Kahului’s Beth Montalovo inducted into USTA Hawaiʻi Pacific Hall of Fame

The USTA Hawaiʻi Pacific Section has inducted Beth Montalvo (formerly Beth Arnoult) into its Hall of Fame, honoring her with the Outstanding Player Award for her achievements in wheelchair tennis with considerations of sportsmanship and character.

Montalvo, a Kahului resident, became a prominent figure in wheelchair tennis after a life-altering ATV 4-wheeler accident in 1991. Despite the challenges, she turned professional in 1998 and retired in 2008, leaving behind a legacy of resilience and athletic excellence.

Among her achievements are a gold medal in doubles and a silver medal in singles at the 2007 Parapan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She also finished among the top eight players in the world as a quarterfinalist in women’s singles at the Beijing Paralympics and placed fourth in women’s doubles at the same Games with partner Kaitlyn Verfuerth.

Montalvo reached a No. 1 US singles ranking in 2004 and was ranked No. 10 internationally in 2006. She was a quarterfinalist in singles at the US Open in 2006 and 2007 and a doubles finalist in 2005.

In 2005, while she was the No. 1 ranked US player, former Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa declared June 30 as Beth Arnoult Day in Maui County.

Montalvo said one of the most memorable moments of her career came during her final matches at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics, when she heard her parents cheering in a stadium filled with more than 10,000 spectators. Her parents, Larry and Violet Schleisman, Iowa farmers, attended the match along with other family members.

Since retiring from tennis in 2008, Montalvo went on to teach mathematics at Baldwin High School on Maui for four years and now operates her own bookkeeping business. She keeps active with outrigger canoe paddling.

USTA Hawaiʻi Pacific held its third annual Annual Awards in November 2025.