Shella Augspurger is entering her 20th year with the Newman tennis program in 2023-24. It is her 18th full year after beginning in the spring of 2006, and she took over as Director of Tennis prior to the 2007-08 season.
In 2023, Augspurger led the Men to a 10-10 season, making the MIAA/GAC tournament. The Women finished 9-9. Under Augspurger, 8 Jets earned All-MIAA Honors along with 1 "A Game" Scholar Athlete Award.
Under Augspurger in the Spring of 2022, 5 Jets earned All-MIAA Honors.
Augspurger has overseen the Jet tennis programs since they made the move to NCAA Division II before the 2007-08 season, and has led the men’s and women’s teams to a combined 21 trips to the Heartland Conference tournament out of 23 chances. The men have reached the final of the conference championship four times, and in all, Augspurger has coached a combined 48 all-conference athletes. In 11 out of 12 years, both teams received All-Academic TTA Awards.
Laryssa Ferreira, was recently inducted into the Newman Jets Hall Of Fame, was selected the Heartland Conference women’s Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons in 2010 and 2011, and Eduardo Santos was named men’s Player of the Year in 2017 and was ranked in the top 10 according to NCAA rankings. Augspurger has also seen her athletes capture three Senior of the Year awards and a Freshman of the Year honor. Blake Crawford recently selected All-Region and All-American CoSida Academic Honors.
The Newman men have reached the Heartland tournament in all 11 years they have been eligible, and reached a new milestone when they qualified for the NCAA South Central Region tournament in 2014-15, ending that season ranked No. 34 in the nation.
Augspurger has been teaching tennis for over 20 years, beginning at multiple clubs in the St. Louis, Missouri area, when she also achieved her U.S. Professional Tennis Association teaching certification. Since moving to Wichita in 1999, she has been a teaching pro at Reflection Ridge Golf and Swim Club, and coached the Maize High School boys’ tennis team for four years.
A Mariemont, Ohio native, Augusperger received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Kentucky, where she played three different sports. She and her husband, John, have three adult children: Kevin, Derrick who played volleyball for the University of Kentucky and Karen, a former volleyball player at Wichita State and was recently inducted into Wichita State Hall Of Fame. She also has 1 grandchild.
