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Prep athletes of the week

By Star Tribune, 10/31/11, 10:03PM CDT

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Amber Washington wins her record sixth state tennis title.


Amber Washington

AMBER WASHINGTON

Mounds Park Academy, tennis

The pressure began to mount about three weeks ago, when the regular season ended and the section playoffs began.

That's when it dawned on Washington, a senior who until then had played high school tennis as a diversion from the grind of the USTA juniors scene, that she could make history.

Washington won four Class 1A doubles titles from 2006 through 2009 and won at singles in 2010. Another singles championship would be her sixth state crown, which no one in state history had achieved.

"I used to think 'Oh, winning is so cool' but I never thought about how big a deal it was," she said. "This year, there has been a ton of pressure. Everyone has been asking me about it."

She accomplished the feat Friday, beating St. Paul Academy's Sonia Das 6-4, 7-5 in the finals. Because the state high school league prohibits players younger than seventh grade from competing in league-sanctioned events, Washington's record can be tied but never broken.

"It's like a huge weight has been lifted off of my shoulders," she said. "It's a great feeling to win, but it's also a huge relief."

MCKINLEY ANDERSON

Hutchinson, football

The senior quarterback helped Hutchinson remain undefeated and in position to play top-ranked Mankato West for the Section 2, 4A title. He rushed for 157 yards and five TDs and passed for a sixth in a 42-28 victory over Marshall.

ANNA FRENCH

Wayzata, cross-country

The ninth-grader, who became the Trojans' No. 1 runner last year, won the Section 6, 2A individual championship at Gale Woods Park with a 4K time of 14:33.7. Her victory also paced Wayzata to the team title.

CARLEE HOPPE

Shakopee, volleyball

The junior outside hitter had one of her best all-around matches of the year to lead the No. 1 seeded Sabers over perennial power Chaska in the Section 2, 3A quarterfinals. She had 13 kills, a .250 hitting percentage and 25 serve receives.

MARSHALL KLITZKE

Providence Academy, football

The Lions have one of the metro's best-kept secrets in the shifty senior running back. In two Section 5, Class 3A victories last week, he rushed for 622 yards and seven touchdowns, including a school-record 378 yards in a victory over Breck.

SHANE MARSHALL

Minneapolis Southwest, soccer

The senior sweeper is a big reason why the Lakers have given up only two goals in four postseason games. In the Class 2A state quarterfinals, he converted a penalty kick to break a 1-1 tie and held high-scoring Anoka forward Donovan Gross without a shot on goal in a 5-1 victory.

ALLEN VAN DIEN

Norwood Young America, football

The leading rusher in the metro gained 461 yards and scored seven touchdowns last week, leading the Raiders into the Section 4, 2A finals against Maple Lake. Van Dien has run for 1,980 yards on the season.

JIM PAULSEN