This versatile guard led Lansing High School to the New York Class C state title this spring.

After falling in their sectional title game the previous two years, the nine seniors for the Lansing (N.Y.) High School Bobcats were determined to break through this season. And break through they did, with a 27-game winning streak that garnered them not only the section title, but the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class C state championship.

"It was a lot of fun," says Lindsey Dean, who led the team in scoring and assists the past two years. "There was a group of us who had played together a long time and I think that was what made the difference this year: team chemistry. Working together for so long definitely helped us out."

The 5-9 Dean handled both the point and two-guard positions for the Bobcats, and displayed a strong all-around game. "I like playing defense a lot, even though I wasn't always put on the other team's best player," she says. "I like shooting, too, and this year I developed a three-point shot, which I did by putting in a lot of extra work on weekends."

Lindsey's Head Coach at Lansing was her father, Stuart Dean, which occasionally posed challenges for the pair. "Having the opportunity to coach your kid is a great situation," says Coach Dean. "But it does have its built-in problems -- at times it's difficult to separate the two roles [of father and coach] -- but as it went along we got a lot better at it. She was good enough so that she took a lot of responsibility away from me as far as how much or how little she played. And the success of the team made the whole experience more enjoyable."

Lindsey proved to be good role model for her teammates, according to her father. "She's kind of a quiet leader, not real vocal, but I think she led by example," says Coach Dean. "She has a great work ethic in practice. She's not the real rah-rah type, but I think that helped her. It was something we talked about early in her athletic career -- how to carry yourself on the floor -- and if you watch her play, it's difficult to tell if she has 30 points or none at all. She's pretty even-keeled."

After capturing the Section IV title by defeating local rival Groton, the Bobcats advanced through the NYPHSAA tournament and defeated Bloomfield High School for the Class C state championship. Dean scored 17 points in the title game and was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player.

Lansing's undefeated season finally came to an end in the New York State Federation Tournament of Champions Class C title game (in which the top public school goes against the top private school in the state), when the Bobcats narrowly fell to St. John Villa 46-43. "The last game was a killer," Lindsey says. "But this season was still a nice way to end it all. I'm going to miss being with the team -- we had a lot of fun together, traveling and winning, because it went on so long."

This fall, Dean will attend Cornell University, located in nearby Ithaca, N.Y. "Originally I had wanted to go further away, but I think it will be nice to be close to home and maybe get some community support," she says. "Plus, my family and relatives will be able to come watch me play. And it will also give me a chance to play Division I basketball [Cornell is a member of the Ivy League], which has always been one of my goals. The team was really nice, and I liked the coaches a lot, too."

Coming from a small high school to the Ivy League will be quite a change of pace for Dean, according to her dad. "The kids who play at our level can have a false sense of security based on their success in our league," he says. "But she has good knowledge of that, because I've been emphasizing to her that in college she's going to go against players who are every bit as good or better than she is.

"But I think she's at the point in her career where she needs to be challenged a bit," Coach Dean continues. "We've had conversations about this, and she realizes that how much or how little she plays will depend on how much time she puts in. If she really wants to play, she'll have to put in lots of extra time. The ball's in her court, so to speak."

And Lindsey is ready to pick it up and run with it. "I'm going to have to get a lot stronger, since the level of play is a lot higher in college," she says. "The Cornell coaches sent me a work-out plan, so I've been doing a lot of lifting, and I've been playing a lot of pickup games with guys, which is a big help. I know I'm going to have to work really hard defensively, because every team is going to have good players, unlike in high school. I'm also going to have to work on finishing my shot, my dribbling, and my three-point shooting."

Dean will enroll in Cornell's Hotel Management School, the best of its kind in the country. "I'm looking to go into some kind of business eventually, and they have a lot of classes that deal with business and management," she says. "But it will definitely be a challenge."

Article written by Gball Associate Editor Jim Catalano.

Nominate someone you know as a High School Hero. Email us at info@gballmag.com.