: Welcome to the Morgan Hill Tennis Club
Serving the city of Morgan Hill and surrounding communities. Join us for
local tournaments, USTA League play and just plain tennis fun.
Support for Sister Club(GTC)
Chili Cook Off
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It's time again for our fun Chili Cook Off. See flyer for more details. Looking for chefs that would like to participate in the fun!
Gilroy Tennis Club Chili Cook-off Fundraiser
Join us for a fun evening under the stars dancing to Sound Decision live band and sampling chili!
When: Saturday, October 07, 2023
Where: Sarah’s Vineyard
Address: 4005 Hecker Pass Hwy, Gilroy
Time: 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Entry fee: $35 for all participants. Please pay online at gilroytennisclub.com or Venmo me @Rachel-Banse.
Free entry for chefs only
Includes: 2 glasses of wine, appetizers, dessert, music, and yummy chili from our chefs.
To be a chef, please contact Rachel Banse @ vicepres@gilroytennisclub.com or 408-680-9122.
Open to the public, 21 years and older. Invite your friends and family.
***No Pets or children please!
Hello members!
Enough with this "raining cats and dogs" business! Or, since the Australian Open starts today, we'll say it's "raining ballarats and dingos".......those nutty Aussies......hope they're enjoying their sunny 80 degree days!
Please renew your membership for 2023 asap so you're set for league play and club tournaments. Only $60 for the year and $25 for each additional family member. The 2023 tourney dates will be announced soon.....we're trying to get the city to set a firm date for the resurfacing project. Speaking of projects; we're going to install a new covered seating area between courts 4 & 5 as soon as the rain stops.
Captains please be patient with our court scheduler, Paul Nguyen, when having to reschedule matches. Also, remember, our courts are public so please be kind when coming out to play as they are frequently packed.
The club will again celebrate MHTC members who travel to the Indian Wells BNP tourney with our annual "Morgan Hill Monday" Drinks on us! Hope to see you there!
Please welcome and say "ciao!" at the courts to our new board member Dana Padilla!
On behalf of the board, Happy New Years and thank you for supporting the club!
Anthony Bontempi
Congrats to Morgan Hill TC Men's 4.0 Daytime 18+ Team - 2022 NorCal Sectional Champions! MVP Kevin Rausa went undefeated the entire season along with Co-Captain and Club President Tony Bontempi, Captained by Paul Nguyen. The Club was awarded a plaque and all players recieved a trophy dish!
Hello members!
I hope you're enjoying the summer! One month until the US Open! To those who are going, grab a T-shirt for our website dude, Edward Taylor, who's recovering from his "bionic knee" surgery. As the "dog days" approach and the kids go back to school, here are a few club announcements:
*Court resurfacing is still going to happen but the city has a couple projects they'd like to accomplish first, so......hopefully soon! With the ongoing drought, I'm hesitant to wash the courts but I'm planning on washing selected areas. When I'm emptying the trashcans I notice liquid spills, so please don't put liquids in them. Thanks!
*Good luck to the mens/womens teams up in Sac. for districts and sectionals next weekend. For those going, please attend our MHTC Playoffs Party! The next season of leagues are: A70+, M55+ and combo leagues. Ask our club pro Kenneth if you need help finding a team.
*Our club founder Pravin is spearheading our next project; a concrete path/gate from court 1 to the shed and towards the new bathrooms. Thanks Pravin! Be sure to put your initials in the wet concrete! We're also adding a shade structure between courts 4-5.
*The Mubadala Womens Pro tourney, formerly the Bank of the West Classic at Stanford, starts tomorrow at San Jose State. 7 of the top 10 players are scheduled to play and next year the club is planning on a "MHTC Day" which will be very cool!
*The club membership dues are going to increase for 2023 to $60.....such a deal! More info to follow regarding additional family, partial year etc.
The summer wind, came blowin in, from across the sea. It lingered there to touch your hair and walk with me. All summer long, we sang a song and then we strolled that golden sand. Two sweethearts and the summer wind.
