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David Hughes: Valley tennis to include 2 more Hall of Famers

david hughes, the tribune-star, terre haute, ind.
·4 min read

Dec. 22—Duane Klueh and Mike Hambrock.

One is best known for his countless basketball accomplishments, mostly as a player but also plenty as a coach. His retired jersey (No. 54) is hanging from the Hulman Center rafters next to Larry Bird's No. 33.

The other is best known for tennis ... because he was — and no doubt still is — very good at playing it.

Regardless, both Terre Haute residents will be inducted into the Indiana High School Tennis Coaches Association (IHSTCA) Hall of Fame — established in 1992 — during its annual banquet Feb. 2, 2024, at the Plum Creek Golf Club in Carmel. Start time is 7 p.m.

Previous "Hauteans" inducted into the IHSTCA Hall include Dan Hopkins as a coach in 1998, Jim Cook as a coach in 2000, Bob Fischer as a contributor in 2001 and Bill Blankenbaker as a coach in 2014 (although Bill has since moved to South Carolina for his retirement years).

Now 97 with another birthday coming Jan. 6, Klueh will be going in as a coach (from his years at Indiana State) and as a nationally ranked U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) senior player, while the 61-year-old Hambrock will be going in as a player (from his Terre Haute South career from 1977 through 1979) and contributor. Others being inducted in February are Branden Gill (former Park Tudor player), Ryan Keckley (former South Bend St. Joseph player and University of San Diego coach), Elizabeth Steele Schmitt (former Carmel player) and Tim Wright (from coaching at West Lafayette).

According to Klueh's Wikipedia page, which detailed his basketball achievements first: "Klueh also enjoyed a standout career in tennis, winning the 1948 Little States [Collegiate] singles championship in Indiana. He returned to ISU following his professional basketball career and assumed the role of head tennis coach, leading the Sycamores to a school-record 278 wins during two tenures totaling over 26 seasons. ISU's on-campus tennis complex, constructed in 1996, bears his name."

Klueh retired from coaching tennis at Indiana State following the 1979 season.

Hambrock reminded me that Klueh has won numerous Midwest and USTA national titles playing in senior divisions.

"He has been a top state, Midwest and nationally ranked player for more than 50 years," Hambrock emphasized. "He also is one of the finest individuals I have ever met in my life and, of course, an amazing athlete. It is an honor to be inducted in this Hall of Fame class with him."

As for Hambrock himself — father of recent Wabash Valley standout athletes Lauren (Hambrock) Jenkins and Logan Hambrock — he compiled a 57-1 career singles record at South. He captured the Southern Indiana Athletic Conference singles title and received first-team All-State singles honors, then he became a scholarship player at ISU from 1980-1984 after being recruited by none other than Klueh.

As a junior player, Hambrock was listed as high as No. 2 in singles and No. 1 in doubles in the Indiana junior rankings. He won the Indiana district qualifier in boys 14-under singles and in boys 18-under doubles.

In adult tennis, Hambrock was No. 1 in the Indiana men's doubles rankings in 1995 and 1996 and No. 2 in the Midwest men's doubles rankings in 1991 and 1992. He's also been a part-time tennis instructor at the Terre Haute Tennis and Pickleball Center since 1982.

"One of the topics I'm going to discuss in my acceptance speech is how, even though I never had a private tennis lesson, I had the best coaches I could have ever asked for," Hambrock said. "Starting with Bob Fischer at Woodrow Wilson [Junior High School], then [the late] Dave Cundiff for two years at Terre Haute South and my senior year was Dan Hopkins [in Hopkins' first season as a tennis coach].

"Danny and Bob are both in this Hall of Fame. All three were very different styles and personalities, but they were terrific and they helped me immensely."

Tribune-Star sports reporter David Hughes can be reached after 4 p.m. by phone at (812) 231-4224 (psst, just text him on his cell instead); by email at david.hughes@tribstar.com; or by fax at (812) 231-4321.