As Spring sports come to an end, many athletes look back on the experiences they had during the past season. The student-athletes below reflect on their participation in their sport and how they became the athletes they are today.

Girls Badminton: Lindsay Kuracina

A passion for badminton that sparked from a love for squash is what drove Lindsay Kuracina to be a part of the Varsity badminton team. She started playing last year as a way to get involved within the school and it instantly became a solid fit as she plays the number one singles spot.

With influence from her first squash coach, her role on the team consists of hard work, great focus and believing in herself to achieve her goals. She plays both singles and doubles–excelling in both–but does not play outside of school like she does with competitive squash. Lindsay has accomplished a lot as both a squash and badminton player. In fact, she has won over 30 squash tournaments, placed in the top 16 in the U.S. Junior Open, been ranked 5th in Canada in girls aged 17 and under, and is currently trying out for the Canadian Junior National Team. As for her successes on the badminton team, she and her fellow doubles partner, Emily Gorczynski, qualified last spring for the Illinois state badminton finals. They were the first girls from LFHS to make it in over 16 years. But the badminton team has offered more to her than just medals and experience on the court. Being on the team has allowed her to create new, lasting friendships, to watch and support her teammates and to continue challenging herself to be a better athlete every time she plays.

Boys Baseball: Andrew Gough

For some athletes, the first moment they play their sport is the start of a long-lived passion. This is the case for Andrew Gough, who started to play baseball around t-ball age and has continued to play every since. Growing up playing baseball with his brother, Andrew knew he wanted to follow his footsteps. Every time he came to watch his brother’s games, he would grow increasingly interested.

Despite the great advice an older sibling can give, Andrew’s biggest influence is his dad; a regular attendee at the high school’s games, as well as a parent accompanying his son during travel season, most importantly, Mr. Gough was someone to practice with all these years. Andrew has been on travel teams since he was nine and on the LFHS teams for three years specializing in a multitude of positions such as as third base, shortstop and pitcher. Between the two playing seasons, he has been exposed to all the competition from other states and gains more experience with every game. His teammates on his travel team are actually his opponents during the school season, so he grows to work with every player and he believes as he improves the game only gets more fun. Andrew explains that like every sport, accomplishments come with time and hard work, “It is one of those sports that if you don’t practice, it is really hard to just show up and play well. It’s really hard to get back into the swing of things. And every day it is a sport of failure.” No matter the game, win or loss, putting in the work can result in success even if the statistics don’t show it.

Boys Lacrosse: Chris Cavalaris

Ever since the first grade, Chris Cavalaris has shown a fascination for lacrosse. Originally a baseball fan who realized his talents could shine bright at other sports as well, Chris wanted to try lacrosse and signed up to play, but mostly because “his brother told him to.”

However, as he grew older, he stemmed away from his interest in baseball and continued on a path to become a better lacrosse player as he became part of a club lacrosse team as well as the LFHS teams. Chris has grown to be a valuable team player with a positive mindset and notable character. This is his second year on the high school’s Varsity team playing attack, a position on the offense with a lot of passing and shooting, and in previous years he also played for the Lake Forest Lacrosse Association team and True Lacrosse. His hard-working mentality is what makes him stand out as he never fail to go the extra step to improve his skills. Chris quotes, “Once I start something, I want to finish it. I work on individual improvement as well as team improvement by showing great determination. I have not only learned to develop into a better player but also a better teammate because we learn how to cheer for other guys even when we’re not having the best day.” One of the driving forces behind this determination is Notre Dame lacrosse player Matt Kavanagh as he shares many similarities with Chris himself. Even though he is considerably a shorter guy, as Chris puts it, he always plays with a chip on his shoulder and it inspires him frequently. On the field, however, his two lacrosse coaches, Coach Theirgart and Coach Morgan, help with his determination as they always push him to get better at each game and help his enthusiasm for the sport grow.

Girls Lacrosse: Mary Doheny

Known as the girl who started the Croc trend on Lake Forest’s girls varsity lacrosse team, Mary Doheny is one of the most lovable teammates to have. Her bright personality and love for lacrosse is the perfect combination for her character on the team.

Mary started playing in 6th grade as a field player but soon after volunteered to be goalie due to her hatred for running–who can blame her! And her position as goalie has stuck since. She used to play for a club team called Illinois Elite where she traveled all around the country participating in various tournaments. Mary has now been on LFHS’ Varsity team for three years and still continues to be inspired by the different athletes at the school each day. She explains how so many athletes at LFHS work hard and are accomplished, “It is inspiring to see how talented many of my peers are, and that alone motivates me to be my best and represent our high school in the best way possible. The amount of talented athletes at our school is truly incredible.”