On behalf of the board, thank you for supporting the club and have a great summer!
Tony
Mixed Doubles Tournament Recap
We had 36 players (plus a few subs!) participate in our Mixed Doubles Tournament on June 26! Congratulations to our prize winners:
6.0 Division
1st - Tomomi A. & Anton A.
2nd - Rose & Phil M.
3rd - Farah H. & Octavio F.
7.0 Division
1st - Alex & Ivy N.
2nd - Theresse & Paul N.
3rd (3 teams tied) - Leo & Irene S, Irel & Lenka Q., Sachin & Aida C.
Also, special thank you to our volunteers who helped with food and setup/tear-down. We hope to see you at our next event!
Bonjour les members!
I'm practicing my French in preparation for the red clay tourney, also known as Roland Garros. Roland-garros as a pronoun means the French Open and the Stade Roland Garros is the tennis centre, constructed in Paris in the 1920s, named after a French fighter pilot. Another tidbit of French info.; if you watch the movie Casablanca closely you can see Humphrey Bogart in a pair of Lacoste tennis shorts!
Our next tourney is June 26th., a mixed affair, so mark your calendars and find a fun partner.
Congrats to the teams that made it to the post-season, captained by; Luann Wiggenhorn, Virginia Depanah, So Ngo and both of Jewel "of the Nile" Knoflers teams. Also, to Paulie Nguyen and Kenneth Marques, whose mixed teams almost made it to nationals. Happy anniversary to Kenneth's 7.0 mixed team, on their 'Gold Ball' win at nationals 20 years ago in Hawaii! (he was called Kenny then!)
After my constant smoozing of city council members and the "quasi tangible, no market value, nonmonetary donation" to Chris Ghione, head of Parks/Rec., all 8 courts will be resurfaced in August! Yea! Except for our court scheduler Paulie. Please be patient during this ~10 day project. I've proposed changing the surface of courts 3-6....we'll see.
The MHTC will again have an entry in the 4th of July parade! If we can just secure insurance, after last year's incident, for the float driver Rachel "lead foot" Banse! Love ya V.P.! There is limited space on the float but all members are encouraged to walk with us and, of course, wave. More info. to follow regarding theme and attire.
There is a fundraiser for the Gilroy T.C., June 18th., at a private residence. Help us support our sister club! Sign ups for GTC members and non-members on the GTC website. Check the GTC site for more info. or give me a call 408-529-2908.
On behalf of our wonderful officers, enjoy this beautiful Cali weather and happy hitting!
Anthony Bontempi
Hello Members!
I hope you're enjoying this great tennis playing weather, unfortunately at the expense of needed rain. Seems like spring to me!
First a few high points to note:
- Our first tournament of the year is April 10th., mens and womens dubs. More info. to follow, from our tourn. guys Ben and Paul!
- There is a battery powered blower in the tennis shed for captains to prepare for matches.
- On our website we have our CLUB BY-LAWS as well as our CAPTAIN'S GUIDELINES. Rachel Banse, our womens V.P., will be sending all present and future captains a copy. There are incentives for being a captain, such as a free membership, so check them out!
- The board is currently working with the parks/rec. commission and the city council regarding where in town to build pickle ball courts. It's a growing sport and you may run across players on the club courts, please be polite! With lessons, private tennis academies, parks/rec., USTA leagues and a growing popularity with the public, PLEASE be patient and respectful on our courts!
- Our main 2022 project will be to resurface all 8 courts.....we're gonna make the city an offer they can't refuse!
Lastly, on a sad note, one of our most spirited and funny members, Cliff Sayko, suddenly passed away recently. I remember 10 years ago, being asked by the board as mens V.P. to talk with him about some court exploits and with Cliff being, as my wife Eileen as president described, "Clifford the big red dog!" I was hesitant to say the least. But being the true gentleman he was, everything was cool.
The club would also like to send condolences to the family and friends of MHTC members Lee Casey and Barbara Kennedy. Both Barbara and Lee played in the early years of the Gilroy Tennis Club in the 1980's. Rest in peace.
