Handball sensation ready to meet the best

SHORELINE — As a toddler, he tagged along and watched his father's handball matches at a Lynnwood athletic club. He took up the sport himself at age 7, started competing in tournaments at 8, and won the state 17-and-under championship at 10.

Now, at 17, Sean Lenning of Shoreline is handball's wunderkind, a young man ready to play the best in the world.

The top player in the Pacific Northwest and the top junior player in the country, Lenning made history earlier this month when he qualified for the pro handball tour.

"I have definite goals to move up the rankings quickly," Lenning said.

Lenning made his pro-tour debut this weekend in South Bend, Ind., and next plays in Modesto, Calif., May 24-27. Seattle handball fans likely will get a chance to see him compete against the pros when the tour stops at the Washington Athletic Club on Nov. 15-17.

The junior at Shorecrest High School has had a string of successes the past few months. He won the National Junior Tournament in December, the Men's State Open in March, and the Men's Regional Open in April. But his toughest test came early last month at the pro qualifier tournament in Helena, Mont., that determined who will compete with the top 12 pros in the next two pro tournaments.

He defeated two highly regarded pros, James Komsthoeft of San Francisco in the semifinals and top-seeded Pete Crouser of Minneapolis in the finals.

Then 16, Lenning became the second-youngest player ever to qualify, and the youngest by four years to win a qualifier event. The only player who was younger when he joined the tour was David Chapman, who was a few months younger when he qualified in 1991. Chapman, now 26, is the No. 1 ranked player on the tour.

Off the court, Lenning is polite and soft-spoken. On the court, however, it's a different story. The lanky 6-foot-1, 170-pounder covers ground quickly and generates remarkable power with a style comparable to an aggressive serve-and-volley tennis game.

George Thomas, the owner of the Manor Athletic Club where Lenning learned handball, said Lenning's dedication to the game was obvious from the beginning.

"The thing that always struck me was how Sean studied the game," he said. "Even when he was 10 years old, he'd watch some of the better players and critique their shots."

Now that Lenning's physical ability has caught up to his understanding of handball, he looks forward to testing himself against the best in the world.

As Lenning's pro debut approached, the buzz around handball began. Is he at the same level as Chapman at that age? Will he stick with it? How good can he be?

"I don't see any limits to Sean's potential," says Komsthoeft, a pro-tour veteran. "Not only does he have the physical ability to become one of the best in the game, he has a healthy excitement about handball for a 17-year-old. You'll be hearing about him for a long time."

Most who have seen both Chapman and Lenning play at comparable ages agree that Lenning is a step ahead. But Chapman, the best junior player ever, won his titles by wearing opponents down with slow, methodical tactics. Lenning keeps opponents on their heels, and ends rallies quickly.

When the two finally play, it will be handball's present versus its future.