Beyond the Baseline: Lexie Wanninger

As USTA Southern California’s Integrated Marketing Manager and current Interim Marketing Director since April, Lexie Wanninger stands at the forefront of the organization’s media presence. Celebrating five years with the organization, she continues to elevate how stories are told, players are highlighted, and tennis is experienced across the region. 

While her title only scratches the surface of her impact, those who know her recognize the passion she brings to her work each day. A lifelong athlete, she channels the same discipline of her competitive days into fast-moving digital campaigns that educate, inspire, and connect players, coaches, and families. Often working behind the scenes, and after hours, Lexie pushes the organization to challenge convention and tell stories in innovative ways that make the sport more accessible at every level.

Diligent, quick-thinking, and forward-focused, Lexie leads with purpose. She’s a trusted colleague, a source of insight and inspiration, and a model of how commitment and hard work drive excellence. Unafraid to take risks or think boldly, she consistently introduces bold ideas that have helped solidify USTA Southern California as one of the nation’s most dynamic and creative sections for media and engagement.

Midwest Roots

Born and raised in Edina, Minnesota, Lexie grew up in a tight-knit family with her parents, John and Carrie, and her younger sister, Ellie. Her parents, who first met at age four, now spend their time between Minnesota and Naples, Florida, but the family remains deeply connected.

Sports were central to Lexie’s upbringing. Her father competed in triathlons and played hockey. Her mother excelled in tennis and softball, reaching Adult League Nationals multiple times and competing at the highest level well into Lexie’s college years. Her grandfather was also a lifelong tennis player. Surrounded by that example, Lexie developed an early appreciation for discipline, perseverance, and sportsmanship. 

She began swimming before her first birthday and joined Edina Country Club’s swim team at age four — the youngest swimmers had to complete a full lap to qualify. She did it “grinning from ear to ear,” later earning the team’s “Most Smiley” award.

Her childhood was filled with activity: mornings and afternoons spent on tennis, swimming, diving, and golf; evenings at soccer with her dad coaching or softball with her mom. Until age twelve, she juggled multiple practices daily, then shifted her focus to swimming after a soccer injury left her with a broken wrist, dedicating herself fully to high school competition.

Balancing Swim and Academics

Lexie attended Breck School from fifth grade through graduation. As the only seventh grader to make the varsity swim team — and one of the youngest students in her grade — she competed for six seasons, earning All-Conference Honorable Mention, All-Section, All-State honors, Team Captain recognition, and the NISCA 200 Point Award. 

She trained year-round with Aquajets Swim Club while managing a rigorous academic workload and a full slate of extracurricular activities. Through the school’s Advanced Mathematics Research Program, Lexie partnered with nonprofit organization Second Harvest Heartland on a service-focused project aimed at improving operational efficiency, while regularly volunteering alongside her family and best friend Alexa, whom she met at age ten and remains close to today.

Lexie’s creative side emerged in middle school and blossomed in high school. Her passion for photography began during Breck’s annual Awareness Day, an experiential learning field trip where students explored different activities across the Twin Cities. In eighth grade, Lexie joined a photography excursion through Minneapolis, visiting the Sculpture Garden, Target Center, and Mill City District with friends. Armed with her dad’s Canon Rebel DSLR, she discovered a new way to see the world.

By junior year, Lexie’s interests expanded into marketing. She joined the Business Club’s marketing team, which ran The Breck Bean, a student-run coffee shop where all profits supported student-led community service grants. That same year, she interned with Artful Living Magazine as a Marketing and Advertising Intern, where she gained her first professional experience in branding, storytelling, and creative direction.

During her senior year, Lexie served as Yearbook Editor and Photographer for the Lower School, capturing classroom moments and school events while learning programs like Adobe Photoshop and InDesign. She was also a Senior Guide Counselor, mentoring a group of freshman girls as they transitioned to high school, and a member of PROPELS, a leadership group focused on enhancing the student-athlete experience and team culture.

Her leadership extended beyond campus life, too. Lexie coached at Clownfish Swim Club, which offers adaptive swim programs for children and adults with disabilities. She also interned with Abbey’s Hope Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting water safety and preventing drownings. She taught kindergarteners about pool safety, assisted with swim practices, created educational materials, and supported large-scale events, including the World’s Largest Swim Lesson and the Water Watchdog Campaign, which distributed over 20,000 tags nationwide to raise awareness about pool supervision and safety. 

