APERGwen Montgomery began her Mills tennis career in a Mills PE Class this fall, where Head Coach Marc Weinstein saw her potential and recruited her to be on the tennis team. Whether or not Montgomery envisioned herself as a Mills Cyclone, she has developed into a rock solid performer at #3 doubles and #6 singles.
Montgomery’s fitness and skill has steadily improved throughout this season and culminated in an epic comeback victory against Notre Dame de Namur on Mar 11. With Mills down four matches to three, teammate Lisa Kelly ran off four straight games at #4 singles to knot the competition at four matches apiece. Everyone shifted over to court #6, where Gwen followed Kelly’s lead and swept through the last three games for a 6-7, 6-2, 6-4 victory that gave Mills its fifth win of the season.
“Gwen is one of those rare ball-strikers who actually hits the ball more cleanly as the pressure of a match increases,” said Weinstein. “As a first-year student, she has a promising collegiate tennis career ahead of her.”
While most Mills students were enjoying the break from school, the Mills tennis team was working hard to improve their season record during the Mills spring break. First-year Kimberly Dutton once again established herself as the #1 tennis player at Mills College this season, and led the team to its most successful Southern California trip ever, winning three of four matches. The team played La Sierra (W 7-2), Whittier (W 5-4), Cal Tech (W 7-2) and Cal Lutheran (L 9-0) during an intense five-day trip. Dutton and partner Chelsea Bruno won three of four matches at #1 doubles.
“Kim has been a wonderful addition to the tennis team,” said Head Coach Marc Weinstein. “Her commitment, work ethic and willingness to make technical adjustments (somewhat uncommon for an already accomplished tennis player) make her a pleasure to have on the team.”
Dutton and Bruno are both first-year athletes and with their return in the fall, the tennis program will continue to improve and grow in upcoming seasons. The Mills tennis team wrapped up its 2008-2009 season on Friday, Apr. 3 against Dominican. The team will play at home one last time for the Mills College Spring Classic USTA Tournament on Apr. 17-19.
