It’s unusual to see five freshmen on a varsity team, but in early March of this year, Cate Lee, Maeve Farrell, Brooke Bolton, Cecelia Lemon, and Megan Rocklein earned their spots on the Lake Forest Girls Varsity Lacrosse team.

It’s a big deal to be added to a varsity team as an underclassman, let alone being a freshman. But to say these girls are prepared for the high commitment that comes along with any varsity sport would be an understatement. 

During the three-month season, the lacrosse team spends a large amount of their time together. Their practices are an hour and a half long, six days of the week. Outside of practice, they go to team dinners, breakfasts, or just hang out, making the girls really close. This gives the freshman a chance to get to know a lot of upperclassmen and others who they otherwise wouldn’t have gotten the chance to know. 

Lee, a defensive member of the team, says that getting close to her teammates and meeting new people is one of the things she’s looking forward to the most this season. 

“I’m really excited for the whole season, but one thing that I always get so excited for is team bonding or just hanging out with the team. It’s so fun having a different group of girls around you and getting to know upperclassmen,” said Lee.

The high intensity of any varsity sport can be a lot to handle, but as a freshman, there can be added pressure.  Lemon a midfielder said, “It feels amazing to be on varsity as a freshman. There’s some pressure just to prove that you were meant to be on this team and to show your skills, but it’s not a bad type of pressure.”

Because of the unusual circumstances of these five freshman girls getting placed on a varsity team at the same time, the girls have grown close with each other knowing that they’ve now all shared the same experience. 

Bolton, a defensive member of the team, said that although all the freshmen had known each other prior to the beginning of the season, the team was the thing that brought them together.

“With a significant number of freshmen getting moved up, I knew that we were bound to be friends, but I didn’t realize how much lacrosse would bond us together, and I’m really happy to see how close we’ve become,” Bolton said.

Lee said she would describe her relationship with the other four other freshmen as “a bubble of friends that share the same interest and allows me to have relationships that I wouldn’t have really had without lacrosse.”

Throughout the season, the girls have one major end goal in mind, the state playoffs on May 23. This is a very big deal for the team, as in 2021 they were sectional champions. Although they have a lot to live up to, they are confident that they can perform well due to their work ethic and their dedication to the sport. 

Because of the team’s legacy, the freshmen are excited to see just how far the team can go and all they can accomplish, as it’s their first time playing at the state playoffs. 

Farrell, a freshman midfielder said, “I am very excited to see how far our team can go this season. We are working very hard and I am excited to see our hard work pay off.”

Caroline Keil, a junior starter on midfield, is really excited about the freshman joining the team and knows they’re going to be a great asset moving forward. “They’re all super hard working and a lot of fun to have on the team. I can’t wait to see all they accomplish this season, and in the future,” Keil said.