Derek Gamble, USPTA / IPTPA
Director of Racquet Sports
derek@cardinalswimandtennis.com
Derek grew up playing junior tennis in Charlotte where he had state rankings in the top 10 and sectional rankings in the top 30. He played collegiate tennis on scholarship for UNC-Greensboro (1988-1992). His collegiate tennis included being a four-year starter in singles and doubles. He graduated with two degrees from the Bryan School of Business (marketing & economics).
Derek is the creator, owner and director of Tennis 360 – a full service tennis management company. He started this venture upon leaving Green Valley Park in order to further his tennis career. He has been the Director of Racquet Sports at the Cardinal Swim & Tennis Club since January 2015 when the club started. His past work experience includes the 17-year Director of Tennis at Green Valley Park (February 1997 – February 2014). Derek was also the Assistant Tennis Professional at Starmount Forest Country Club (1993-1997) in Greensboro.
Derek received the 2007 USPTA North Carolina Professional of the Year from the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) Southern Division. This award is presented to an individual who achieves excellence in performing the duties of a USPTA Tennis Professional. Areas of achievement might include teaching and coaching, management and administration, competitive play, research and publication, and community service. Derek is a certified member of the USPTA, the world’s oldest and largest association of tennis teaching professionals.
He has coached adult interclub, Gate City and USTA teams at all levels from 2.5 – 4.5 to Greensboro City Championships as well as Piedmont USTA Championships throughout the years. Several of his teams have won USTA State Championships and gone on to do very well at USTA Southern Sectional levels. Derek is passionate about coaching and loves to see the success of the teams from his club and student base!
Derek was a 15 year board member and a Past President of GRETA (Greensboro Regional Tennis Association ~ USTA). He also served the Secretary of the North Carolina USPTA Board from 2004-2008.
Derek’s USTA League play includes:
- Captain – 6-time USTA North Carolina State Champion 5.0 / 5.5 Men’s teams from Greensboro
- Captain – Greensboro USTA 5.0 Men’s Team won City Championships (2001-2011)
- Captain – 5.0 USTA North Carolina State Champions (2003, 2005, 2006, 2008 & 2009)
- Captain – 5.0 USTA Southern Sectional Runner-Up (2005, 2006, 2007 & 2008)
- Captain – 5.0 USTA Southern Sectional Champions (2009)
- Captain – 5.0 USTA National Champions (2009)
- Captain – 5.5 USTA National Champions (2011)
- Captain – 5.5 USTA National Finalist (2012)
- Captain – OPEN USTA 40 & Up National Finalist (2013)
- Captain – OPEN USTA 40 & Up National Finalist (2015)
- Captain – OPEN USTA 40 & Up National Finalist (2016)
- Captain – OPEN USTA 40 & Up National Champions (2017)
Derek enjoys spending time with his daughter, Lyndsey. He enjoys going to see his daughter at UNC and watching her Tarheels compete in all sports! Derek also enjoys playing golf in his spare time. Derek is extremely excited about the continued forward progress and leadership of the membership of the Cardinal Swim & Tennis Club and is ready to lead this racket sports program to continued greatness.
Kim-Anne Kleimeier
Assistant Tennis Professional
kleimeierk@gmail.com
Kim Kleimeier was born in Gernsbach, Germany and moved to the US with her parents at age 12. Growing up, playing tennis was a family sport. Once she attended Cannon School, part of the NCISAA conference, she competed as part of the high school varsity tennis team.
From there, Kim attended Guilford College right here in Greensboro, NC. A competitive Division III college and part of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, Guilford gave Kim an opportunity to compete at the college level. She was captain her Junior and Senior year and competed at #1 Doubles.
After graduating in 2013, Kim started working at Precision Golf and Tennis as an Assistant Tennis Pro, running Precision’s Junior Academy. Alongside building this program, Kim also became the Assistant Tennis Coach at her Alma Mater Guilford College.
In Fall 2018, Kim transitioned into the Head Women’s Tennis Coaching role at Guilford. Her program has seen marked improvement over the past two years. During her off season in 2021, Kim also took on the role as Compliance Coordinator for Athletics.
Cathie Sexton
PPR Coach Certification
csextondink4fun@gmail.com
Cathie was born in Kentucky, but Greensboro has been home for many, MANY years. She received her degree in Health and Physical Education from East Carolina University. Always wanting to learn new things she started playing tennis 20 years ago. She fell in love with tennis and still actively plays but she has found a new love….PICKLEBALL! She loves pickleball because it is truly a life sport, and all ages can play. Perfect for families and friends alike! Cathie loves the ”social” aspects of pickleball and bringing people together for fun! Since her teaching “retirement” she has more time to play and share her love of PICKLEBALL with others.
