In the tightly-knit Southern California tennis community, exceeding expectations is not just a norm, but a testament to the profound generosity of its members. This spirit shone brightly through two exceptional individuals within USTA SoCal, whose remarkable actions transcended the boundaries of their roles as players and league captains. San Diego’s Cathe Baird and Janet Lonneker exemplified extraordinary bravery and strength when they played pivotal roles in saving the life of a fellow player earlier this year. Their dedication and courage have not only earned them admiration from teammates and peers, but also have now awarded them with the recognition as USTA SoCal’s League Captains of the month. 

ACT OF HEROISM

Taking place at the El Camino Country Club in Oceanside, a Mixed Doubles event commenced over a weekend in early February, with both Cathe and Janet in attendance captaining their respective teams. What was intended to be a fun few days of competitive tennis and time spent with friends, quickly flipped on its head, as a fellow league player collapsed on a court, suffering a heart attack nearby to both captains. Being one of the first bystanders to witness the incident as it happened, Cathe stepped into action, using the knowledge that she gained in a CPR class over 20 years ago to aid Ken Morran. 

“First of all it was a complete miracle from the beginning, as our mixed doubles match wasn’t supposed to start until 2:30 p.m. and we agreed to play early at noon,” Cathe stated. “I was on the upper deck watching the teams warm up and saw a player go down on the neighboring court.  Usually when people fall on the court, they hold up a hand and say that they’re okay and everything goes back to normal. In this case however,  I saw that there was no movement from the downed player and began dialing 911 while running to the court.” 

Connecting with emergency services and first checking for a pulse on both his wrist and neck, Cathe didn’t feel anything. With the guidance of the dispatcher, Cathe was aided in administering CPR by a fellow league player, who gave mouth-to-mouth to Morran while she provided chest compressions. Seeing no difference in Morran after five compressions and multiple attempts of mouth-to-mouth, Cathe was told to search for an AED machine. It was at this moment where Janet stepped in, taking over for Cathe and providing compressions while Baird went to retrieve the machine alongside Ericka Sexton. 

“During warmups for our match, we heard a lot of yelling and movement on the courts behind us,” shared Janet. “I looked through the fence and saw someone laying down on the court and others assisting, asking if he was okay repeatedly with no answer. I asked what happened and someone yelled out that he fell backwards and hit his head on the court and wasn’t responding or breathing, and that his eyes were fixed. That person must have been Cathe. I dropped my racquet and ran over to Ken to find that Cathe had already started CPR and also had 911 on the phone. I started chest compressions, while mouth-to-mouth resuscitation continued. Cathe and Ericka ran for the defibrillator, brought it back, and prepared it for use right as the Fire Department arrived.”

“Ericka and I set up the machine, I cut off Ken’s shirt, and the machine told us to stand clear,” Cathe added. “We were very thankful that right at that moment, the Oceanside Fire and Police arrived and took over for us. We ultimately didn’t have to shock him, and they transported Ken to Tri-City Medical Center.” 

After arriving at the hospital and continuing to receive immense treatment and care, the amazing news rang in that Ken had regained his consciousness. Though now breathing again, Ken would not be prohibited to leave the hospital anytime soon, as his stay in both the hospital and ICU would last for a combined 17 days. Just as Cathe and Janet assisted Ken while he was down on court, they did so as he was recovering in the hospital, helping support both Ken and his wife in a time that they needed it most. During his hospital stay, the amazing people at the El Camino Country Club provided three meals and snacks to Ken’s wife each day, assuring she could remain by his side. Simultaneously, Cathe collected cards, letters, text messages and prayers for Ken, while also helping create multiple sources of encouragement for him. In total, Morran had six different text group chats of a combined 54 people from clubs all over the county sending him well wishes. Cathe also helped organize and collect 40 Venmo donations for Ken, along with meal trains that were provided from February through April.

“In addition to everything that occurred, everyone was really in a place where they should have been,” Cathe recalled. “For what sounds like chaos, it was really very smooth, and for me almost like an out of body moment. I distinctly remember that little voice in my head saying “You don’t know what you’re doing,” and me pushing that voice out with, “I can do it.” This event was totally incredible and life altering. I know for me, I don’t look at Janet as just an intimidating consistent player any longer, I look at her as a friend and amazing person. This all happened because of a little mixed doubles tennis match with an adjusted start time, changing a lot of lives, saving one.”

“It is strange how when something like this happens, you just kick into gear and do what you have been trained to do,” mentioned Janet. “I thank my employer, the City of Anaheim, for providing me the training in CPR that prepared me for this. I am so happy to hear that Ken is doing well and recovering, and someday hope we get a match together!”

Nominated for the selection by one of San Diego’s Area League Coordinators, Randie Lettington, Cathe and Janet were seemingly no-brainers for the award. 

“I nominated both Cathe and Janet because both are long time league players and captains, but in February, heroically stepped into action to save the life of a fellow league player when he had a heart attack on the tennis court. Ken’s doctor told him and his wife Alicia that he might not have survived if Cathe and Janet hadn’t been there and willing to help,” said Randie. 

CAPTAIN CATHE BAIRD

The Vista resident and current captain out of El Camino Country Club, Baird’s connection to the sport was rooted at a young age, citing the first time she played tennis at the age of 12. What started out as a casual activity with neighborhood friends, riding their bikes to the local parks to hop on courts and hit, quickly turned into a deeper admiration for the game. As Cathe grew older, she worked her way through the junior ranks in San Diego, to competing for El Camino High School’s team, to playing collegiate tennis for the University of Texas, San Antonio. Living back in San Diego following her time at UTSA, Baird began competing in local tournaments to keep her competitive spirit and passion for the sport alive. It was during this time where Baird’s life took an unexpected turn, as she was diagnosed with Non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Receiving immediate treatment, Baird’s daily activities had rapidly changed, yet tennis was one of the constants that kept her going. 

