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After shocking the county — and itself — by dropping down to Division II in 2006, perennial girls tennis power Whitman has spent the last three years clawing its way back to the top.

The Vikings (12-0) are officially back in 2008. They clinched their first Division I title in six years with a 4-3 win over defending county champion Churchill on Oct. 2. But the season isn't over, and they're not satisfied yet.

Whitman intends to back up its division title at the county tournament, Oct. 20-23. The tournament's first two rounds will be played at various sites around the county; Wednesday and Thursday's semifinal and final rounds are slated for 3:30 p.m. at Blake.

"I anticipate this being a close tournament," Whitman coach Julie Frank said. "It's going to be important if we go in as top seeds that we don't have any letdowns and we make sure we get to the finals."

That task is easier said than done, though. Churchill (8-1) will be looking for revenge, while Walter Johnson (8-3) — the 2006 and '07 Division I champion and '06 county champion — and Wootton (7-3) are both peaking as the tournament nears.

In such a tennis-rich county, a plethora of other teams are eager and capable of pulling off upsets, including Bethesda-Chevy Chase (7-5), Blair (6-6) and Division II champion Richard Montgomery (10-1).

The county tournament hinges on depth at every position; players pick up points with each round they win. Whitman has proven to be the deepest team in 2008, and will likely get a top-four seed in six out of seven brackets. The Vikings' 2-4 singles players, Nicky Gottret, Christina Davis and Julia Chandler, are all undefeated at 10-0, as is their No. 3 doubles pairing of Julia Eager and Alex Cohen.

Whitman's top two doubles teams — Meg Baglien and Maggie Ingersoll and Stephanie Gaspar and Haley Johnson — each only has one loss this fall. Whitman's No. 1 singles player, Sarah Macy, is 7-3, but was close in all three losses and will be a strong contender in her bracket.

"Different teams have different breakdowns in individual positions and are stronger at certain positions," said Frank. "But I think it's really going to come down to what happens when we get to the semifinals and finals."

Wootton freshman No. 1 Megan Hahn (10-1) will likely be the top seed in her draw. Walter Johnson senior No. 1 Tiffany Lin (7-1) and Churchill sophomore No. 1 Lauren Pinsky are title contenders, as well.

Walter Johnson senior No. 2 Alysia Rodgers, will probably nab the top seed in the second singles bracket. She is 11-0 in 2008, 4-0 when playing No. 1; Lin has struggled with illness this fall and missed four matches.

Rodgers and Gottret haven't met this season, but are favored to get to the final. The Wildcats' No. 1 doubles pairing, Daryl Oh and Alina Marciniak, are 9-2.

Wootton should be better off this year thanks to seeds in several brackets. Two years ago they were unseeded and faced the No. 1 seed in six of seven first-round matchups. No. 4 Rachel Heimberg is 10-2, as is No. 1 doubles team Sara Biron and Janice Luo. The Patriots' new No. 3 pairing, Janice Vazquez and Cindy Chung, are 4-0.

Churchill's best duo, sisters Stephanie and Danielle Mandir, could get the top seed in that bracket and will be a formidable opponent for anyone.

"This whole tournament really just comes down to who is peaking at the right time," Walter Johnson coach Lynn Poznanski said.

Teams to watch: Whitman (12-0), Churchill (8-1), Walter Johnson (8-3), Wootton (7-3)

Individuals to watch: Megan Hahn (Wootton, 10-1), Tiffany Lin (Walter Johnson, 7-1), Lauren Pinsky (Churchill), Sarah Macy (Whitman, 7-3)

2007 county team champion: Churchill

2007 regional individual champion: Liz Kaufman, Churchill