Dana Gilbert Heinemann
PHS Class of 1977
Ms. Heinemann is one of the top tennis players in PHS history. In 1974, the California Interscholastic Federation ruled that girls must be allowed to compete on high school boys teams. As a result, Heinemann starred on the Varsity Boys Tennis Team for 4 years (1974-1977). In 1974 and 1975 Heinemann was the #2 ranked PHS player and the #1 player in 1976 and 1977. Piedmont's 1977 tennis team was ranked #7 nationally. Heinemann also competed successfully on the US Tennis Association's Junior National circuit earning top 10 rankings five times in singles. Heinemann was a four time California State Junior Singles Champion and a four time California State Junior Doubles Champion (with Linda Siegel).
In 1977, she was selected to compete in the Maccabiah Games where she becaine the Singles Champion, and in 1978, she became the US Clay Court Singles Champion. Heinemann attended UCLA where she competed for the Bruins 1978-1979 earning All-America Honors both years. She played on the WTA Professional Tour for 6 years (1978-1984) with her highest singles ranking at #40. Heinemann became the first woman Tennis Teaching Professional at Hillcrest Country Club in Los Angeles in 1985. In 1994, Heinemann was inducted into the Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and in 2011, was honored as part of the first group of Legends of the Maccabiah from the Bay Area. She currently works as the property manager for family real estate investments.