Cathie enjoys time with her husband Steve and their three children, Christian, Noah and Sophia. She loves cooking, crafting, gardening, hiking, taking classes to learn new hobbies, and snuggles with her dog Layla.
Jeff Whisnant
Staff Professional
jeff.whisnant@triad.rr.com
Jeff Whisnant grew up in Asheboro, North Carolina. Around seven years old, he joined a vibrant tennis community studying tennis under Morris Whitson and Martha Clarke. At the local level, Jeff was number one at every age group from 10s thru 18s; competing in USTA junior tournaments around North Carolina; playing number one at Asheboro High School.
After high school, Jeff attended East Carolina University where he began teaching both tennis and tutoring academically at the university. During this same period, Jeff first began training tennis players both adult and junior. In the mid 80s, Jeff did graduate work at UNCG, where he completed a second major; completed his Masters Degree in the School of Education.
In the 90s and early 2000s, Jeff lived in New York City where he again fell in love with tennis. Following a visit to the US Open at Flushing Meadows, he was stopped on the street by neighbor who inquired if he played tennis. With a sardonic little laugh, he said, “I used to.” From there, he began playing again actively – joining a local Brooklyn 4.5 men’s team that went on to play in nine (9) straight New York City finals, winning five (5) of those finals, including five (5) New York State USTA team championships. Jeff also competed in USTA singles and doubles tournaments all around NYC including being a finalist in the Brooklyn Borough Singles Championships and winning the Doubles title with partner, Peter Gunter.
In 2006, Jeff moved his family from New York City to Greensboro, North Carolina. Around 2007/2008, Jeff enrolled his two boys (Eric & Dylan) in local tennis programs at Oak Hallow Tennis in High Point. His gradual move from marketing world into tennis teaching began because began as a helper for the pros at Oak Hollow and then to a coach for the Oak Hallow 14s team, with both Eric and Dylan competing nine (9) and (8) years old.
In 2010, Jeff became head coach at Western Guilford High School and around the same time began teaching tennis at Greensboro Tennis Program (GTP). At Western, Jeff inherited a program that needed an infusion and with the support and cultivation of their dynamic tennis community. Along the way, he helped develop a tennis community at Western Guilford and then championship quality teams. While at the same time, graduating all-academic student athletes.
At GTP, he has had the privilege of teaching with and learning from some of our area’s best tennis instructors. At GTP, Jeff worked with juniors from orange ball beginner to state, sectional and national level players. Over a ten (10) year plus period Jeff worked in the afterschool clinics, ran weekend match play tournaments for 10s thru 18s; ran weekend clinics; trained private, semi-private and group junior lessons; taught adult private lesson’s; traveled as coach to USTA junior tournaments; worked with and trained junior players as ball-kids for both the Columbia Forest State Tournament and the Winston Salem Open, For past ten (10) plus years, Jeff has dedicated himself to one goal – helping whomever he is teaching to reach their highest potential.
Jeff has been on staff at Cardinal Swim & Tennis since early 2022.
Tymofiy (Tym) Khrystyuk
Staff Assistant Tennis Coach
tkhrystyuk@gmail.com
Tymofiy Khrystyuk was born in Ukraine, Poltava and immigrated to the French part of Canada in 2010 where he started playing tennis at 9 years old. From a young age – tennis has shaped most of his life experiences.
Tym has competed in numerous Canadian tournaments in which he reached the top 5 ranking in the nation. Internationally, he played ITF juniors and USTA tournaments and had a ranking of top 700 in the world.
Tym committed to play for the UNCG Spartans in August 2022 whereas a first-year student / athlete he won the prestigious Freshman of the year at UNCG and was also named to the Southern Conference First team All-Conference.
Currently, he plays as their number one since the end of his freshman year. Tymofiy’s tennis club is based in Quebec at the Aliassime Academy which is owned by the dad of Felix Auger-Aliassime (19th in the world) where he trains, gives private lessons and works with groups of kids that are considered to be the future of tennis. Fun facts about Tym aside from tennis: He speaks four languages and is a model for Marilyn Agency in New York. Tym started teaching at the Cardinal Swim & Tennis Club in August 2024.
Olivia (Liv) Gallagher
Staff Assistant Tennis Coach
ogally221@gmail.com
Olivia Gallagher was born and raised in Georgetown, Kentucky. Recently, she has moved to UNCG to compete on the tennis team and study nursing.
In high school, she was a 2019 KHSAA state finalist, four time region singles champion, a four star recruit, and was ranked as high as 72 nationally for the 2021 class.
Her freshman year (2021), she led UNCG with five singles victories. During her sophomore year, she had the most doubles wins for the Spartans on the season while finishing the season at 10-12. Her third season of competition for UNCG, the UNC Greensboro (UNCG) women’s tennis junior Olivia Gallagher is nationally ranked in singles play concluding the 2023 fall season. Gallagher stood at 113th nationally and was only one of two in The Southern Conference (SoCon) ranked in the top 125. The last time a UNCG women’s tennis player was nationally ranked was in the 2012 spring season.