“Tennis really saved my life,” Cathe shared. “In addition to my small children, the sport gave me reasons to go to my chemo appointments on Wednesdays, so I could have that racquet in my hand on Saturdays. Tennis gave me back that bit of control.” 

Now 59 years of age, Cathe is healthy and constantly playing tennis while working full-time as the CFO of Munsch Homes Corporation. Following her recovery, Cathe has been involved within USTA league play in SoCal for more than a decade, with her involvement as a captain having started just five years ago. Beginning to play at the Tennis Club of Vista in 2012, Cathe switched her membership to the El Camino Country Club in 2015, giving her the opportunity to play within leagues for multiple teams. Gaining playing experience and building camaraderie with fellow players, Cathe was inspired to take the next step and become a league captain.

“I picked up being a captain to make sure that El Camino was represented at all levels, not just the higher divisions, and to bring in more of our membership at all levels,” Cathe added. “I like setting the team’s tone by keeping it fun. I have been the mixed captain for about five years now and the ladies league captain a couple times over the last four years.” 

Cathe’s favorite moments both as a captain and competing in leagues stem from the people involved, the experiences they share, and the competitiveness within matches. Not only has she created long lasting friendships and memories, but she has also learned valuable lessons about both herself and others along the way. 

“The leagues we play in are pretty tight, and you can see each other competitively a couple times a year,” Cathe discussed. “It’s nice to see the skill sets improve and see yourself getting better by setting your own goals. As a captain, I have really enjoyed  meeting more people at our club.  With the different age spans during different times of the year, it gives you a chance to meet people who perhaps you wouldn’t have met, and from there, friendships are born.  Through tennis, I have become a better person with more patience, through working with all different types of personalities. I have learned that you have to listen to each other and remember you are representing not only yourself, but also your club and teammates.”

In continuing to captain and compete herself, Cathe aspires for her team to reach sectionals once again in 2024, as she hopes to keep improving her skills and one day her USTA rating. She looks forward to continuing to grow as a person through tennis, and keep bettering the relationships she has created with friends from leagues, while remaining competitive. 

CAPTAIN JANET LONNEKER

Like Cathe, Janet shares a love of tennis for as long as she can recall, with her first finding inspiration through her family. Janet credits her love of the sport to her mother, Helen, who signed both herself and her sister up for tennis lessons at the neighborhood park when they were children. With tennis lessons being free at the time and working on a first come, first served basis, Janet has fond memories of arriving at the park before sunrise to get in line for registration. Enjoying learning the basics of tennis while bonding with her sister and making new friends, Janet was hooked right away. Since those first days on court, Janet has been an avid player for nearly 50 years now, playing junior, high school and league tennis through the USTA. As Janet has grown older and raised a family of her own, she has imparted the same knowledge with her loved ones that was once passed down to her through her mother and sister. 

“My entire family and extended family play tennis,” Janet mentioned. “My daughter, Lucy, plays for her high school varsity team at Cathedral Catholic and my sister, Karen, and my brother-in-law, Rod, also play. In fact, Rod’s tennis team just won the State Championships for 55 and over in North Carolina. Family tennis with my husband, Mark, and son, Max, was our saving grace during the pandemic since it was the only sport we could play at that time.” 

Currently captaining out of The Santaluz Club, the position was never anything that Janet had planned for. This was until an injury made her unable to compete. Still wanting to be involved with the sport she loves, Janet found another avenue through captaining that still allowed her to be around tennis and all of her friends. 

“Even though I played in USTA leagues for a long time, I decided to captain a team after I had fallen and fractured my tibia bone and was unable to play,” commented Janet. “I love being with our team and wanted to be useful. Our team was so wonderful on and off the court, and I enjoyed being a team captain so much more than I expected.” 

With now two years of experience under her belt, the 58 year-old Janet has led Santaluz’ 8.0 mixed doubles squad with the help of co-captains Ericka Sexton and Julie Martin. In advising others that are interested in becoming a captain themselves, Janet shared that they should just dive right in and give it a try. In her experiences, Janet has loved being able to talk with other team captains and getting to know more players, just like Cathe Baird. As a captain, Janet loves the competition and cites that league play keeps that spirit alive in her. While captaining, Janet has discovered similarities between the lessons she has learned on court to the same skills she uses at her job, working as an Assistant General Manager at Anaheim Public Utilities. 

“I learned from captaining that the same skills I use in my professional career carry through,” she stated. “Caring about your teammates’ well-being, providing a challenging environment for them, and listening to their needs makes for a happy and winning team. I love that tennis is a sport you can play throughout life, to which I have heard from so many people. It is not only a physical but a mental game, and that combination is a great recipe to keep myself in shape and enjoy doing it.” 

As Janet looks to the future, she hopes to remain the captain of the Santaluz team, continuing to forge friendships and create memories along the way, both on and off the court. 

“I love our team get-togethers before, during and after our matches,” Janet said. “Sometimes, both teams settle down after a match and enjoy some  food and drinks together and just talk about anything. I have such wonderful friends from the tennis court.”

ENLIGHTENING THE COMMUNITY

In lieu of the transpiring events, a CPR and AED workshop was held on Saturday, June 22, 2024 with nearly 100 members in attendance. Ran in coordination with El Camino Country Club’s tennis pro Laura Eyler, the event was taught by Oceanside Fire and Tri City Medical Center. Shining light on the importance of knowing how to administer CPR and react accordingly, the event helped spread awareness to those looking to be prepared if ever needed to provide aid to someone else in need.