Dennis Lajola and Bruce Nagel Inducted Into Hall of Fame

Hawaii tennis icons Dennis Lajola and Bruce Nagel were inducted into the Hall of Fame on Saturday night at the Ala Moana Hotel. The prestigious award recognizes individuals who has made outstanding contributions to the sport locally. A crowd of over 200 tennis fans attended the awards ceremony.

Lajola grew up in Aiea and started playing tennis at four years old. At a young age, he made headlines through his tremendous success on the courts. Lajola was chosen to represent the country in the 2004 Junior Davis Cup and played in the main draw of all four junior Grand Slam tournaments. Lajola attended the University of Hawaii, where he earned numerous awards including the Western Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year Award. He later became the first University of Hawaii player to win Player of the Year.

Nagel, a lifetime tennis player, has over 45 years of teaching experience. He was introduced to tennis at the age of seven by former Davis Cup Captain, David Freed, and continued to play in high school and at the University of Iowa, where he earned many honors. Since 1999, Nagel has served as the General Manager of the Kailua Racquet Club. The Club’s annual Men’s Night Doubles Tournament is one of Hawaii’s most well-attended tennis events. 

With this award, Lajola and Nagel now belong to a list of notable Hall of Famers, including Rosie Bareis and Rose Thomas Jones (2018), David Andrews & Stanley Nagamatsu (2017), Muriel Osborne and Jane Forester-Leong (2010), and Rick Fried and Robert Keaunui (2008).

Other award recipients from the night included:

Jim Howe Sportsmanship Awards: Kianna Oda and Hobbes Wilstead
Family of the Year Award: Yokoyama Ohana
Organization of the Year Award: Kamehameha Park Tennis Association
Section Facility of the Year Award: Fairmont Orchid
National Facility of the Year Award: Mauna Lani Sports and Fitness Club
Distinguished Service Award: Michael Kinoshita
President’s Award: Ann Miller
Kauai District Service Award: Shannon Taba Burkman
Maui District Service Award: Jane Sakakihara
Oahu District Service Award: Lily Kamikihara
East Hawaii District Service Award: Nancy Kelly
West Hawaii District Service Award: Catherine Abellera

Congratulations to all our honorees and mahalo to everyone who came to celebrate with us!