With her athletic success, academic achievement, volunteer work, and creative drive, Lexie became a highly sought-after recruit for several collegiate swim programs. 

“I knew early on that I wanted to go to college in California. I have family that lives in Marin and San Diego, and I grew up visiting every summer. I always felt a connection to the state and knew I wanted to live there,” said Lexie. “I researched schools and then took a few trips with my dad to explore colleges in Redlands, Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego. During these visits, I met with coaches in person and even did official visits to get a feel for the teams and campus life. Ultimately, I chose to swim at Pepperdine.” 

Making Waves in College

Lexie knew early on that she wanted a smaller, more personal learning environment, and Pepperdine offered exactly that balance. Arriving in Malibu in 2015, Lexie embraced the dual challenge of competing on the Swim and Dive team while pursuing a degree in Integrated Marketing Communications. 

“Balancing my studies and athletics definitely kept me busy, but it taught me excellent time management and discipline,” she said. “I had a really great foundation from club swimming and a very rigorous course load since fourth grade.” 

In the classroom, she quickly found her stride. Her major exposed her to the foundations of branding, digital strategy, and creative storytelling — interests that had been steadily developing since high school. 

College amplified Lexie’s creative side. Working for the university’s student-run newspaper, Lexie discovered a love for visual storytelling, capturing the action at water polo games and other events on campus. 

“My interest in sports photography really took off in college when I joined the Pepperdine Graphic, while also lifeguarding on campus,” mentioned Lexie. “A lot of my friends were on the water polo team, so I was already at their games regularly. Juggling two jobs, two sports, and a full course load meant I was practically living at the pool or library. It felt natural to start capturing the action there too.”

During the summers after her freshman and sophomore years, Lexie lived and studied abroad in Florence, Italy, serving as the student representative for her program. Immersed in new cultures, perspectives, and responsibilities, she developed a global perspective and strengthened her skills as a young leader and communicator. That international outlook was further enriched after her junior year, when she moved to New York City for a summer internship at ISAIA, a luxury Italian menswear company, gaining hands-on professional experience. 

Lexie competed all four years on the Swim and Dive team, serving as co-captain her senior year, earning All-Pacific Collegiate Swim Conference honorable mention honors in both 1-meter and 3-meter diving, and being recognized four times as a Pepperdine Scholar-Athlete.

“College taught me a lot about discipline and perseverance,” she said. “Balancing academics, athletics, and extracurriculars forced me to learn how to prioritize and stay organized. Taking part in competitive sports taught me how to work as part of a team while still holding myself accountable, and how to stay motivated even when things get challenging. These experiences gave me the confidence to tackle complex projects, collaborate with a variety of people, and stay focused on long-term goals, all of which directly influence how I approach my work today.”

By the time she graduated in 2019, Lexie had completed a successful athletic career and discovered the creative direction that would define her professional path. 

Post-Grad Endeavours

Lexie began her post-collegiate professional career at Vivid Candi, a digital tech agency in Malibu, where she first worked as a part-time Digital Marketing Assistant during her senior year. After graduation, she transitioned to a full-time Digital Manager that May, and within 10 months, by February 2020, earned a promotion to Account Executive.

“I learned how to manage multiple clients across completely different industries which taught me how to adapt quickly and figure out what type of industries I was most interested in pursuing,” Lexie stated. 

When the COVID-19 pandemic emerged in March 2020, Lexie returned home to Minnesota, where she worked remotely while living with her parents and her sister. Like so many others, the sudden disruption reshaped her daily life, and soon opened the door to an unexpected shift in her career.

A spontaneous message from a friend led to an interview with Sophia Hutchins, business partner and manager to Caitlyn Jenner, for their sunscreen startup, Lumasol. Though Lexie hadn’t applied and had no prior experience in the sunscreen industry, she took the interview and landed the role. From August 2020 through April 2021, she worked with Lumasol, moving back to Southern California and gaining experience scaling marketing channels, building relationships with high-profile influencers, and directing photo and video ad campaigns, among other responsibilities.

She also launched her own digital agency, LTD Digital Media. “‘LTD’ stands for ‘Living the Dream,’ which is my dad’s signature catchphrase,” Lexie shared. Leading the agency, she offers full digital marketing services and photography, primarily working with real estate developers and development companies, while also collaborating with sporting events, marketing firms, advertising agencies, and more. This past December, LTD celebrated its sixth anniversary.

