Sydney Lehman Named Female Patch Athlete of the Fall

John Burroughs senior Sydney Lehman played 16 matches at the state tournament during her high school career. She won 15 of them, losing only as a freshman in 2008 to her sister Alex Lehman.

That match turned out to be the last high school match Lehman would lose as she finished as undefeated state champion in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Lehman has been selected as the Ladue-Frontenac Patch Female Athlete of the Fall.

She lost just 25 total games in her 15 wins at state, winning seven of those matches by 6-0, 6-0 scores.

This season, Lehman won her first three state matches without giving up a game and then beat Katherine Desloge of MICDS in the finals 6-4, 6-3.

"I hate playing Katherine," said Lehman, who also defeated the Ram standout in the state championship match in 2010. "We have been friends forever."

The friends played five times during the 2011 season. The state championship match was the best as Desloge won three straight games after falling behind in the first set before Lehman was able to close out the set. Desloge won the first game of the second set with Lehman rolling off the next five. But Desloge won the next two, saving a match point at 5-2 before Lehman finally closed out a stellar high school career with an ace on match point.

"It was the only one I had all match," said Lehman of the ace. "I had been trying the whole match to make that shot."

Lehman was known throughout her career as a shot-maker, mostly from the baseline.

"The way she played the game stayed pretty much the same throughout her four years," John Burroughs coach Steve Beauchamp said. "She liked the baseline game but she got bigger, stronger and faster and thus was more consistent this year."

Beauchamp said that Lehman also became more of a team player as a senior.

"She grew up a lot during her four years," Beauchamp said. "We named her as a captain this year and she did a good job of taking charge and being a leader. She was also tested a couple of times in her matches and she was able to stay calm in those matches and come through."

The championship extended an amazing streak at John Burroughs as Bomber players have won the last nine straight Class 1 singles titles, the last six staying in the Lehman family.

Susan Sullivan began the streak with championships in 2003, 2004 and 2005. Alex Lehman, who is now playing at Harvard, followed with titles in 2006, 2007 and 2008. Sydney then matched her older sis with her three championships.

"It was never about matching what Alex did," Sydney said. "She called right before the championship match to encourage me and make sure I was ready to go."

As her results at state shows, Sydney saved some of her best for the state tournament.

"The past two years I have felt a lot of pressure since everyone expected it (a state title)," Sydney said. "It was certainly satisfying to win, especially this year. It was a senior thing."

Lehman will head to Baltimore to continue her tennis career as she will attend Johns Hopkins University in the fall.