We're going Streaking! Up through the North Quad!

Note: This is this week's Cover Story in Score Atlanta's Cobb Prep Section. For more about local schools or to get the lowdown on the Atlanta Dream, the hot NEW WNBA franchise, check out the Score Atlanta Link at the bottom of the screen!

The Oklahoma Sooner football team during the 1940s. The UCLA Bruin basketball team during the late 60s/early 70s. The University of Connecticut Lady Huskies during the 1990s. The Walton Lady Raider tennis team during the 2000s. All dynasties, and all with impressive winning streaks. The Lady Raiders have won four straight Georgia state tennis titles, and seven of the last eight. But if that doesn’t impress you, consider this: this is Coach Robert Manheim’s fifth season in charge and she has yet to taste defeat. With Walton’s win over Pope last week, the team won its 87th straight match. The team hasn’t lost in seemingly forever. “I really don’t think about it,” says Manheim. “I tell my girls all the time ‘take it one match at a time.’ I think part of our strength is they are so focused and they have always wanted to play for each other. We have been very fortunate to have had very talented girls who are willing to play for Walton.” One of those players was Cameron Ellis, who spent four years as the No.1 player for Walton. She is now starring at the University of Georgia, having recently been named SEC player of the week.
But those teams of the past are just that, the past. This is a new team and very young. Of the top seven starters, only one is a senior, Ashley Lawrence, at No.3 singles. Many people believed that this would be somewhat of a rebuilding year for Walton, but the truly great teams don’t rebuild, they reload. “Walton has a reputation for excellence in academics as well as athletics so some of the top players that may have been home-schooled so they could compete in individual tournaments can come here for the best of both worlds," says Manheim. "They can receive a great public education and still play tennis.” In fact, the team has failed to drop a team point this year to any of their opponents. Walton starts two juniors at No.1 and No.2 singles and both top doubles teams are freshmen. The talent at Walton is seemingly endless. “We also have great parents and a great administration,” says Manheim. Numerous parents were in attendance two weeks ago to watch the Lady Raiders beat Chattahoochee, making it 84 straight and several members of the Athletic Department as well as fellow students also watched the team claim that win.
But will the pressure get to this young team that is made up by two seniors, four juniors and eight freshmen? Junior Emily Lauten, the No.2 singles player says there is motivation. “We want to prove it wasn’t just the seniors last year. We’ve got a completely new team.” Fellow junior and No.1 player Elizabeth Kilborn agrees. “We can’t put pressure on ourselves because our team is new. It should be exciting though.” Kilborn’s older sister started for the Lady Raiders during the first two titles of Manheim’s stint, and she now plays for Vanderbilt. “I just tell these girls to keep this thing in perspective,” says Manheim. “It is tennis, not life or death, but I am so proud of these girls. They really are an exceptional group.”
This exceptional group also happens to be ranked nationally. Every one of the starters carries a ranking from her tournament days, but when they step onto the court, they are Lady Raiders, says Manheim. “They are here to play for Walton.”
This team is all about Walton and taking everything one match at a time, even if they do admit to thinking about the streak. The lone senior starter Lawrence has won three titles and has called her time at Walton unforgettable. “I don’t think [the streak] is any more pressure than the previous seasons. We know what it takes” Lauten agrees. “We’ve got some really talented freshmen and they are all playing doubles.” And that is the scary part. Two freshmen, Stephanie Falcon and Emily Zabor make up the No.1 doubles team while fellow freshmen Kayla Brady and Maxie Weinberg start at No.2 doubles. Next season after Lawrence and her 4.6 GPA has headed to Wofford on scholarship, the Lady Raiders will return its top two singles players plus all those freshmen will be sophomores. This streak may not end for a long time.