Fremd's Langhorst put her height to use in badminton

The first obvious characteristic you see when you look at Fremd's Jenna Langhorst is her height.

While that might not be a good trait in some sports, it's very desirable in badminton.

That's not the only thing that makes Langhorst one of the best players in the area and state. It's her impressive array of shots that other players can't handle.

"She's probably the biggest and most competitive player I've coached," said Viking coach Bob Hanson. "She knows now she can handle pressure in tennis and in badminton."

Langhorst finished fifth in doubles at state last year after placing ninth in tennis in the fall.

"It's fun to watch her," Hanson continued. "It's like a switch goes on. She played better players than her at state (badminton) last year and she still won."

Langhorst got started in badminton because her older sister, Ashley, played for the Vikings.

"My sister had played and I knew Hanson was a really good coach, so I thought I'd try it," Jenna, a junior, said. "At first it was a lot harder than tennis. Now I think tennis is a lot harder."

What's the appeal of badminton for Langhorst?

"I think Hanson has done a good job and we get a lot of people out," said Langhorst, who helped her team finish third at state a year ago after capturing the MSL title. "He's done a lot with building the program."

Now that she's as familiar with badminton as she is playing tennis, there are all kinds of aspects of the game Langhorst enjoys.

"I would say smashing is my favorite," Langhorst said. "My weakest part is probably the backhand. I think everyone has trouble with that, but I'm working on it."

"I think her strength and competitiveness, that's how she wins," Hanson said. "She can cross-court it, put it wherever she wants. She's just a good kid. She's very coachable. It's fun to see her get better every year. I don't think her full potential has even been touched yet.

"Right now, she's just fine-tuning her game. She's got to learn to control that power. Her rally shot is great for her. She gets to every bird.

"She reminds me of (Prospect's 2007 state champion Lindsay) Gibbel," Hanson said. "They're both very competitive They get on the court and they don't want to lose."

Mid-Suburban League badminton preview

Area teams to watch: Heavy losses due to graduation and players joining other sports and activities have muddled the outlook. The best choices in the conference appear to be Fremd, the defending MSL champion who went on to finish third at state, Hersey, Buffalo Grove and Wheeling.

"I think Hersey, which has so many back, is going to be strong," said Buffalo Grove coach Chris Van Grondelle. "Fremd is going to be amazing by the end of the year. They're solid up and down. They've got Jenna (Langhorst), but they've also got Erica Lee back. It's certainly the most athletic team I've ever had at Buffalo Grove. We picked up Jenna Minn from tennis and that will certainly help."

"I think Buffalo Grove has a good team overall," said Fremd coach Bob Hanson. "We're good at the top of the lineup but from 5-10, we've got to get the bottom of the lineup going.

Leading players: A hard category to call this early in the season. Fremd's Jenna Langhorst is at the top of almost every coach's list. There's also Wheeling's Ashley Lepcin, who is currently sidelined with a knee injury. Also with star potential are Fremd's Erica Lee and Palatine's doubles team of Katie Van Grondelle and Niki Patel.

First question: There are nothing but questions about the 2008 season. Who will win the East division this year? Wheeling is the defending champion, but coach Karl Watschke isn't counting on a repeat. "We're going through a rebuilding year," he said. "We won't be near the top. I think we'll be number three."

Prospect is always in the running for the title, but the Knights lost too many players, including defending state singles champion Lindsay Gibbel, to give them any hope of making any impact in the MSL.

Second question: Who will win the West? That one should be easy, but nothing is definite this season. Fremd is favored to repeat its title, followed by a fast-improving Palatine team.

Third question: Who will win the MSL championship and go on to state? That would be Fremd, although doubts linger. "I think the MSL is up for grabs this year," said Hanson, "I think the conference is going to come down to the lower players."

-- Compiled by Kathy Rudolph