Looking to take the next step in her career, Lexie applied for a position at USTA Southern California as an Integrated Marketing Manager. 

Job Responsibilities at USTA SoCal

Known for wearing many hats, Lexie’s role has evolved significantly over the last nearly five years. 

“On a daily basis, I manage our digital platforms, including social media, email newsletters, and website content, while collaborating with partners, event organizers, and internal teams to ensure consistent messaging and brand alignment,” Lexie stated. “I also develop and maintain strong relationships with players, coaches, families, and clubs, which allows us to tell authentic stories and better connect with the broader tennis community. A typical day might include writing and editing feature stories that spotlight local players, coaches, and programs, developing social media campaigns, and designing promotional materials to support events and initiatives. I build and manage our social media calendars, coordinate with sponsors to maximize visibility and value, and provide creative strategy to elevate both grassroots and elite-level tennis.”

Another key aspect of her role is supporting community tennis programs by highlighting their impact, encouraging participation, and showcasing how tennis can be both competitive and inclusive. Additionally, Lexie serves as one of the staff photographers, providing on-site coverage at tournaments and events and delivering high-quality imagery that brings USTA SoCal’s digital storytelling to life.

Beyond content creation, she helps streamline processes, ensures campaigns run smoothly, and bridges the gap between departments and stakeholders. “Every project I take on — whether it’s amplifying the accomplishments of our athletes, strengthening relationships with community members, or creating engaging digital content — contributes to the larger goal of growing and strengthening the tennis community in Southern California. Ultimately, my role is about connection.”

Proven Results

Upon joining USTA Southern California, Lexie has transformed the section’s social media presence. Under her guidance, the flagship Instagram account has grown by more than 335%, now exceeding 26,000 followers, with posts often receiving hundreds of thousands of views. Her photography has become a cornerstone of USTA SoCal’s brand, capturing the full spectrum of SoCal’s diverse tennis community. She has also worked at premier events like the BNP Paribas Open and the US Open, where her images have been featured by some of the sport’s top names. Through her work, Lexie has not only earned the recognition of the players she photographs but has also built lasting friendships, supporting athletes both on and off the court and sharing in their journeys as they follow hers.

“As a photographer, Lexie is one of the best there is in my opinion. In the four or five years I have known her, all of the best photos of myself on court have come from her, so it pains me that I only get to see her a couple times each year,” said San Diego’s Ryan Seggerman. “On top of her amazing work though, she is such a wonderful person and so quick to support or help out her friends in any way she can. She is always one of the first messages I get after a big win or big milestone in my career and I so appreciate that about her. It has been an absolute treat to have her at each of my two favorite matches in my career, not just because of the great photos she was able to capture, but also because she has become such a good friend. Getting to walk right off the court to celebrate and soak in the wins with someone who has been so great and supportive of me and my career is really special. Seeing other top players like Gael Monfils or Taylor Fritz use and appreciate her photos at these tournaments for their own personal social media accounts is a testament to the quality of her work. In tennis and photography and beyond, we are always keeping up and rooting for each other. Lexie is such a gem and I am so glad that our paths crossed as a result of Southern California tennis.”

What Lexie enjoys most about her position is the variety, as no two days are ever the same, and the personal growth it has afforded her.

“I love the freedom I have to be creative, to push boundaries, and to try new ideas that help grow the sport and engage our community in meaningful ways,” mentioned Lexie. “Coming into the position, tennis wasn’t my primary sport, but over time I’ve fallen in love with it — both the game itself and the people who make up this community. Being able to contribute to a sport that has such a positive, lifelong impact on players and families is something that excites me every day.”

Lexie’s work has given her the chance to form genuine connections with some of the top professional players to come from the section, including Brandon Nakashima, Ena Shibahara, Iva Jovic, and Ryan Seggerman. One standout moment came last March at the BNP Paribas Open, when her favorite ATP player, Gaël Monfils, approached her to personally thank her for her photography. The connection began the year prior, when his agent discovered her work on Instagram and began featuring her photos on Gaël’s social media channels. 

“Since then, my photos have appeared on his accounts multiple times, but having Gael personally thank me in person was an unforgettable moment,” recalled Lexie. 

