DE PERE (NBC 26) — West De Pere High School senior Lexie Hankel is preparing for the girls state tennis championship next week, carrying an undefeated record and the hopes of her entire school community.
Watch Hankel practice for the upcoming championship in the video story below:
The tennis court has become Hankel's second home, a passion that began when her tennis-playing father handed her a racket practically from birth.
"I think I was really excited about the cute outfits, I think that was the main reason why I started [playing tennis]," Hankel said. "My main coach is my dad, [so] he's taught me ever since I was four years old and I think he's really, truly been one of my biggest inspirations, and I really look up to him," Hankel said.
This isn't Hankel's first trip to state. Last year, she placed third despite playing through an abdomen injury and adjusting to a new school when her family moved to De Pere. She said her love for the sport helped her overcome those challenges.
"I love that you're out there by yourself and you just decide what you want to do. I also love, like in high school tennis, I love my teammates," Hankel said.
"She's undefeated so far," West De Pere Head Varsity Girls Tennis Coach Murray Gleffe, who has been coaching high school tennis for 25 years, said. "I've never had an athlete that has been this good ... When you see her play in matches, it's just incredible."
While Hankel keeps her eye on the championship prize, she's also focused on savoring the moment she's worked so hard to reach.
"Tennis has just taught me that even like one small mistake, you can come back from and you can learn from your mistakes, because tennis is such a, you can't be a perfectionist while playing it, because you're going to make mistakes," Hankel said.
After senior year ends, Hankel hopes to continue her tennis career at the Division I level, following in her father's footsteps.
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