University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire

Kady Hickman was the conference No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles champion in both her sophomore and junior seasons. She was a member of four consecutive conference championship teams for coach Marilyn Skrivseth. As a senior, she won the conference No. 2 singles crown and was also the No. 2 doubles runner-up as well as being selected the conference Scholar-Athlete for her sport. That year, she played with air cast splints on both legs due to periostitis in her shins.
For her career, the former Shoreview, Minnesota prep star produced a 59-16 singles record with all but seven matches in the No. 1 spot. She was 53-11 in doubles play, again with all but seven matches in the top position. At the time of her induction, she was one of only three Blugolds to win a conference No. 1 singles title more than once. Hickman was a two-time Blugold Super Six winner and also recipient of a UW-Eau Claire Outstanding Senior Award in 1997.

Hickman graduated magna cum laude, then taught at Hudson High School in 1998-99, Stillwater, Minnesota High School in 1999-01, Eau Claire Memorial in 2002-03 and Eau Claire North in 2002-04. At the time of her induction, she was mostly a stay-at-home mom with five children, but also served the Rochester Area School District as a homebound mathematics teacher. She became a tennis teaching professional in 2001 and operated tennis camps in Eau Claire and other cities.  She has coached JV and varsity boys and girls tennis at a number of high schools in Minnesota and Wisconsin and has served as a tennis clinic instructor at many camps.