Univ. of Oklahoma Team Page
NORMAN, Okla. -- Two former University of Oklahoma men's tennis players, R. Vance McSpadden, Jr., and Rick Lashley, were inducted into the Oklahoma District Tennis Association Hall of Fame earlier this month. Both natives of Muskogee, Okla., McSpadden and Lashley have dedicated their lives to tennis in the state of Oklahoma.
"We are very proud of Vance and Rick's contribution to tennis in the state of Oklahoma and for our program at OU," head coach John Roddick said. "It is a great testament to the tradition of the program and hopefully we can carry that tradition into the future."
McSpadden, who comes from an avid tennis family, played under Coach Jerry Keen from 1963 to 1966. During his junior year, he was the team's co-captain and Big 8 Conference's No. 1 doubles champion. He was the team captain his senior year and won the Big 8 No. 3 singles and No. 2 doubles titles.
McSpadden's passion for Tennis in the State of Oklahoma continued after college; he was the first president of the Oklahoma Tennis E&R Foundation. McSpadden joins his father, Vance, Sr., and his uncles, Tom and Ray, as members of the Oklahoma Tennis Hall of Fame. He and his wife, Pamela, reside in Oklahoma City.
OU's other inductee, Rick Lashley, played tennis at OU from 1971 to 1975. He also played under longtime coach Jerry Keen. Lashley was a two-time Big 8 singles and doubles champion. He is thought of by his peers as and teammates as one of the best doubles players to wear the red and white. Lashley was the 1974 team captain, as well.
Lashley stayed in the field of tennis after graduating from OU. From 1974 to 1980, he was the Head Tennis Pro at the Kansas City Country Club. From 1980 to 1981, he was the Head Tennis Pro at Redlands Racquet Club in Norman. That year, he also served as the OU women's tennis head coach. In 1981, he moved to Edmond to be the Head Tennis Pro at Oak Tree Country Club, where he worked until 2001. He and his wife Nancy reside in Edmond to this day.