Olivia was also named to CSC Academic All-District her junior year and has plans to earn her Bachelors of Science in Nursing as she graduates in the spring of 2025. Olivia started teaching at the Cardinal Swim & Tennis Club in spring 2023.
Raegan Mitchell
Staff Assistant Tennis Coach
hrmitchell@uncg.edu
Raegan Mitchell grew up in Orange Beach, AL and lived in Acworth, GA before college. Three years ago, she moved to Greensboro to attend UNCG.
As a junior player, Raegan competed in many USTA tournaments across the Southeast. Raegan reached a #1 ranking in Alabama and a top 60 in the USTA Southern Section.
Raegan attended First Assembly of God Christian School for high school finishing with a 3.9 GPA. Raegan committed to play for UNCG her junior year of high school and began her freshman year at UNCG in fall 2021.
Raegan joined the UNCG Spartans and started all 3 years while there. Raegan plans to earn her undergraduate degree in Nursing with minors in Chemistry and Psychology. She currently has a 4.0 GPA and is a member of the UNCG Dean’s and Athletic Honor Roll.
During her high school years, Raegan taught tennis lessons with her stepdad and coach, Rhett Russell. She has also taught lessons and run clinics since coming to Greensboro, working with kids ages 4 to 18. Raegan started teaching at the Cardinal Swim & Tennis Club in July 2024.
John Gabelic
Staff Assistant Tennis Coach
johngabelic@hotmail.com
John Gabelic was born in Linköping, Sweden, and has lived there for most of his childhood. Over 2 years ago he moved to Greensboro to attend UNCG and is now a rising junior Spartan. Before college, John competed in many Swedish tournaments and ITF Juniors worldwide where he reached a top 950 ranking in the world. He was also ranked among the top 10 in Sweden for many years in his age group. His best results are becoming runner-up in singles and doubles at the Swedish Indoor Championships 2022.
In early 2022, John committed to play for the UNCG Spartans starting fall 2022. In spring 2023, John started in every match as a freshman for the Spartans. He is pursuing an undergraduate degree in Business Administration at the Bryan School of Business and Economics. Besides that, he is planning to add a minor in Computer Science. He currently has a 3.75 GPA and is a member of the UNCG Dean’s & Athletic Honor Roll.
For several years John has worked as a tennis coach in Sweden. He started at Linköping Tennis Academy in 2020 where he helped both juniors and adults from his hometown to improve their game. After a successful time, he taught as a private tennis coach for Torekov Hotel in southern Sweden summer of 2024. He has also strung tennis rackets for more than five years. John started teaching at the Cardinal Swim & Tennis Club in August 2024.
Turner Johnson
Staff Assistant Tennis Coach
turnerjohnson10s@gmail.com
Turner Johnson was born in Raleigh, North Carolina and moved to Oak Ridge in 2014 and graduated from Northwest Guilford High School.
A four year letterman in Cross Country, Turner was a late comer to tennis. He picked the game up as a junior in high school and developed his game quickly as a member of Cardinal Swim & Tennis. Turner was in the Cardinal Academy junior program developing his game. He made the NWHS tennis team as a senior and quickly established himself at number 2 doubles, going 3–1 before COVID ended the team’s season.
As of fall 2024, he is a sophomore at Guilford College where he is a member of the Guilford College tennis team and studies Sports Management. Turner went 1-0 in his freshman year.
Outside of tennis, he is an Eagle Scout, member of the Order of the Arrow and served as a counselor for two years on the National Youth Leadership program. Turner’s passion for tennis and strong work ethic motivate him to nurture and coach the next generation with a similar love of the game.
Luna Urso
Staff Assistant Tennis Coach
lunau02@gmail.com
Luna Urso, originally from Milan, Italy, has had a diverse journey in the world of tennis and academics. Before arriving at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG), she lived in Serbia, where she competed in numerous ITF and Tennis Europe tournaments. In 2019, she earned the title of Athlete of the Year in Niš, Serbia, and finished the year ranked among the top 10 in the Serbian national rankings.
Luna joined the UNCG Spartans in the fall of 2022 as a sophomore, and made an impact, starting in every match. Now a senior at the Bryan School of Business and Economics, she maintains a 3.9 GPA and is recognized on both the UNCG Dean’s and Athletic Honor Roll.
In addition to her studies and tennis, Luna has been coaching and mentoring. For the past few years, she has run tennis camps in Colorado where she worked with kids ages 3-17, and also worked as a sparring partner with adults. Luna started teaching at the Cardinal Swim & Tennis Club in spring 2024.