Even off the field she has great sportsmanship and follows the motto “Team, teammate, self” which everyone on the team sticks to. Despite the competition surrounding them, at every game they all come together to to showcase their team’s skills and the trust they have for one another. Mary’s favorite part of the team is how they are like a family and the achievements they make together. The best feeling for her is walking off the home field after they win a big game. “It is so rewarding to watch everyone put their hearts into a game and come out successful,” gushed Mary. Last week, the girls lacrosse team beat GBS 14-13; they were ranked #6 and LFHS were ranked #5. They had not won against GBS in five years and those moments are what make lacrosse so special for Mary.

Girls Soccer: Mary Gregg

As is the case for many student athletes, their sports career starts simply because their parents signed them up and it isn’t until later when this hobby turns into much more. This was the case for Mary Gregg who did not expect her passion for soccer to grow when she began playing with her twin sister.

As a member of the Varsity team, Mary had no idea that the beginning of high school would spark a deeper love for the sport. She initially became more competitive and serious about soccer when she was on a club team. With each challenging game, she learned more and continued to improve with every practice and still continues to do so. However, as she began running cross country, she created a new yet important part of her life that she would focus on in addition to soccer unlike most of her teammates who play club year round. As her high school career advances, Mary can attest that the seniors on her team have always influenced her from their motivation to do well during games and attitude for the sport. “Every time someone scores,” Mary says, “people may not realize how exhilarating and exciting it is when someone gets a goal. I love how everyone playing truly does care how we do as a team.”

Girls Softball: Delaney Weiss

Softball is more than just a sport for Delaney Weiss. Ever since the fourth grade, Delaney has showcased her talents on the field and with each year her experience grows. The sport not only provides a place for creating new friends and staying in shape as she plays catcher and left field, but for her it is also a place where she was able to strengthen the bond with her mom. Both her parents have supported her years playing softball. Still, Delaney’s dad has been her biggest influence. Every day Delaney tries to do better than before, pushing herself to excel as a player and create new strengths. Softball is a sport that is maybe less common at LFHS, but every girl on the team truly shows a deep passion for the game. The small team creates a sense of family with students from really different personalities and backgrounds.

Boys Tennis: Daniel McEvoy

The once simple hobby of Daniel McEvoy, playing tennis, has now transformed into one of his favorite sports. Starting at the age of nine, Daniel played tennis on courts nearby his house, not thinking much more of it, but his parents soon began to sign him up for lessons. Daniel practiced each year and began to play both singles and doubles. One of his greatest inspirations as he grew older and even now is Andy Murray, a British professional tennis player. The determination and skills Murray shows are the goals Daniel works towards to become a better competitor. While tennis at LFHS counts as a team sport, it can also count as an individual sport–you can play a match by yourself, but you’ll only win if your teammates win their matches as well. Daniel explains playing with his classmates, “You need your team in order to win. Everyone becomes good friends yet we’re all still competitive on match days. The best part of playing is last match–whether I’m playing in it or not– because everything is on the line and the whole team just shows their support.”

Boys Track & Field: Landon Edwards

The current record holder for the frosh/soph high jump at 6’4”, Landon Edwards, will surely hold more records before he graduates. Landon began running in 7th grade at Deerpath Middle School when his parents suggested it would be a good fit.

Landon states, “My parents were the catalyst to it all and really helped me build up my confidence to run track and have encouraged me to keep pursuing it.” He specializes in the high jump, triple jump, and sprint relays such as the 4×100 and the 4×200, however, the fluidity and technique between each step in the triple jump has shown to be his favorite despite his accomplishments in the high jump.

The Rio Olympics in 2016 really inspired Landon as a runner. Each athlete had near perfect form and showed great skill which taught him what a strong work ethic and determination looks like. Despite his advances, Landon still pushes himself to be better each day and work towards new records, “Before I graduate, I am hoping to beat two varsity records. First, the high jump record (6’7”) that hasn’t been beaten since 1978.” Landon states, “The other record I am hoping to beat is the triple jump record (45’3”). I started jumping in this event freshmen year and have a personal record of 43’9”. I am hoping to excel and jump the two feet that I need by the end of this season. The thought of always wanting to run faster or jump higher inspires me to make it happen.” Track, Landon believes, is a sport where you can see your progress directly. Depending how much work is put in and what healthy decisions are made, improvements can be made since there are times or a height that can be compared with an individual’s past records. Being part of the track team has allowed Landon to work together with his teammates even though many events are individually based. They always show motivation for each other even though they are sometimes one another’s competition. But once Landon hits the track, everything is else is left behind. When he is in the moment, he becomes free of stress and solely focuses on running as fast or jumping as high as he can.

