Sterling senior loves horsepower, fast-paced tennis

The Sterling High School senior is into drag racing and powerboats, so some stiff competition on the tennis court doesn't phase her.

Hendricks has moved into the No. 1 spot for the Golden Warriors this season, beating out two-time state qualifier Hannah Jakobs for the position. Hendricks relishes the chance to face opponents' best players.

"It's awesome. It's a lot better," Hendricks said. "They hit it harder. It's not such a lob game. It's totally different."

Hendricks is 11-9 on the season, with at least five of those losses coming against top-flight competition, according to Sterling coach Kelly Reynolds.

"It helped me figure out how to play a different game," said Hendricks, who helped the Warriors to a 9-3 season, a 5-0 NIB-12 West mark and the West's conference tournament title. "It made me better. I'm glad I played them."

"She' been battle tested," Reynolds said. "Sometimes I think Brooke doesn't have a chance, but she doesn't look at it that way. It makes her want to practice harder and take them on again. She's had some tough matches, but it hasn't dampened her spirits. It's only made her stronger."

While Hendricks loves horsepower off the court, she's similar on the court.

"She loves power," Reynolds said. " She's a power junkie. The harder somebody hits the ball to her, the more she eats it up. She'll hit the ball all day, as long as you keep whalin' it at her."

Powerboats are now filling Hendricks' need for speed.

"Me and my dad [Tim] are really into fast boats," she said. "We do poker runs. We have a house in Missouri, and we do that there."

How fast has she gone in the boat?

"I think the fastest was 92 [mph]," Hendricks said. "I get to drive it a little bit. I went like 83."

She also has a background in junior drag racing.

"The boat is a lot different than being in a car," said Hendricks, whose twin sister Molly is one of her tennis teammates. "It's a little bit scary when it's choppy out. It shakes a little, but it's fun."