Maureen Connolly Brinker Award

In 1953, a young girl won the Grand Slam of tennis.  She was the first woman to ever capture this elusive crown by winning the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.  She was only 18 years old when she accomplished this magnificent feat.  From that time on, Maureen Connolly was known as the incomparable "Little Mo."

In her short professional tennis career that lasted only four years, Maureen Connolly won 12 Grand Slam titles, including 3 straight Wimbledons, 3 straight U.S. Opens, 2 straight French Opens and 2 straight Australian Opens.  She was the number one ranked woman player in the world between 1952 and 1954 and was three-times voted the Woman Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press.  Not surprisingly, Maureen's junior tennis career also includes two Girls' 18s National Singles titles, one at the age of 14.

Though her brilliant tennis career ended in July 1954 due to a serious leg injury, Maureen continued to be a major influence in the world of tennis.  In 1955 she married Norman Brinker, a member of the 1952 Olympic Equestrian Team, after which they made their home in Dallas.

As one of Dallas' new residents, she was anxious to promote her beloved game of tennis and in 1968 she joined her dear friend Nancy Jeffett, a one-time junior champion, to co-found the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation.  Maureen once said she enjoyed working with juniors and encouraged them because "there is nothing like competition. It teaches you early in life to win and lose, and, when you lose, to put your chin out instead of dropping it."

Although Maureen died at the early age of 34, her dream of helping young tennis players lives on in more ways than Little Mo could have ever imagined.  While her Foundation's first goal was to raise money to send some Texas girls off to the Nationals (now the USTA International Grass Court Championships), today it is involved in literally dozens of altruistic activities, from sponsoring tournaments to presenting awards to funding travel grants for deserving young players.  Virtually every top American female player during the past 30 years has benefited in some way from the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation, either as a member of a foundation team or as a recipient of a foundation award or grant.

The Foundation's showpieces are a pair of international team events, the Maureen Connolly Challenge Trophy, which matches a team of 19-and-under US women against their counterparts from Great Britain, and the Maureen Connolly Brinker Cup, which pairs US girls in the 16s, 14s and 12s divisions against similar teams from Australia.  It also sponsors the "Little Mo" for boys and girls ages 10 and under.

The Foundation sponsors the Maureen Connolly Brinker Award presented to the 18-and-under girl player in the United States with the most outstanding full season performance.  The magnificent silver bowl representing this award is kept with The Nationals and has the name of each year's winner inscribed upon it.  The recipient of the award receives an engraved silver tray.

Recipients of the Award are:

2009  Christina McHale
2008  Jamie Hampton
2007  Ashley Weinhold
2006  Lauren Albanese
2005  Mary Gambale
2004  Jessica Kirkland
2003  Theresa Logar
2002  Alexandra Podkolzina
2001  Amber Liu
2000  Kristin Schlukebir
1999  Laura Granville
1998  Laura Granville
1997  Jacqueline Trail
1996  Lilia Osterloh
1995  Aubrie Rippner
1994  Meilen Tu
1993  Julie Scott
1992  Julie Steven
1991  Lindsay Davenport
1990  Lisa Raymond
1989  Lisa Raymond
1988  Meredith McGrath
1987  Ann Grossman
1986  Tami Whitlinger,  Nicole Arendt
1985  Stephanie Rehe
1984  Melissa Gurney
1983  Caroline Kuhlman
1982  Gretchen Rush
1981  Andrea Leand
1980  Susan Mascarin
1979  Mary Lou Piatek
1978  Tracy Austin
1977  Anne Smith
1976  Lynn Epstein
1975  Beth Norton
1974  Kathy May
1973  Betsy Nagelsen
1972  Marita Redondo
1971  Chris Evert
1970  Sharon Walsh
1969  Eliza Pande