On behalf of the board, thanks!
Tony Bontempi
September 2021 Mixed Doubles Tournament
We had 34 players participate in our Mixed Doubles Tournament.
Congrats to our Division Champions!
6.0 - Abbie Serano & Manoj Kandikar
7.0 - Ivy & Alex Nguyen
8.0 - Elaine Kwok & Ken Marques
Tournament photos can be seen by clicking the photo.
MHTC participates in July 4th Parade
For the second year in a row the club participated in the city's 4th of July parade. Thanks to Ken Marques for organizing this event.
The Club held its first tournament since the Covid lock-down. Pent-Up demand notwithstanding, it was a great success. Thanks to Paul, et al, for organizing this effort and including these pictures. If you missed this one, we look forward to seeing at our next event.
Congrats to our Tournament Champions: Samantha Zhang, Ivy Nguyen, George Panos, Scott Jen, Gilbert Dalit and Nanding Eusebio!
Our very own Abi Pena and Kaddie Feng-Ashley have qualified to compete in the 2021 NTRP 50+ Doubles Nationals in San Diego, CA on April 16-18, 2021.
You may see Abi and Kaddie playing tennis often in Morgan Hill with the Monday, Wednesday, Friday Senior group at the Morgan Hill Tennis Center.
Congratulations are in order and Good Luck at the Nationals to Abi and Kaddie!
Thanks,
Marjorie Moniz
Click To Play Slideshow
Not First
Welcome to the new mhtennis web presence. There were some 2020-like external forces that forced this make over, but It was time for a bit of a change. Be aware that this is a work in progress, so if you see something amiss, don't get annoyed, just send a note to Edward (edward at qyiet dot com) and he will take care of it. Even if you don't bump into a problem, but see something that can be improved upon, again, send Edward a note.
Regards to all and stay healthy.
Click To Play Slideshow
Thanks to MHTC Volunteers(Tony Bontempi, Mike Hansen, Pravin Lathigara, Rachel Banse and Dick Svedeman) for coming out on July 28th(2020) to provide their personal labor to ensure our courts are in pristine playing condition.
Click To Play Slideshow
Here's hoping that you and your families are all safe and sound in the midst of this Corona Virus era. We in the MHTC community are anxious to return to something resembling "normal". In terms of access to the community park courts, the city has now unlocked them. Note that there are USTA "covid guidelines" signs posted that should be used to help keep us safe.
MHTC sponsored events are still on hold until late summer. We will be formulating those dates and communicating them in the coming weeks.
Regarding Leagues, USTA Norcal has stated the following for restarting play:
Adult 18 & over - Registration June 8th - 13th -- Play begins Aug 10th
Adult 40 & over - Resume Play Aug 3rd
Mixed 55 & over - Resume Play Sept 14th
Other leagues dates are TBD, so wait for Norcal Emails or check their website.
MHTC earns 2nd place in the USTA 18-45 Womens Team Singles 3.0 NorCal Championships
Click To Play Slideshow
The MHTC 18-45 Womens Singles 3.0 team advanced to the NorCal Championships held in West Valley College, February 1-2, 2020. MHTC faced four other teams representing the SF and Lower Peninsula areas. MHTC was led by Lenka Quinanola - she went 2-1 at the Championships and finished the season 7-2 overall. Elaine Kwok also went 2-1 at the Championships and finished the season 3-1. Major contributions also came from Theresse Tan and Lydia Tellgren, both finished 1-2 at the Championships.
The Olympic team from SF ended up in 1st place at the Championship, but MHTC is proud to finish in 2nd place overall. Special recognition to Julie Dean, who was undefeated during the regular season and was promoted to 3.5 prior to the Championships. Sharon Winchester and Sireesha Satti were also key contributors during the regular season but were not available for the Championships.
Congrats to MHTC and their 3.0 Womens Singles Team!!
