Denise is currently ranked #19 with Olga Martinsone nationally. Denise is passionate about teaching and playing platform tennis and tennis. She is the Founder/Director of "For the Love of the Game" Tennis Camp (2005-present), a Tennis Professional at College Park Athletic Club (2009-present), and the Girls Head Varsity Tennis Coach at Lake Forest High School (2005-present).  Under Denise’s leadership, Lake Forest High School has won 3 State championship titles (2010, 2012, 2013), and in 2010, she was awarded " Coach of the Year" by the IHSTCA. In 2011, was awarded "Coach of the Year" in Illinois by The National Tennis Coaches Association . Denise grew up in Erie, PA and played tennis at Penn State University.  She was captain of the tennis team her senior year. In 2004-2005, she was Asst. tennis coach at Mercyhurst College in Erie, PA (division 2). She is also the co-founder/director of the "Play Tennis  for Peace" tennis fundraiser; a charity event benefiting the House of Peace domestic violence shelter in North Chicago.

Marina Ohlmuller was the 2017/2018 recipient of the Charlotte Lee Award. The Charlotte Lee Award is a highly regarded sportsmanship award. Marina continues to be a force on the paddle tournament circuit and has won numerous gold medals in her new sport Pickleball.

• Ranked #13 in 2018; has been ranked as high as #5 nationally

• 2-time Mixed National Champion 2010, 2012

• 2-time Husband-Wife National Champion 2003, 2005

• Top national player for two decades

• Frequent instructional contributor to Platform Tennis Magazine

Laura Berendt was highest ranked #2 with Roxy Enica.

• Runner up at the Platform Tennis Nationals, 2019 and 2008

• Chicago Charities Champion, 2018 and 2007

• Runner up at the Boston Open, 2019

• Runner up at the Long Island Invitational, 2018

• Took 3/4 at the 2018 Philly Open and 2019 Midwesterns

• Hinsdale Women's Challenge Champion, 2018

• Illinois State Champion, 2016

• Lake Forest Finalist, 2016

• Played tennis for the University of Texas all 4 years and was a 4-time All American

• #1 in the State of Florida in tennis when she was 18

Sydney Berens is currently ranked #9 in the country with partner Audrey Koopsen-Boucquemont. She has been playing competitive paddle for five years and teaching the great game for seven. She currently is the Head Racquets Professional at Evanston Golf Club. When she is not playing paddle, she enjoys running, chilling with her dog, and reading a good book. Before teaching, Sydney played four years of college tennis at Ferris State University. She is originally from Zeeland, MI.

Her best year-end National ranking was 6th with Liz Hayward, and current ranking #14 with Chelsea Mittal. Hallie is a native of upstate New York and a graduate of Denison University, where she played both singles and doubles all 4 years and received many all-conference honors, which includes being named to the NCAC all-decade team. Hallie has been instrumental in growing junior paddle on the North Shore by organizing instruction and match opportunities for hundreds of local high school students. She is also a long-standing member of the APTA players committee. Prior to taking up paddle tennis in 2009, Hallie was a tennis pro and tournament director at Midtown Athletic Club in Chicago. Hallie is married to Jack Bodman, and they have four children.

• Highest Ranking, #6; Top 10 Nationally for 15 years

• National Age Group Champion

• President's Cup Captain and Champion 4 times

• Owner Midwest Platform Tennis Camp

• 3-Time Ironman Finisher

Liz Cruz is currently ranked #6 Nationally after having a hugely successful year on the tournament circuit!  Liz and her partner Gabriela Niculescu won the 2019 and 2018 APTA Women’s Nationals and 2017 Long Island Invitational, Steel City, and Patterson Open. With her twin sister, Mirian Warner, they were finalists at the 2018 Philly Open and placed 3/4 at the 2018 Chicago Charities and Long Island Invitational.

Liz grew up in El Salvador and started playing professional tennis at the age of 14.  Liz played on the Fed Cup team for 10 years and went on to play D1 tennis at the University of South Florida. In addition to being an amazing professional tennis and paddle player, she is a mom to 2 girls and a boy.

