Rich Lenker

                          By Terry Nielsen                       

As Rich Lenker enters the 2025 SD Tennis Hall of Fame, he was asked what singular event ignited his tennis “life.”  “The day Randy Stolpe walked into my life as an 11-year old,” said Rich.

Since that day hitting on the backboard at South Jr. High tennis courts in Rapid City, the influence of Randy (SD Tennis Hall of Fame 2005) and opportunities Rich worked for over the next five decades has evolved into an interesting story of a lifelong tennis teaching professional. 

Born in Sioux falls, Rich and the Lenker family moved to Burke,  SD when Rich was age two, as his father had an opportunity there as a pharmacist. In fact, Rich was first introduced to tennis at age 10 in Burke by Randy DeWolf through a Head Start summer program.

Seeking more opportunities for the Lenker children, Rich’s father sold his pharmacy business and they moved to Rapid City when Rich was 11 (1968).  Family tragedy struck in 1969, when older brother Jerry died in a car accident at age 19.  Now in the Black Hills with mom and dad was Rich, and older sister Robyn. Older brother Terry had started college at the University of South Dakota.

Stolpe had been a multi-sport star in Rapid City, and had returned for the summers from Sioux Falls College where he played basketball and tennis.  Leading the city summer tennis program for several years, Stolpe helped mold some outstanding tennis players.  Not just Rich, but he influenced others of his generation and beyond.   The list of outstanding players developed in Rapid include the Paluch gang ( Daryl, Duke, Darcy, Dolly, Corey, Whitney and Billy), Mike Bridge, the Koprivas (Mary Ann, Linda, Rose, Larry and Charles),  John and Steve Waltman, Ken Smith, Darrell Mueller, Donny Ward, Rick Hammerquist and Bob Fischer, to name a select few.

Rich (1975 grad) and Daryl Paluch were key members of the Rapid City Central tennis team.  Rich’s senior year was dominated by three time state champion Mike Trautner of Pierre, with the Governors winning the team title. Despite the distance in Rapid from major summer tournaments of the Northwestern Tennis Association, Lenker played as many tournaments as he could, often traveling with his coach Randy to tournaments.  He paired often with Bobby Clayton of Sioux Falls in doubles, winning the 18’s at the SD Closed.  Stolpe was six years older than Rich, but they also teamed sometimes playing area tournaments in doubles. 

While at RC Central, the versatile Rich was named to Boy’s State in Aberdeen, was a drum major in the band, and even wrote sports columns for the school newspaper. Because of that, a good friend was tennis-playing Ron Wood, a sportswriter for the Rapid City Journal.

Rich was gaining enough steam by the time he graduated from RC Central that he earned a tennis scholarship to  Portland University(OR).   A favorite memory there was a doubles win over a top 20 team from the University of Washington. He played college tennis for two years before becoming a USPTA teaching pro.

His first work was at West Hills Racquet Club in Portland, home of six indoor and eight outdoor courts.  At that time, Stolpe was the director of tennis at West Hills. When Randy moved on to take over clubs in Wisconsin two years later, Rich became tennis director at West Hills. Stolpe’s influence on Rich as a young player keyed Rich over the years.  “I learned the passion for the game, how to work with people and the business of tennis mainly through Randy,” said Rich. “Randy taught me the importance of becoming a tennis ambassador, a teacher who truly cared about the students, and the work ethic involved to be successful.”

Before long, Rich was supervising a strong junior training staff. Twice, Rich was named “Pro of the Year” by the United States Professional Tennis Association, Pacific Northwest.  He also served as president of that USPTA group, in addition to serving on the executive committee for the National USPTA.

From 1984 to 2009 his duties included teaching and directing 100’s of juniors with weekend tourney coaching, training and developing top juniors to reach national elite level, managing facilities and promoting club memberships as well as pro shops.  For over 20 years he was the founder and operator of “Dick and Til’s Summer Tennis Camps,” serving over 200 players annually.

A most remarkable opportunity came in 1987 when World Team Tennis came to Portland and he served as general manager of the team franchise, the Portland Panthers. He worked closely with Commissioner Billie Jean King to operate a profitable franchise, covering all aspects of the business side of the franchise.

Going back to his early teenage years in Rapid, Rich’s link to the neighboring Bridge family and that ensuing friendship has grown over these many years.  Rich and Mike Bridge were constant hitting pals at Sioux Park while younger brother Mitch, seven years younger, tagged along. From those early years in the Black Hills, the Bridge family later found a home in southern California, where Mitch today is one of the most well-known tennis professionals, as a coach and camp developer.

Rich has two children: Pam Vlach in NY, and son Lee Lenker in Portland, along with three grandchildren. Pam is a dance educator at the private Spence School of Manhattan. Lee, a good tennis player himself, is managing director in Baird’s Global Technology and Services Investment Banking Group.

After over  four decades in OR, Rich returned to SD and taught tennis at Arrowhead Country Club and Tennis Center of the Black Hills in Rapid City.

No surprise for Rich, who traveled often from Rapid to Sioux Falls as a junior, (where he even housed with Randy and Reva Stolpe while here for tournaments), that he finishes his career in Sioux Falls.  In 2023 he joined Huether Family Match Pointe as tennis instructor. For this writer, it is heartwarming to watch the veteran teacher, still with enthusiasm for the game, surrounded by 10-20 juniors at a time involved in a group lesson.  And fittingly, I see Rich clutching his tennis racquet tightly against his chest.