Girls Track & Field: Emma Milburn

Like many other athletes, Emma Milburn’s career as an athlete began in the early stages of middle school. Emma began running track in fifth grade at Deer Path Middle School because many of her friends and her sister as well were runners. Despite her love for running at an early age, it wasn’t until 6th grade where she decided to follow her passion and see what the team could provide her with. With great focus and effective practices, Emma was hoping to qualify for state. However, when she did not make the state team during her first cross country season in sixth grade, it drove her to work harder in the off season.

During track later that spring she qualified for state in the 1600m and realized running was something she enjoys and can compete in. Emma previously ran the mile but now focuses more on the 800m as she also runs the 4x800m relay, and the 4x400m relay. Although Emma holds the school record for the cross country three mile, she has not set any records for track but hopes to set one for the 800m this year. Over the past couple of years many people have influenced Emma as an athlete, the one person who continues to motivate her from the 6th grade to now is Haley Click, a senior and fellow LFHS track teammate. Emma explains how Haley has really helped her as an athlete, “Her humility and perseverance have been an inspiration to me. I looked up to her as a little middle schooler and that still holds true. She epitomizes what it means to be a great teammate and friend.” Even with the hard competition, Emma is a naturally friendly person and laughed with the girls she has competed with the past few years. She shows respectful rivalries with them but also can share a laugh before the race or a “congratulations” and a hug after the race.

Along with trying to get points for your team, each member on the team is also competing against their own best time; everyone is running for each other and Emma believes everyone wants to do what’s best for the team. In addition to the LFHS team, Emma runs on the Waukegan Invaders during the winter and the summer. It holds a wider range of ages from four to eighteen and coming from different communities. These teammates are her competition during the school season but it doesn’t stop their efforts on the travel team and all of the hard work put in. “Training hard and seeing your results of a personal best time is a great feeling,” Emma shares, “Success in track has everything to do with how hard you work and it’s so rewarding when it pays off.”

Boys Volleyball: Will Gescheidle

For Will Gescheidle, backyard volleyball was the beginning for his interest in the sport. Introduced to the court version by his three cousins, Will is now a member on the Varsity team as an outside hitter and is a hardworking athlete as his passion has continued to grow. He started playing volleyball in 7th grade at Deerpath Middle School where his cousins, all of which played on Stevenson High School’s boys varsity team, taught him the skills he holds as a player today.

Growing up, Will was inspired by a variety of athletes yet his teammate and good friend, Joe Chamberlain, really influences him. Will explains, “He is a great player and has really grown since freshman year. He started playing around my age as well and we have been playing together since. Watching him improve as a player makes me being on the court with him want to do better, and for all of my teammates.” With every match, there is just something happening in every single play and all six guys on our team (12 total on the court) are involved. Volleyball is very fast-paced, as Will believes, so everyone on the team is ready for the ball at any given second. Will also plays for a club volleyball team where he works more on his individual skills to be a better team player at LFHS. The team at the high school provides him to gain more volleyball experience and stay tied to the game.

Boys Water Polo: Andrew Gherlein

A unique sport where your feet never touch the ground, Water Polo is one of the most exciting and interesting sports for Andrew Gherlein. He began playing in the summer going into 8th grade and learned from Spencer Moore and Michael Allen who are now college students. Andrew knew that he wanted to swim in high school and was looking for another fun sport to participate in. He plays the position of flat, where players have a good arm and can shoot from anywhere. Andrew believes water polo has offered great camaraderie and another physical challenge for himself in addition to his efforts on the swim team. Before he graduates next year, his goal is for his team to beat Stevenson, which constantly keeps him motivation. The satisfaction of bringing home a win after a great team effort is what makes Andrew love water polo.

Girls Water Polo: Holly Malnati

Probably considered one of the most physical girls sports by students, water polo has provided Holly Malnati three years worth of great laughs and improvement as an athlete. She began water polo because all the seniors on her swim team that year encouraged her to play. Holly naturally loves the water and her passion for water polo grew as she fell in love with the sport. She considers senior friend and teammate, Grace Donahue, to be her biggest inspiration. Holly sheds some light on their relationship, “She [Grace] is insane in the water and I aspire to be like her. She constantly is encouraging me to shoot and try new things even when I lack the confidence to do so. She even helps me swim sometimes.”

Water polo is an extremely intense game with non-stop motion. The team shows a special bond, as it contains fewer players than most other school teams, and Holly believes everyone truly gets to know each other. Holly is a field player at LFHS but she has also played club water polo before as well. The sport is really different though because despite the assigned position, you are constantly switching back and forth between offense and defense and need to be able to do both. Holly would never give up her life as a player in high school and the closeness of the team, “I love the sport itself. I like the fact that I can clear my head in the pool and just have fun playing.”