MHTennis W55+, 6.0 Team is Heading to Sectionals.
Click To Play Slideshow
The Morgan Hill Ladies (fondly known as Team Good Gets) had a 6-2 winning season taking the Lower Peninsula title. They’re now heading to Elk Grove, CA this weekend to battle it out for the NorCal Sectionals title.
The team is Captained by Kathy Serksnis and Co-Captained by Lucy Olivares. Team members are: Deena Davalos, Becky Trovato, Geri Rincon, Kaddie Feng-Ashley, Gale Marshall, Lisa Chadband, Marie Cloughesy, Jewel Knofler, Diane Lazaga, Becky McCarthy, Sandi Morris, Pam Reed, Donna Tellgren,Ellen Abate and Bridget Warwick.
We’re wishing them continued success on their journey.
Click To Play Slideshow
Hello Members!
Hopefully you're having a great summer, especially on the courts! We would like to inform you about a few activities underway or being planned for your club.
PROJECTS: A gate is being installed at the north end of court 4 for easier access to the bathrooms this week. The shade structure will be installed by court 3 at the end of the month. Both projects paid for by the club.
MHTC TOURNAMENT: Sept. 15 is our last tourn. of the year, combo dubs. format. Watch for the emails. There will be an extra special lunch afterwards!
SEPTEMBER 1st: There will be a: Joint Gilroy and Morgan Hill tennis club BBQ: at “The Oaks” at Las Animas from noon-5:00 PM. Hamburgers, side dishes, dessert and water will be provided for the cost of $10 per person. Families are welcome. Children 5 and under are free. You may also sign up for the tennis tournament for no additional charge. Please sign up on-line at gilroytennisclub.com. If you are only a Morgan Hill member, you may sign-up on Morgan Hill’s home page. Please make sure you fill in your rating and phone number if you plan on playing in the tournament. This event is sponsored by GTC.
SEPTEMBER 21st GTC EVENT: The chili cook-off is back at Sarah’s Vineyard from 6:00-9:00. Cost is $20 for all the chili you can eat, two glasses of wine and music. Cooks are needed so please let Rachel Banse know if you are interested; islandorchid007@gmail.com. The weather is always beautiful at this time of year, so come on out and enjoy the evening. Bring a picnic if you feel chili is not enough to eat and enjoy the beautiful surroundings under a sky full of stars. ADULTS ONLY.
Both the MHTC and GTC clubs have decided to donate money to the victims of the shooting in Gilroy to the Gilroy Foundation.
Happy hitting!
Tony Bontempi on behalf of the MHTC Officers.
They always talk about Three-peats. The Chicago Bulls did it twice, New York Yankess twice, as well as other legendary teams. Now the Morgan Hill Tennis Club has a Three-peat team too!!!
Click To Play Slideshow
Not First
Not First
Tuti Peebles captained three mixed teams to Sectionals in a row. Last year Tuti's 18+ mixed team did quite well advancing to the 2nd round of playoffs against AVAC. In a dramatic win the deciding match saw our Morgan Hill team down 0-5 love 40, but Amir and Allison came back to win sending the 18+ MX team to Sections. At the start of 2019 Tuti's 40+ MX team also advanced to Sectionals with a satisfying win over LGSR.
This past Sunday the 55+ season concluded, and in a dramatic 2-1 win over LGSR, Tuti's team earned another Sectional trip with a season record of 10-0. Not only was the 55+ team undefeated, they only had to reschedule two matches due to Tuti's incredible luck and hard work scheduling matches away from the constant winter rain we all enjoyed. LGSR was very gracious in their loss, and noted that they were the only team to provide a challenge during the season losing 2-1 both times, while Tuti's team went 3-0 in seven matches.
All three mixed teams found success around a core of players, but of course as the age of each season became a bit older new players had to be added as some were a bit too young to join, and a few were injured.
