08/24/2008

John Burroughs senior Alex Lehman has enjoyed a lot of success as a high school tennis player.

She's a two-time state singles champion and has not lost a high school match against a player from Missouri.

But one thing is missing from Lehman's impressive résumé: a team championship.

"That would obviously be a great way to finish things off," said Lehman, who did not play high school tennis as a freshman. "We have had a third-place finish (two years ago) and a second-place finish (last year)."

Notre Dame de Sion, a Kansas City-area school that dropped from Class 2 to Class 1 in 2006, has beaten the Bombers at the state meet the past two seasons. The Storm did so in the semifinals two years ago and in the championship last year.

Lehman feels this is the best chance Burroughs has to win its first team title this decade. A lot of that has to do with the addition of a player Lehman knows well, her younger sister Sydney.

Sydney Lehman, a freshman, is an accomplished Missouri Valley player who likely will move to the No. 2 spot in the Burroughs lineup.

"Sydney is a solid player who will really help, since everyone moves down a spot in the lineup," Alex said.

Junior Emily Smith and sophomore Katie Smith were very competitive in the two and three spots in the Bombers lineup last year. They should be dominant at three and four.

"I think it is great to have Sydney on the team," said Emily Smith, who qualified for state in singles last year and was one match away from earning a medal. "I'm willing to accept my position in the lineup. We're ready for the challenge that lies ahead. We can't wait to play Notre Dame again. They're a great team."

The Storm should be extremely strong again, as their top four players were underclassmen last year. But Burroughs should be able to match up better this season.

"Having one player the caliber of Sydney come in is huge," Burroughs coach Steve Beauchamp said. "It affects the whole lineup. Right now, we are really, really strong at No. 1 and at No. 2, and I think we are very solid at No. 3 and No. 4."

The state format consists of six singles and three doubles (with the six singles players able to double back and play doubles).

"Those 5 and 6 positions are the unknowns for us right now, and I think it will be what makes or breaks us," Beauchamp said. "We have a handful of girls who are competing for those positions, and if one or two of them step up, we have a great shot."

Burroughs has had tremendous success individually in recent years. A Bombers player has won the Class 1 singles title six of the past seven years. Annie Truetzel won in 2001, Susan Sullivan 2003-2005 and Lehman the past two years.

But high school tennis is more about the team. Burroughs won the team championship six out of 12 years from 1988 to 1999 but is still looking for that first title of the new century.

"I know Alex wants this more than anything," Beauchamp said. "We want to do it for her, and she wants to do it for us. Winning a state title takes luck. You have to stay injury-free. But our girls know what is at stake and what they are capable of accomplishing. Our standards this year are very, very high. I think we are up for the challenge."