Garland Sports Hall of Fame

Ginny Harper

Virginia "Ginny" Lewis Harper was the state tennis singles championship runner-up as a Garland H.S. senior in 1952. During her senior season, she won district and regional singles championships and advanced to the state championship finals before losing the title to her opponent, 6-2, 5-7, 3-6. Ginny was a leading player on the outstanding Garland H.S. tennis squads of coach Alton Williams in the early 1950s. Playing doubles for two years, she and her partner, Beverly Stanton, won the district championship as sophomores and again as juniors. The latter year, the two won the regional title, before losing in the state quarterfinals. A multi-sport athlete, Ginny was an all-district forward as a senior for the Garland girls basketball team. Team captain for both her junior and senior hard court seasons, she lettered four years in both basketball and tennis. As captain and leading scorer for the 1952 girls basketball team, Ginny led the Owlettes to a successful season, winning 15 and losing only six and finishing as the district runner-up to Mesquite. The Garland team also posted a non-district victory over District 12-A champion Plano. While at Garland High she was an Owl cheerleader for three years, serving as head cheerleader as a senior. She also was named All-GHS her senior year, an honor selected by the teacher and elected Miss GHS by the student body. She graduated as class salutatorian and a two-year member of the National Honor Society.