The 40+ roster includes: Amir Ahmadzadeh, Bill Alaimo, Deborah Baker, Julie Dean, Tung Do, EO Hernandez, Ivy Nguyen, Hartuti & Mark Peebles, Bharat Poria, Allison Rohnert, Natalie Schnetzier, Tracy Taggart, Chris Truong, Fernando Villamar, Howard & Julie Watanabe.
The 55+ roster includes: Bill Alaimo, Beth Breger, EO Hernandez, Brad Leach, Hartuti & Mark Peebles, Allison Rohnert, Wendy Spohr, Tracy Taggart, Shirley Takenaka, Chris Truong, Howard & Julie Watanabe.
The 40+ Sectionals will be in June, while the 55+ Sectionals will be in April.
Morgan Hill Tennis Club earns 2nd place in the USTA 18-39 Team Singles Mens 4.5 Norcal Championships
Click To Play Slideshow
The Morgan Hill Tennis Club 18-39 Team Singles Men 4.5 team advanced to the Norcal Championships held in Fremont, March 23-24, 2019. In this round robin event, MHTC faced three other division champions, representing their respective Norcal areas.
MHTC was led by Fred Nordin who played and won all three matches in the Championships. He finished the season with a perfect 7-0 record, along with his new 5.0 rating for 2019!
Raymond Chen also had an undefeated season, going 3-0 during the regular season and also getting a strong win at the Championships.
Omar Molina and Foday Mattia also participated in the Championships and were key contributors throughout the season.
Daniel Chu was also a perfect 5-0 during the regular season, but unfortunately could not participate in the Championships due to an injury. Daniel is also enjoying a new 5.0 rating in 2019!
This was the first ever season for the USTA 18-39 Team Singles league. MHTC went 2-1 at the Championships, with their only loss to Golden Gate Park, who finished in 1st place.
Congrats to MHTC and their 4.5 Singles Team!!
Morgan Hill Lady's Combo at Districts
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Morgan Hill's Women's 7.5 combo team, captained by Kate Gillis, won the local league and earned a trip to USTANORCAL districts championship. The tournament was played in Sacramento over the weekend of Feburary 22, 2019 .
It was a rough outing at Districts this year due to weather, a compressed schedule and no-ad scoring. The team did not advance, but quoting captain Kate, "I just wanted to say thank you to all the ladies for putting in their best efforts to get the job done and representing the best combo team from lower peninsula. "
Pictured are some of the ladies that competed at this season's districts. From left to Right:
Annie dang, Tina Nguyen, Kate Gillis( Captain) Giana & Janelle Flores, lisa Backus and Helene grunnett- Jepsen(Co- Captian)
Team members not pictured are: Machiko Cyr, India Hoffman, Doris Huang, Suzie Kim, Mayra Koury, Poppy Mussallem, Reiko Nashimoto, Anita Nguyen, Dominique Pacolba, Jenny Phong, Chisato Rubin, Natalie Schnetzler,
Mary Suchow,
Click To Play Slideshow
Last week, January 24-27, 2019 our Womens 6.0 MH Team competed in the Nationals/Invitationals in Surprise, Arizona.
Our team did very well coming in 14th in the National Standings.
We were able to WIN a few games against the #1 finishers from Florida and the #2 finishers from the Pacific Northwest. And we won games against other teams. We WON ONE Match against Southern.
The opponents were very competitive, but, very nice. Our team received t-shirts, wrist bands, lunches & all players had a really good time.
We had a Team celebration dinner at the Texas Roadhouse where we were entertained with Karaoke and Line Dancing, Country Music, good food and peanut tossing.
We are hoping to receive a Banner from USTA for competition at the Nationals to be placed on the MH Tennis Court fence. We are keeping our fingers crossed on that.
These are the TEAM players that appear in this picture (from left to right)
Bev Trindade, Lucy Olivares, Margot Kakalec, Brenda Sass, Jo Pak, Pat Scharfe, Marjorie Moniz, Captain, Kaddie Feng, Pat Graaff, Gale Marshall, Liega Arnett
and Melinda Lumpkin.
Thanks,
Marjorie Moniz, Captain
