took a position at Charlotte Catholic High School in North Carolina.
Cabana led the girls’ team to a 3A Dual State Championship in 2017, 2018 and 2019. In the last two years they have been undefeated and have a 67 game winning streak. Their last loss came in August of 2017.
In her 26 year coaching career, she has a lot to boast about including 2 girls titles at St. Thomas Aquinas, eight boys and 7 girls titles at Cardinal Gibbons and nine girls titles at Charlotte Catholic.
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Professional Achievements
Needham Broughton High School
“Number 1, you’ve got to have a love for your sport. … The other thing is you gotta be able to motivate.”
-Steve Spivey
“Number 1, you’ve got to have a love for your sport. … The other thing is you gotta be able to motivate.”
-Steve Spivey
Steve Spivey
Needham Broughton High School
Impact Statement
“Number 1, you’ve got to have a love for your sport. … The other thing is you gotta be able to motivate.”
-Steve Spivey
Biography
“Steve Spivey is an outstanding example for successful high school tennis coaches,” NHSCA executive director Bob Ferraro said. “They place a high value on the teamwork skills players learn for success in the classroom and on the field, and we are proud to be honoring him.”
Spivey has built a powerhouse at Broughton High over the past decade. Under his leadership the Caps have won back-to-back Class 4A state team titles twice in the past five years, scoring a perfect 6-0 shutout in the state title match a year ago. Spivey’s teams won in 1995, 1996, 1998, and 1999, and built a state tournament record of 30-5 during the decade. Despite this recent success, Spivey says this year’s Caps team (2000), which includes just one senior, is much better than last year’s team. In addition to his team success, Spivey has coached Broughton to six Class 4A Duals and State Singles Championships
Spivey didn’t stop after a successful 2000, he continued to dominate until his retirement from Broughton in 2010. He ended his career with 40 league titles and 21 State Championships.
Spivey came out of retirement and took to the court at Enloe High School. He is the second known coach to reach 1,000 wins in his career.
In addition to his coaching, Spivey has been an official since 1991. In 2012, he officiated the NCAA Division III Championships that were held in Cary.
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