The Spirit of Max Award, presented by the Sioux Falls Tennis Association, is dedicated in memory of Max Beeners. Max was a courageous student and tennis player at Roosevelt High School who passed away in June of 1999 after a lengthy battle with cancer. In addition to tennis Max was a leader in school, the community, and in his church. With a sense of humor and a million-dollar smile Max kept his faith and met his goal of graduating from Roosevelt High shortly before passing away. In honor of Max, the South Dakota Tennis Association presents this award annually to a deserving senior, boy and girl tennis player following their respective State High School Tennis Tournaments.
Criteria
1. The nominee must be a senior.
2. Academic achievement as determined by class rank and a minimum of a 3.5 grade average on a 4.0 scale.
3. Tennis Achievement during their tennis career including high school and non high school participation.
4. Sportsmanship. Shows respect for all athletes, coaches, and officials on and off the court.
5. Non-tennis extracurriculars.
6. Character. Able to interact in a positive fashion with students and adults, displaying selfdiscipline,high ethics, and respectful behavior and is a positive role model for young people.
Nominations
To be eligible for the award, each player must be nominated by his or her high school coach using the attached form. Only one player may be nominated from each school. For more information, contact:
Jeff Bloomberg
Tennis Association
PO Box 323
Pierre SD 57501
Selection Process
1. A selection committee, made up of coaches shall review the top five nominees and select the
award recipient. None of the coaches shall be a family member or coach of a nominee.
2. The award shall be announced during the awards presentation of the state tournament.
Past Award Winners
2000-01
Alisha Dahlsted, Brookings
Ryan Elwood, Yankton
2001-02
Liz Donohue, SF O'Gorman
Andrew Krueger, SF Lincoln
2002-03
Katie Chiu, SF Lincoln
Pete Sveen, Aberdeen Central
2003-04
Kyna Williams, Yankton
Braden Bradfield, SF O'Gorman
2004-05
Jill Suurmeyer, Aberdeen Central
Matt Townsend, SF O'Gorman
2005-06
Karmen Hettinger, Mitchell
Ryan Barber, RC Central
2006-07
Whitney Paluch, RC Stevens
Jerry Bollinger, Pierre-Riggs
2007-08
Lorena Reichert, RC Central
Luke Lynass, Sturgis