Dawson voted tennis ‘Coach of the Year

Pacific Ridge Coach Jennifer Dawson was recently named California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Girls Varsity Tennis Coach of the Year. The award, voted on by a group of league and CIF representatives, punctuates a memorable season for Firebird Girls Varsity Tennis. In October, the team won its first CIF Championship following an incredible playoff run and a perfect division record.

“This year’s team was a very special group of girls,” Dawson said. “They worked hard, and they had an undeniable chemistry that was a big part of their success.”

Dawson, who is in her third year as Head Coach at Pacific Ridge, was a standout collegiate singles and doubles player. During her time the University of San Diego, she helped lead the Torreos to two NCAA Tournament appearances and was named the NCAA Western Region Senior Player of the Year before touring for a year on the professional circuit.

In 2004 and 2005, Dawson represented Team USA in the International Tennis Federation (ITF) World Championships, and was ranked No. 1 in the USA Women’s 35 Singles and No. 4 in the world. She won the 2011 United States Tennis Association (USTA) Women’s 40 National Hard Court Championship, and earned a #1 world ranking in the Women’s 45’s after winning the 2012 Individual Singles World Championship. Dawson has competed in the 2012 ITF Seniors World Championships and 2014 USTA National Hard Court Championships. This year, she will play on her fourth USA International Cup Team.

In addition to coaching at Pacific Ridge, Dawson runs the Bobby Riggs Tennis Club in Encinitas.