Remembering the Legacies of ITA Hall of Famers We Lost in 2023
The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) would like to honor the members of the ITA Hall of Fame whom we lost in 2023; Barbara Scofield Davison, Belmar Gunderson, Dave Snyder, David Borelli, Dick Leach, Jerry Simmons, Robert Perry, and Virginia Brown. — Barbara Scofield Davidson – A tennis visionary to all, Barbara Scofield Davidson led a whirlwind life full of international travel and success at the junior, collegiate, and professional levels. As a California Junior Tennis Champion, Davidson was the top-ranked female junior player in Northern California, being the state’s champion in women’s singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. In 1947, Davidson attended the University of Miami (FL) on one of the institution’s first-ever women’s athletic scholarships. While there, she won the Eastern Intercollegiate Championships. In 1949, Davidson reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open, the U.S. Championships at the time. Davidson would continue her time on tour, playing at Wimbledon, the French Open, and all across the globe, resulting in five various top ten women’s singles world rankings. Between 1946 and 1956, Davidson would reach the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, the semifinals at the French Open, and would win the 1950 French Open Mixed Doubles title. In her later years, Davidson began competing again, this time as a senior in national and international tournaments. She was ranked as high as No. 2 in the world in the 70-plus age division. Outside of tennis, Davidson enjoyed collecting fine art, something she became passionate about due to her international travels. She was inducted into the ITA Women’s Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame in 2004, and the USTA Northern California Tennis Hall of Fame in 2013. Belmar Gunderson – Known as the “Mother of Women’s Intercollegiate Tennis” Belmar Gunderson made leaps and bounds for the sport of women’s college tennis. From 1975-76, Gunderson became the first director of the University of Minnesota women’s athletics department, laying the foundation for future generations of student-athletes. Following her time in that position, Gunderson worked as the university’s extramural and intramural sports director, teaching in the physical education department and coaching several sports, before leading the new women’s department. In his role, Gunderson spearheaded the formation of the Patty Berg Scholarship Fund to provide athletic scholarships to women. Her efforts led to an annual department budget of $330,000. Gunderson found a great deal of success on the court herself in the early 1950s at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She competed in many premier tennis tournaments, including Wimbledon and the U.S. Lawn Tennis National Championships. Gunderson was nationally ranked as high as No. 11 in singles and No. 2 in doubles, competing in USTA and ITF World doubles events for decades following her time in Greensboro. By the conclusion of her playing and professional career, Gunderson dedicated over 50 years to women’s athletics. She was inducted into the Minnesota M Club Hall of Fame in 2003 and was a charter member of the UNC-Greensboro Athletics Hall of Fame in 2000. Gunderson was awarded the USTA Service Bowl Award in 2011, an award given out annually to a female player who has made a notable contribution to the sportsmanship, fellowship, and service of tennis. Gunderson was inducted into the ITA Women’s Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame in 2004. Dave Snyder – During Snyder’s 28 seasons leading the Texas men’s tennis program, he guided the Longhorns to nine conference titles and finished his time in Austin with a 536-178 (.751) dual-match record. Spanning over his three decades at Texas, Snyder developed 27 All-Americans and two NCAA Singles National Champions, Kevin Curren (1979) and Steve Bryan (1990). Snyder earned the ITA National Coach of the Year honors in 1985, ITCA at the time, when he led the Longhorns to a 26-5 overall record and the NCAA quarterfinals. Snyder concluded his career with nine consecutive NCAA tournament berths, including a semifinal appearance in 1993. When stepping down as head coach at Texas in 2000, Snyder did so as the winningest active collegiate tennis coach in NCAA Division I men’s tennis. Before his time in Austin, Snyder served as the head coach at the University of Arizona, posting a 161-48 (.770) record, which combined with his Texas dual-match record, brings his career win-loss record to 697-266 (.755) over his 41 year career. A Longhorn through and through, Snyder competed on the Texas men’s tennis team from 1952-1956, winning three Southwest Conference titles and finishing as the National Finalist at the 1955 NCAA Championships. In 1956, Snyder captured the Southwest Conference doubles title alongside partner Sammy Giammalva. In 1988, Snyder was inducted into the Longhorn Hall of Honor and the Texas Tennis Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Texas Tennis Coaches Association Hall of Fame, Missouri Valley Tennis Hall of Fame, and the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame. In 2001, Snyder was inducted into the ITA Men’s Tennis Hall of Fame. David Borelli – From 1974-1988, Borelli was the head coach of the USC Women’s Tennis team. While at the helm of the program, Borelli won seven NCAA National Championships and compiled an impressive .870 winning percentage with the Women of Troy. In 1981, he was named NCAA National Collegiate Coach of the Year. During his time at USC, Borelli led his players to five NCAA Singles National Championships and one NCAA Doubles National Championship, with 25 of his players earning a total of 56 All-America honors. After his time at USC, Borelli continued his work mentoring players, including coaching future top professional Mardy Fish, as a USTA professional tour coach. In 2002, Borelli became the head women’s coach at TCU, and earned ITA Regional Coach of the Year honors in the 2005 season. He spent 12 years with the TCU, coaching both the women’s and men’s teams during his time in Fort Worth. Borelli served as the chair of the National Collegiate Tennis Coaches Committee, the Western Collegiate Athletic Association, the Pac-10 Coaches Committee, and was on the board of directors of the Central California Tennis Association. He also spent time serving on the …
Read more “Remembering the Legacies of ITA Hall of Famers We Lost in 2023”