• Sandy is originally from Croatia

• Played #1 singles and #1 doubles at Campbell University, NC on full tennis scholarship

• MVP Big South Conference

• Have been teaching and playing paddle since 2014

• Highest team ranking #9

• 3-time champion of Lake Forest Open (2019, 2020, 2021)

• 1-time champion of Hinsdale Challenge (2022)

• 1-time champion of Chicago Charities (2020)

• Finalist of Birchwood Open (2022)

Amy Shay and Cynthia Dardis are currently ranked #4 in the country and have been ranked in the top 4 for the past 9 seasons.  Dardis/Shay started playing tournaments together 15 years ago and together have captured 11 national titles.

It was another banner season for Dardis and Shay!  They won the Women’s 50’s Nationals, were finalists at Midwesterns and Chicago Charities, and took 5th at the Philly Open. In 2018, they won the Women’s 50’s Nationals, Chicago Charities, and Philly Open and were runners up in the Steel City Open, Boston, and Patterson. They are 2018 winners of the Childress Cup.  This was their second time winning the cup. The Childress Cup is a prestigious award that is given to the team that earned the most points in a Grand Prix Series. 

Dardis/Shay attribute much of their success to teamwork, strategy, and disciplined play, which they continually reinforce in their teaching. Cynthia played Division I tennis for Villanova University.  She lives in Stamford, CT with her husband and 4 children.

Bobo Delaney lives in Chatham , NJ and has been a platform tennis professional for over 25 years. She has won over 20 National Championships, and in 2016, Bobo was inducted into the Platform Tennis Hall of Fame. She played tennis and field hockey at the University of Denver and is also in the Hall Of Fame there. She is an incredible paddle player, athlete, and competitor.

Kerri Delmonico has been playing paddle for 18 years, and is currently ranked #7 with Lauren Gabbia. She started playing in Watch Hill RI and quickly took to the sport.  She currently has one womens national championship with her partner Aila Main in 2007. In addition, she has won four Husband and wife nationals w mike stulac and one Mixed National Championships. (Mike stulac)   In 2022, she reached the semifinals of the National Championships w Lauren Gebbia (they are currently ranked Fourth in the country). Kerri lives in summit nj with her husband mike And daughter Riley. She works in NYC in logistics when she is not playing paddle :)

Macie is the current national champion with partner Lynn Kiro. She is originally from Evansville, IN. She is the director of Racquets at Rolling Hills Country Club in Wilton, CT. Macie is a certified PPTA instructor and was a member of Region II’s winning presidents cup team in 2019.

Roxy Enica is formerly ranked #2 in the nation with her partner Laura Berendt and is a three-peat champion of the Mixed Nationals Championship with her partner Juan P. Martinez-Arraya. Roxy is a 2-time National Finalist (2019 & 2017). Laura and her were champions of the Chicago Charities, finalists of the Boston Open and Long Island Invitational, and took 3/4 at the Philly Open and Midwesterns. She has also achieved #2 with Gabbi Niculescu.

Roxy started playing tennis as s youngster in her home country of Romania. She had a distinguished junior career in her native country and received a full tennis scholarship to play Division I tennis at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. At SFA, Roxy played the #1 position in both singles and doubles for all four years. Throughout her college career, she won nearly 80 matches, including 35 single competitions. For the 3 consecutive years, Roxy earned the MVP of the team and was named “The Player of the Week” in 2007 and 2009. After college, Roxy started her coaching career as an Assistant Coach at SFA, helping the team work their way up to becoming ranked #71 in the nation.

Kari Falls is currently the co-director of platform tennis at Lake Bluff Racquet Club. She is on their Series 1 team and plays in local and national APTA events. Kari played paddle in high school with a wooden racquet and has had a love of the game for a long time! She lives in the area with her husband Chris and their three grown daughters.

Olivia is so grateful for the joy and friendship paddle has brought to life! As a former tennis player, she was introduced to platform tennis in 2016 and has been playing in APTA tournaments ever since!  Olivia has made significant strides in her platform career, with her top accomplishments including reaching the semi-finals of the Cleveland Masters in both 2021 and 2022 with her partner, Marie Matrka. Coming to us from Cincinnati, Ohio Olivia is thrilled and honored to be teaching at the prestigious Top Seed Paddle Camp, where she can share her expertise and passion for the game of platform tennis.

