While Mullen High School did not win a state championship, they came close.

Part of the reason they made it that far is because of junior Shannon Lembeck.

Going into playoffs Lembeck was batting .545 with 28 runs scored, seven doubles, six triples, 19 RBIs, and seven stolen bases.

	Courtesy of the Lembeck family
	Shannon Lembeck

During the state tournament she continued her streak batting .600 against the best competition in the state. She also had a triple, three doubles and four RBIs in her ten at bats.

Her triple came in the quarterfinals. Her team was losing 3-2 in the seventh inning and she hit a triple to tie the game and send her team into the semis.

Coming third in state isn't bad for a team full of underclassmen. Mullen graduates only one senior and will bring back an experienced squad next season.

Lembeck's athleticism goes back to when she was very young; 12 to be exact.

"I started playing when I was 12. I was on my dad's baseball team and I was always playing with the boys at school. As I got older, I became more serious about the sport and wanted to play softball.”

From there, it escalated quickly. Lembeck always was doing something sports-related whether she was playing basketball at school, or playing catch with her brother.

As she got older, her talent came through. She played varsity basketball and varsity softball and excelled in both. This past year her high school basketball team was second in state and they finished third in softball. Despite her success in both sports, softball was the obvious choice.

"Basketball is more to stay in shape. My family is a big baseball family and I grew up watching it. I just love the game.”

With her background, softball has always been her focus and this season she has had some personal and team successes of which she is especially proud.

"Our team made it to the top four, which we haven't done in the past five years. I think I just became a better hitter. I led the state in triples and had a stronger arm and became a smarter player on the field.”

A self-proclaimed sports fanatic, Lembeck will tell you herself that sports are her life. In fact, when looking at colleges one the most important factor in her list is the strength of the football team…behind academics of course!

All in all, Lembeck has become a force to be reckoned with. Motivated by her competitiveness, she continues to improve and set goals for herself.

"My goals are to keep working hard at shortstop, become a DI player and play at the highest level that I can.”

At this rate, Lembeck will reach her goal, no problem.