Induction Year: 2001

 

Nancy Armor Neeld (1930-2006) was born on October 11, 1930, in Dallas, Texas and began playing tennis in 1944 under the guidance of her high school coach. She quickly rose to prominence, winning the Texas Interscholastic League singles title while attending Woodrow Wilson High School in 1946, 1947, and 1948. During this period, she was ranked No. 1 in Texas girls’ singles in 1945, 1947, and 1948.

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In 1948, after attaining the nation's No. 7 ranking in singles and No. 4 in doubles, she was named to the National Junior Wightman team.

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In the mid-1960s, Neeld taught tennis at Beverly Park in Albuquerque and helped develop a junior tennis program at the Albuquerque Tennis Club. She coached the New Mexico Junior Wightman Cup teams in 1966 and 1967 and assisted Maureen Connolly Brinker with the Texas Junior Wightman Cup team.

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Neeld established herself as one of the nation's top senior tennis players in the 1970s. In 1970, she won the Women's 40 National Singles and Doubles titles, partnering with Betty Pratt. She continued to dominate senior competitions, securing multiple national titles across various age categories. In 1982, she and her daughter won the national mother-daughter championship, which she regarded as one of her career highlights.

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Neeld's contributions to tennis were widely recognized. She received the USTA Service Bowl in 1972 and the Governor’s Sports Award for New Mexico in 1976. She was the first woman inducted into the Albuquerque Sports Hall of Fame in 1978. In 1990, she was inducted into the Woodrow Wilson High School Hall of Fame in Dallas, Texas.

 

Nancy Armor Neeld passed away on May 9, 2006, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. 

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