• Grew Up in Sewickley, Pa

• Played college tennis at Duquesne University

• Have been playing paddle for 7 years-teaching for 6. 

• Former top 10 player

• Current individual ranking 23

• APTA Players committee member 

• 2020 Chicago charities winner 

Ellie Halbauer comes to us with an extensive high level playing background and a lifelong of experience in and around racquet facilities. In 2017, she reached a career high ranking of 260 in both singles and doubles on the WTA Tour.  She has won 7 titles at the professional level. Ellie was introduced to platform tennis in the last two years and instantly fell in love with the sport. She recently moved back home to Cincinnati to begin her new career as a Racquets Professional while also volunteering as an Assistant Coach on the University of Cincinnati Women’s Team. She is eager to share her love, knowledge and enthusiasm for the game! 

Suzanne Lemery has been teaching paddle for 18 years. She has been ranked #11 in the country with her partner Kelly Rohrbach.

Suzanne recently placed 3/4 in the APTA Women’s 2018 Nationals, 5th in Chicago Charities 2018, and 6th in the 2018 Boston Open. Before teaching, Suzanne played college tennis at Ferris State University. She and her husband Matt have two young children.

• Highest National Ranking #10 (2019/20)

• Cleveland Masters Champion 2019

• West Penn runner up 2019

• Chicago Charities GP 3rd pl 2020

• Hinsdale GP 3rd pl 2021

• On APTA national players committee and contributing author for Platform Tennis Magazine

Chris went to the University of Arizona on a full tennis scholarship. She played both Jr. and Professional tennis. Her highest National Ranking was #1 for 18 & under doubles. She is a longtime USPTA Tennis Professional and also an avid pickleball competitor and instructor.

I am a USPTA certified Tennis/Paddle Elite Professional. I began playing tennis when I was ten years old in my home country of Latvia where I played for the Latvian National Tennis Team. Additionally, I played in several International Tennis Federation (ITF) tournaments throughout Europe and the Middle East. In the United States, I played on the Ferris State Tennis Team as line one in doubles and finished playing as line two in singles. In 2016, I received the Most Improved Player of the Year Award for the Midwest Region. I have experience in coaching players of all ages and levels. Currently, I am the director at Tennaqua Swim & Racquet Club in Deerfield, IL,coaching and developing tennis and paddle programs. I enjoy teaching paddle and playing on the paddle pro tour. In 2022, my partner, Denise Murphy, and I made it to the round of 16 at the national championships.

Jane McNitt was ranked #8 in 2018 with Chelsea Nusslock. Her best national ranking was 4th in 2011 and 2015. Jane and Chelsea placed 6th at the 2018 APTA Women's Nationals. Jane won the Chicago Charities in 2005, 2010, and 2012. She is Illinois State Women’s Champion and Mixed Doubles Champion. She has also won the Cincinnati Open, Milwaukee Open, and Indianapolis Open tournaments. Jane is a native of Pittsburgh, PA and a Penn State graduate.

Chelsea Mittal played tennis at the University of Wisconsin – Madison on a full tennis scholarship for 4 years. She is currently ranked #14 with her partner Hallie Bodman. She took up paddle tennis in 2010 and quickly made a name for herself with her partner Mary Doten. Mary and Chelsea came in 2nd at the APTA Women’s Nationals in 2013 and 2015. They took 3/4 place in the Nationals in 2011, 2012, and 2014. She and Mary have won the Milwaukee Open, Hinsdale Challenge, and Illinois States together. In 2018, Chelsea also took 6th in Nationals with Jane McNitt. In 2019, she took 5th place in the Boston Open with Alison Morgan. Chelsea was the 2018/2019 recipient of the Charlotte Lee Award.

When Chelsea is not working or playing paddle, she is strategizing to raise funds and awareness for a charity close to her hear heart, the Dravet Syndrome Foundation. She is also helping to grow Top Seed Paddle Camps.

• I have been teaching and playing paddle for 12 years. 

