Tag archives: tennis

Racketeers were out in force when the 50-year-old Las Positas Tennis Center at Elings Park reopened after 16 months of major improvements and renovations costing $3.2 million. The tennis center project is part of a larger $10 million Elings Park infrastructure campaign of improvements for the 230-acre park, the largest privately funded public recreation area […]

Summerland Elementary School and the Summerland community have a new sports court area thanks to the generosity and legacy building by Summerland residents Nora McNeely Hurley and husband Michael Hurley through Nora’s family Manitou Foundation, who donated the $1.3 million needed to make it happen. Superintendent of the Carpinteria Unified School District (CUSD) Diana Rigby […]

Chris Elwood returns to Westmont as head coach of men’s tennis, a position he previously held for 14 years (1993-97, 2001-09). “In a competitive pool of candidates, Chris stood out as someone with great experience, a strong vision for the program, and a compelling plan to build for the future,” says Westmont Director of Athletics […]

A reader recently reported that the tennis courts at Manning Park have been locked by the County, with promise of renovation, which is long overdue. No word yet from the County Parks Department on the scope of the work or the estimated time for completion.  

We can’t think of a sweeter Valentine’s gift than the one from generous Summerland resident and philanthropist Nora McNeely Hurley and her husband, Michael Hurley. Summerland School’s very tired tennis courts will be undergoing a complete renovation thanks to a two-year grant from the Manitou Fund. Nora McNeely Hurley is a Trustee and Chief Programming […]

Westmont’s fall and winter athletic seasons have seen limited action, but several sports have offered inspirational moments. Prioritizing the health and safety of its student-athletes, Westmont decided to play contact sports only against opponents who test for COVID-19 before all athletic contests. Men’s and women’s cross country were the only fall teams to compete, as […]

A warm Summerland welcome to sports legend Maria Sharapova, who has purchased one of my favorite properties. The retired (in February of this year) tennis player has purchased a five-acre ocean view compound in the hills for $8.6 million. The 33-year-old Russian has won more than $38 million in prize money – that’s not counting […]

Soprano Megan (Silberstein) Billings will perform as part of the music department’s Alumni Spotlight on Friday, October 9 at 7 pm. Listen to the free concert at vimeo.com/showcase/westmontmusic. Billings, a 2014 Westmont graduate, will sing recognizable tunes from Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals as well as productions of Bridges of Madison County and Frozen. She earned […]

Mindvalley received an unexpected boost when 19-year-old tennis player Bianca Andreescu defeated Serena Williams, one of the all-time greats, in the final of the US Open in New York earlier this month. Asked by journalists how she remained so focus during the raucous tournament, where countless competitors have succumbed as much to doubts and derision […]

The No. 12 Westmont women’s tennis (19-5) defeated No. 16 San Diego Christian (16-3) 5-1 to win the Golden State Athletic Conference Tournament championship on April 18. This was the third time the Warriors have beaten the Hawks, claiming both the regular season championship and an automatic berth into the NAIA National Championship. “It’s probably […]

Isn’t it remarkable that the vast majority of all the games we play involving physical activity are focused upon an object, usually round, which we call a “ball.” It can be small as a marble, or large as a bowling ball, light as a ping-pong ball, or heavy as a “medicine ball,” a sphere, as […]

Teresa McWilliams was born in Warsaw, Poland in 1937, and lived there with her family on their farm in the countryside. Her father, Mr. Glinski, was a concert pianist and composer in Poland, and they lived the gentry life, until the Germans came and occupied the country. When Teresa was just two years old, the […]

I would like to thank Dr. Edo McGowan for clarifying his position on recycled water with the residents of Montecito (“Water Warnings,” MJ #24/37). As quoted last year, he supports recycled water “as long as it’s done properly” (“It’s Where the Future Lies…” by Melinda Burns, Edhat and Independent, June 8, 2017). His words of […]