CHARLESTON -- Lindsay Burke and Jade Schwieger have been only playing prep tennis together for the last four years, but the Charleston natives have been friends for life.
On Saturday, Burke and Schwieger, who qualified for the MSHSAA state finals in 2006, teamed up to win the doubles tournament at the Sikeston Invitational. For that performance, Burke and Schwieger have been selected as The Standard-Democrat's "Athletes of the Week" for the period of Sept. 3-9.
"We have been friends since we were little," Burke said. "So, it seemed like a natural fit to play as partners on the tennis court."
"As soon as they put us together, something instantly clicked," Schwieger said. "We found out as freshmen what we had talent-wise. Honestly, it feels weird to either of us now to be playing doubles with someone else."
Burke and Schwieger had to post three victories Saturday to attain the doubles championship of the Sikeston Invitational. They shutout Sikeston's Caroline Murray and Jacarra Lampkin 8-0 before securing wins against duos from Kennett (8-2) and Fredericktown (8-5).
"I know how she's going hit the ball, where she's going to hit it and how to react once that happens," Burke said "At the end of our freshman year, we realized that we had some magic on the court because we starting winning matches on a consistent basis."
"It's kind of like we can read each other's mind, which I think gives us a big advantage," Schwieger said. "We rely on each other to set up good shots by having excellent communication skills on the court."
When the Lady Blue Jays' No. 1 doubles team plays, Burke said her comfort zone is playing at the net, where she can rely on her strength of volleying. "It's where I can play more aggressively," she said.
Schwieger said she plays her best tennis when she hits shots with accuracy and consistency.
To prepare for their time of the court, Burke said that practice and conditioning take up a lot of their time. "We run a lot during practice to stay in shape and there are footwork drills that help us move around the court," she said.
"We have stretching exercises that are supposed keep us from pulling a muscle," Schwieger said. "It's a lot of hard work, but the end results have been really good."
In 2006, Burke and Schwieger placed second in the MSHSAA Class 1, District 2 Tournament at Sikeston. The only district team that stood in their way was the Fredericktown duo of Courtney Kemp and Jodi Cooper, who won the title with a 6-3, 6-3 decision.
"Our goal is that we want a first-place finish at district," Schwieger said. "Hopefully, that will lead us to good things at the state tournament, where I hope that we can place."