• I also teach tennis, pickle, and fitness. 

• Charlotte Sikora and I are currently ranked #4 and have won 9 tournaments as a team

• Adam and I won Husband & Wife Nationals in 2016 & 2017

• Originally from Kalamazoo, MI 

• Played #1 singles and #1 doubles at Grand Valley State University 

• Assistant Coach at GVSU my 5th year

• Inducted into the GVSU Hall of Fame in 2013

• Live in Lake Bluff, IL with my husband Adam and our daughter Kaylee

• Highest National rank - #1

• 2-time Husband / Wife National Champion 2010 & 2014 (Masters)

• 5-time champion of the Hinsdale Challenge

• 8-time Midwesterns Champion

• 2013 Recipient of the Charlotte Lee Sportsmanship Award

• APTA Women's Player/ Ranking Chairperson

• Co-Founder and Director of the Midwest Platform Tennis Camps in Cincinnati, Ohio

• Former Collegiate Tennis Player at SMU

• Played on Professional Tour 1989-1990

• Former APTA Women’s player and Ranking Chairperson  2016-2021

• Was consistently ranked in the top 10 in the country for 15 years

• Was ranked #21 in 2018 with Denise Murphy

• 7-time champion of the Midwesterns

• Played college tennis at Kenyon College; was a Division III NCAA Team Championship Finalist

• Inducted into the Kenyon Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008

• Coached Division I Men’s and Women’s College Tennis at Colgate University for 3 years

• Coached Division III Women’s College Tennis at Kenyon College for 15 years

• Coached high school girl’s tennis at Cincinnati Country Day for 21 years

Svetlana is a USPTA certified professional and a Head Paddle Pro at Butterfield CC in Oak Brook, IL.  With her partner and co-worker Shawna Zsinko, she is currently ranked 13th in the country.   Born and raised in Serbia, Svetlana played D1 college tennis at Northern Illinois University.

Fun fact:

In April of 2024, Svetlana won a gold medal at US Open Pickleball Championships in Naples. Her partner was no other than a member of the Platform Tennis Hall of Fame, Mary Doten!

Amy Shay and Jolene Sutter are currently ranked #5 in the country. For 10 years, Amy Shay and Cynthia Dardis were ranked in the top 4 in the country and together have captured 11 national titles.

With Cynthia Dardis, they won the Women’s 50’s Nationals, were finalists at Midwesterns and Chicago Charities, and took 5th at the Philly Open. Amy Shay took 3/4 in the 2019 Nationals  Championship with Ana Brzova. In 2018, Cynthia and Amy won the Women’s 50’s Nationals, Chicago Charities, and Philly Open and were runners up in Steel City Open, Boston, and Patterson. They are 2018 winners of the Childress Cup. This was their second time winning the cup. The Childress Cup is a prestigious award that is given to the team that earned the most points in a Grand Prix Series.

Dardis/Shay attribute much of their success to teamwork, strategy, and disciplined play, which they continually reinforce in their teaching. Amy graduated from Boston College on a full tennis scholarship. She lives in Wilton, CT with her husband and 2 children.

Currently ranked #4 in the country with Alison Morgan. Charlotte Sikora is from France and arrived in the U.S. in 2002. She went to Oklahoma Community College to play tennis for 1 year and then transferred to Flager College in Augustine, FL where she played #1 singles and #3 doubles for the next three years. She traveled to Bali for 1 year after college where she gained a new perspective. Shortly thereafter, she was introduced to the game of paddle, and it didn’t take her long to master the game.

Two years ago, Charlotte started her own business, Racquet Odyssey, a paddle, tennis and padel destination camp LLC.

Mirian Warner has been ranked #6 in the country with her twin sister, Liz Cruz. Together, they were finalists at the 2018 Philly Open and placed 3/4 at the 2018 Chicago Charities and Long Island Invitational.

Mirian grew up playing tennis with her twin sister, Liz Cruz, in El Salvador. She played collegiate tennis for South Carolina State University 2004-2008.  She led her team to conference champions 4 straight years. Mirian has quickly made a name for herself as a force on the Paddle Tournament Circuit.