12 Blueprint
SPORTS
April 13, 2017
Spring sports experience competition across the nation By Megan Albers, Print Sports Editor Michelle Hroma, Online Editor-in-Chief This spring, the softball, baseball and girls soccer teams travelled to different states to compete against teams they wouldn’t normally encounter. Over spring break, the softball team drove to Cookeville, Tennessee and went 0-4 throughout their tournament. The girls varsity soccer team has gone to Bettendorf Iowa the past two years and did so again on April 7 to 8 and went 0-2 against two Iowa teams. The varsity baseball team flew to Anaheim, California on Mar 25 to Mar 30 and went 3-2 during their trip. Last year, the softball team celebrated their head coach’s last season by going to Florida. This year, new head coach Lauren Berg decided to not only save money, but try a new tournament in Tennessee. “We [were] in a gold division tournament, and so we [played] teams from Tennessee, West Virginia and Kentucky for our pool play games,” Berg said. Each sport has their own reasons for taking the trips. Berg explained
why the softball team decided to go to Tennessee. “We wanted to try to test ourselves early on in the season. We have six new girls, which is almost half of our team, so we have to figure out our new identity, be challenged, and be somewhere where we can maybe actually play outside over spring break. Also, this first trip, will offer some opportunities for the girls to bond as a program,” Berg said. The soccer and baseball team decided to go to these tournaments to test themselves against other highlyranked teams. Junior Brett Riegler explained why the baseball team went to California. “We wanted to get the jitters out, make mistakes and learn from them early in the season. That way we do not have to make some of those crucial mistakes during conference play,” Riegler said. Head coach of the baseball team, Darrell Orel offered more insight. “This is a unique experience, with quality competition, great weather, and a tremendous opportunity to build team unity [and] team spirit,” Orel said. Although the trips are beneficial for the team, most of the costs were paid for the players themselves either out of their pocket or with fundraising.
In addition to playing games, each team got time off to explore and bond as a team. The softball team visited Austin Peay University and spent an
“When we had breaks, we visited the American Pickers shop and the largest truck stop in America. This year we made a stop on the way back
The girls soccer team lost 0-1 to both of the 2016 Iowa state finalists, Iowa City West and Ankeny high school Photo courtesy of Erik Rachie
afternoon in Nashville listening to country music. Senior Jori Tyler explained that the team was thrilled to travel together. “We were all excited to go to Tennessee to of course play ball, but also because going on a team vacation is a fantastic bonding experience,” Tyler said. Senior Gina Gonzales shares some of the things the soccer team did in Iowa.
to Augustana to visit two of our past players and see the campus,” Gonzales said. The baseball team was able to watch a college game and do other tourist activities like visit the beach, Hollywood Walk of Fame and go to Beverly Hills. Although the tournaments might not have gone as planned for each sport, they still offered a unique and memorable experience.
Girls lacrosse grows with more popularity and success the team has already come so far since The Downers Grove girls lacrosse the start of the team has been growing and developprogram, Russo ing a great deal since the program expects even was started four years ago. What further developstarted as a small group of inexperiment. enced North and South students has “Lacrosse regrown into a multi-level program of ally isn’t that big increasing success. right now, [but] Senior Olivia Russo has been on it’s growing a the team for the past three years lot, so as long as and describes the increase in init keeps growing volvement. and gets more Downers Grove girls lacrosse team beats Lincoln Way high school 13 - 7. popular, I hope “From the first year I played, there are definitely more girls. The more people will Photo courtesy of Phyllis Zochowski start playing,” team has grown. We are now able to have two full teams - a JV and a Russo said. varsity,” Russo said. increased, but so has the experience Gargiulo expressed his hope for the Senior Mackenzie Wisdom is also a of the coaching staff. future of the program. returning lacrosse player and shared “This season we have four great “I do expect our level of play to inher perspective on not only the growcoaches with either NCAA D3 coachcrease each season; I have the expecing numbers, but also the growing ing experience or have previous high tation that we will have less need for talent. school coaching experience,” Gargiulo fundamental (basics) instruction and “There are a lot more people comsaid. the opportunity to teach more ading out and a lot more people have Gargiulo grew up in New York, vanced aspects of the game,” Gargiulo experience, too. The girls that came where lacrosse was a very developed said. in this year, a lot of them have played sport. After moving to Downers Grove While the recent growth in the club before, so they’re not completely in 2003, he was shocked that lacrosse popularity of lacrosse across the new, but there are also girls that are wasn’t part of the athletic program midwest could be accredited to many new and they’re learning,” Wisdom and immediately started working things, a major factor seems to be said. toward developing a team. the uniqueness and inclusiveness of D99 lacrosse program director Jon “We started on a path to build a the sport. Wisdom explains why she Gargiulo explained why the level of club team with a few other coaches chose to join lacrosse. play continues to grow. who were east coast transplants and “I played soccer for two years, and “[The] DG Park District Boys (New wanted to build a program,” Gargiulo I decided I wanted to try something Wave Lacrosse) and DG Park District said. “We [then] approached the DGS new, and any girl can go out if you Girls (IGLA) programs increase their athletic director, Randy Konstans and have no experience. I had no experinumbers every season, increasing the DGN athletic director, Denise Kavaence, and it was fine,” Wisdom said. number of experienced lacrosse playnaugh who worked with us and the Not only does this up-and-coming ers entering the high school. Each D99 school board to [get] the sport lacrosse team offer an interesting year the pool of players comes in with into the district for the 2014 season.” new activity for students to try out, more experience than the last class,” The boys program is already in but the team also provides a fun Gargiulo said. its tenth year, but the girls program social atmosphere outside of school. Not only has the player experience is still only four years old. While Russo describes how the social aspect By Lauren Smith, Head Copy Editor
drew her in. “My best friends played the year before. They said it was a lot of fun, and it sounded like a good time, so I went for it,” Russo said. Because the lacrosse team is a currently a district program, the teams try to evenly represent and accommodate both North and South students by holding practices and games for the girls at DGN and the boys at DGS. The team must also travel and compete against schools well outside the DGS or DGN conferences where they are often the newer kids on the block, as far as program development. Wisdom described the competition their four-year-old program must face while fighting to grow and develop. “We play schools that have had a program for 10 plus years or seven plus years, so it is kind of difficult when we play them, but we are doing really well,” Wisdom said. Though the program is still new, Gargiulo expects the D99 team to continue to grow in competitiveness and success. “Each season we have more and more players come into the program with additional years of experience at the youth level. I do expect our level of play to increase each season,” Gargiulo said. IHSA will officially recognize lacrosse as a state sport for the first time next year. This is a huge step for the D99 program, and Gargiulo expressed his excitement. “This will completely legitimize the sport we have been building and will offer many more opportunities for our players,” Gargiulo said. The girls lacrosse team will take on Montini on April 20 at DGN.