Junior Lucas Kroner was destined to play lacrosse from a young age. His upbringing around the sport entailed an inevitable passion that Kroner would feel for lacrosse in years to come. 

“I started playing lacrosse in 3rd grade when I saw my brother (Jake Kroner) and one of my friends (Brayden Theirgart) playing in a game. They did not have enough players, so I threw on a random player’s gear and played. I’ve loved it ever since,” Kroner said.

After this moment, Kroner, eager to play the game, joined the True Lacrosse club, where he would play in numerous tournaments and practice almost daily with athletes from all over the North Shore.  

Not only can you find the stud midfielder on the club lacrosse fields, but he also dominates the field of the Lake Forest Varsity Lacrosse team. 

Kroner has spent both his club and high school lacrosse seasons with one of his best friends, junior Marty Hippel. They’ve played on a team together for seven years, and have become close both on and off the field.

“He has one of the most accurate shots with such a quick release which makes him so hard to guard. As a defender, I can’t give him an inch of space, or else he’ll be able to shoot and score,” Hippel said.

As Kroner saw his older friends committing to various colleges for lacrosse, it provoked his determination to continue his athletic career in college. 

“I wanted to achieve that as well. I also wanted to get into a school with a higher academic rigor than I could have with just being a regular student,” Kroner said.

On Dec. 1, Kroner announced his commitment to play Division One lacrosse at Lafayette University in Easton, Pennsylvania. Out of all of his offers, he decided on Lafayette because of the school’s high academic standards and the winning mindset that the coaches and players have.

Kroner’s commitment was celebrated by many, as his talent and hard work do not go unnoticed by his peers, who admire his skill. 

“Lucas is such a great leader, which I admire,” Hippel said. “He doesn’t even have to say anything. People just respect him because of his game and how he plays.”