DATE: Tuesday, October 21, 1997             TAG: 9710210412

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C6   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: CHEAPEAKE                         LENGTH:   37 lines

HANSON: LOSES MATCH, BUT WINS MUCH MORE

Great Bridge's Catherine Hanson didn't just put on a spine-tingling exhibition of tennis in her nearly four-hour duel with Tallwood's Danielle ``Cooky'' Miranda during last week's Eastern Region quarterfinals.

She also helped set an unofficial regional record, albeit one that had nothing to do with forehands and backhands.

The drama began when, with Miranda serving with a 5-0 third-set lead, the Lions junior became hobbled with leg cramps. While coaches and parents debated whether tennis rules allowed Miranda injury time, Hanson sprinted toward her fallen opponent.

``Can I get you some water? A towel? Anything?'' Hanson asked.

Miranda twice was allowed several minutes to work out her cramps. But Hanson, a senior who had hip surgery in seventh grade and was playing with a painful wrist injury, was one Wildcat who never complained.

``I know what it's like to be injured,'' she said.

When play resumed, Hanson rallied to win six straight games despite playing some Miranda shots which appeared to be out.

``I'm not going to call them out if I'm not sure,'' Hanson said. ``What's the purpose of having someone hate you just because of a tennis match?''

But just when Hanson reached the brink of victory, a rejuvenated Miranda saved two match points and rolled up a 5-2 lead in the tiebreak. Hanson's high-school tennis career then ended on the next point when she landed awkwardly on her right ankle and had to be carried off the court.

``I didn't want it to end like that, but I'm staying positive,'' she said. ``I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason.'' ILLUSTRATION: Tennis was secondary to Great Bridge's Catherine

Hanson when her opponent was hobbled by leg cramps.

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