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Queens’ All-American

She doesn't have the attitude or personality to match her status. She acts like a second-stringer and talks like one, unassuming and without hint of her dominance. Then she steps on the court. Her play, even a tennis first-timer can tell instantly, speaks for itself.
The game seems to slow down for her while it speeds up exponentially for her opponent. With ease, she chases the unfortunate girl on the opposite end of the court from baseline to baseline, whacking away almost effortlessly with deep groundstrokes.
Meet Queens' latest All-American, 16-year-old Shinann Featherston, St. Francis Prep's top singles player. Only a junior, Featherston has yet to taste defeat in her high school career, one that now includes three state championships and a pair of team and individual Mayor's Cup trophies.
In so many ways, she is a perfect fit for the Terriers. Her two older sisters, Martina and Ellenoira, also starred for Coach John Brennan at the Fresh Meadows school, helping build what is now an unimaginable 126-match winning streak. Brennan, the boys' coach dating back to 1982, took over the girls in 1998. He hasn't lost since.
Even at their dominating best, Brennan never coached an All-American. Not one. But that honor, bestowed upon Featherston by The National High School Tennis All-American Foundation in the form of a plaque naming her as one of the top 40 girls in the country, didn't differentiate Featherston from the other outstanding players at St. Francis Prep in Brennan's mind. He had long ago known her ability, calling Featherston the best student he ever coached as early as her freshman year. He first saw her crisply hitting tennis balls with her sisters at the age of seven.
&#8220It was very obvious she was extremely talented,” Brennan said, recalling that day nearly a decade ago. &#8220Now, obviously, she's even better than I expected.”
Pat Featherston, a fireman at Engine Co. 316 in East Elmhurst, bought all his daughters plastic tennis rackets at the age of three. He knew Shinann was unique.
&#8220I noticed that right away,” he said. Kids at such a young age can only focus for so long, but not Shinann. &#8220Her attention span was much longer,” the proud father recalled. &#8220She wanted to play much longer than the others. In addition, her eye-hand coordination was a little better. She had a higher ability level, God-given ability.”
A Rockaway Park native, Featherston credits the losses she took on the Broad Channel tennis courts to her two older sisters for her competitive nature. &#8220That motivated me to be as good as them,” she said. &#8220[We] played a lot. They helped me.”
Installed as the second ranked junior by the Eastern Tennis Association and No. 19 in the country by the United States Tennis Association, Featherston doesn't plan on going pro, not until after college at least. A solid student at St. Francis Prep, she's been contacted by all the big-time tennis schools, institutions like Virginia, Wake Forest, Florida State, Northwestern and even many Ivy League schools like Yale, for instance.
&#8220It's really, really difficult to become pro so I'm going to see how I do in college and if I do well, maybe, potentially,” she said, sounding averse to the idea. &#8220But I'm looking to get a good education and a job. I do want a social life and everything, so I'm going to look to see how I do. But if I don't [go pro], it's fine.”
During the summer, Featherston does a lot traveling on the junior circuit, and even then, &#8220I get sick of being away and I want to come home,” she said. &#8220Doing that all year-round for like 15 years, that would kind of get really tiring.”
In fact, Featherston doesn't see the All-American label as anything out of the ordinary, calling it &#8220nice” and &#8220cool,” adding, &#8220I can put it on my college application.”
Suffice it to say, she is content being a high school All-American, taking it all in stride.