(Iowa City) Iowa City’s Michele Conlon has been named the recipient of the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union’s First Lady Award. Conlon will be honored Friday, March 4 during the halftime of the 3A championship game at the 2022 Iowa Girls State Basketball Tournament.
Conlon is the 15th recipient of the IGHSAU’s most prestigious award, which is given “to a daughter of Iowa – recognizing the million girls of the commonwealth who have carried the tradition and training of a sport into varied and important careers – and for singularly illustrious and most memorable accomplishments.”
Conlon was an outstanding athlete at Iowa City High School, where she participated in softball, basketball and volleyball. But it was in tennis where she made her mark. She was a four-time state tennis participant, where she won state twice, and was runner-up one year. She took her tennis skills to the University of Iowa, where she was the #1 singles and doubles player all four years.
Conlon continued her professional career, working her way up from Graduate Assistant, to assistant coach, and finally head coach from 1994-2008 at Iowa State University. Conlon is currently the Director of Tennis at the Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Complex in Iowa City.
Conlon is a member of the State of Iowa’s Tennis Hall of Fame, and the Iowa City Hall of Fame. She was named the University of Iowa Women’s Tennis Player of the Decade, and University of Iowa Academy Tennis Player of the Decade.
The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union has leaned on Conlon’s expertise in tennis throughout the years. The University of Iowa’s Tennis and Recreation Complex has held several state tournaments for high school girls competition under the guidance of Conlon.
