There are two Chantalle Lavertus at Lewiston High School.

The first is an outgoing, always-smiling, bubbly Chantalle Lavertu, who succeeds on all academic fronts while maintaining a social life most people dream of having at 18 years old. Most people — 95 percent of the people who will ever meet her — will see this side of her.

But there is another side to this tall, toned brunette. If you ever want to see it, hand her a tennis racket, and challenge her not to lose.

More often than not, she won’t.

That smile turns to a long gaze, her focus, grit and determination step on and pop the bubbles in her personality. She’s all business.

For four years, the rest of the Kennebec Valley Athletic Association has seen the latter. She’s been an automatic ace in the hole for her Lewiston team, earning a point for the Blue Devils in every match in which she’s ever toed the line, and helping the team to four consecutive state championships.

“She just has the whole game,” Lewiston coach Anita Murphy said. “She’s what you call a complete player.”

In each of her four seasons, Lavertu reached the semifinal round of the state singles tournament, the first Lewiston player to get that far even twice.

Her ability to merge both personalities, to seamlessly blend her academic, personal and competitive sides, also led her to another, greater opportunity: This fall, Lavertuwill continue to ply her tennis trade at one of the best liberal arts schools in the country, Bowdoin College.

“She wanted to prove (this year) that she was worthy to be on that team (at Bowdoin) and she was going to earn her way onto that team,” Murphy said. “She made a statement.”

Lavertu’s success started in the weight room. She added lean muscle to her lean frame, leading to a noticeable difference in her level of fitness and in her endurance. That commitment, Murphy said, was where the transformation began.

“Everybody who’s seen her play this year notices how much better she is, even from last year,” Murphy said.

For all of her accomplishments this year, and over four years at Lewiston High School, Lavertu was a shoo-in as this year’s Sun Journal All-Region Girls’ Tennis Player of the Year.

2009 Sun Journal All-Region Girls’ Tennis Team

Singles

Abby Blaisdell  Lewiston

Emilie Cloutier  Lewiston

Carolyn Joseph  St. Dom’s

Chantalle Lavertu  Lewiston

Kelsey Ouellette  Winthrop

Pauline Schopp  Fryeburg

Doubles

Darby Beaulieu  Oak Hill

Jessica Bowen  Lewiston

Lynnae Chaput  Oak Hill 

Stephanie Gagne  Lewiston 

Becca Lessard  Lewiston

Michelle Nadeau  Lewiston

Nikki Scott  Winthrop

Katherine Spahr  Winthrop

Copy the Story Link