In her time with the organization, Lexie has achieved a number of accomplishments she is particularly proud of, including launching @ustasocalevents, a centralized hub for tournament information that have streamlined marketing, simplified communication, and boosted registrations. Yet one project stands above the rest, with an impact that resonated deeply with both Lexie and the Southern California tennis community. She took on one of the most sensitive assignments of her career by covering the Braun Levi tragedy, building meaningful relationships with his family and community, and authoring two deeply personal articles, Live Like Braun Levi: The Bright Legacy of Loyola High School’s Tennis Star and A Community’s Commitment to Live Like Braun Levi. The original story became USTA SoCal’s highest-performing article of all time, generating 245 times more views than average and doubling year-over-year site traffic in May 2025.

“These accomplishments demonstrate my ability to combine creativity, strategy, and empathy to make a lasting impact, not just on metrics, but on people and the community we serve,” commented Lexie. 

Direct Impact

Lexie’s influence extends far beyond the court. While players and spectators feel it every day, her impact is equally profound across the organization. 

“Lexie makes everyone around her better. I’ve been in digital media for over 20 years, and no one has come close to rivaling her in terms of work ethic and ambition,” stated Jon Mulvey, USTA SoCal’s Web & Digital Media Developer. “In the four years I’ve worked alongside her, we’ve created so much amazing content and she’s inspired me to push myself and my work far beyond anything I would have been able to do solely on my own. Her influence has made me a better photographer and a better web developer. I can’t understate just how essential she is to USTA Southern California, our brand, and the narratives we create.” 

“Lexie is one of the hardest-working people in the organization, and that’s saying something,” mentioned Anthony Shirley, USTA SoCal’s Manager of Adult Competitive Tennis. “It feels like she’s juggling a million tasks simultaneously at any given time, yet consistently manages her projects and deadlines while still supporting others’ needs. Calling her the Integrated Marketing Manager almost minimizes what she does. She’s the Swiss Army knife of marketing. It’s amazing that I can reach out to her for photography, videography, logos, graphics, articles, or even help with a complex project. I literally don’t know how I would survive in the organization without her. So much of what I do really depends on her and Jon.” 

Life Beyond

When she’s away from work, Lexie makes the most of her time with family, friends, and her passions. She especially enjoys spending time with her sister, Ellie, who lives nearby. “When I was living in San Diego, she was living in San Francisco, so I didn’t get to see her as often as I’d like. When she got a new job in Malibu, my lease was up, and I decided to move back to LA to be near her.” 

A devoted Formula 1 fan, Lexie spends her Sundays catching races, often waking at unusual hours to watch the action live. Her dad first got her into motorsports, and over time, her fascination has grown to the point where she has now even attended four races in person and hopes to see many more. Travel remains another constant in her life, whether it’s visiting family, seeing friends across the country, or exploring destinations around the world. Always curious and eager to experience new cultures, she admits she has a hard time sitting still. A self-proclaimed foodie despite being a picky eater, Lexie loves discovering new restaurants, from hidden local gems to popular hotspots, both at home and while traveling.

Movies and TV shows are another passion, with binge-watching favorites ranging from crime dramas like 911 and NCIS, to medical shows such as Grey’s Anatomy, to action and superhero films. She has watched all of the Harry Potter movies dozens of times and even completed Grey’s Anatomy three times from start to finish.

Halloween holds a special place in Lexie’s heart. “I just love everything about it — the costumes, the spooky vibe, and all the creativity that goes into it,” Lexie said. She’s a fan of nostalgic classics like Hocus Pocus, Halloweentown, Ghostbusters, Double Trouble, and Beetlejuice, and she channels her creativity into elaborate Halloween makeup. Inspired by YouTube artists and college friends, Lexie mastered everything from colorful makeup looks to full special-effects transformations, turning herself into vampires, zombies, and pop culture characters just for fun.

Goals and Advice

For those interested in photography, Lexie’s biggest advice is simply to just start: “I know this is probably going to sound cliche, but just start shooting. You do not need a fancy camera or perfect setup to begin, your phone works fine. The most important thing is to practice, experiment, and pay attention to what catches your eye. Be creative, but don’t push yourself to be too creative, if that makes sense. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Some of your best shots will come from trial and error.”

She also encourages studying the work of others for inspiration. “Look at photographers you admire and try to understand what makes their images resonate. Over time, you’ll start developing your own style and become more and more comfortable with your camera,” added Lexie. “Have fun with it. Photography is a way to tell your story and capture moments that matter to you, so enjoy the process, not just the end result.”

Looking ahead, Lexie has both personal and professional goals. As for now, she hopes to get more involved in playing tennis and wants to learn videography.