With girl’s lacrosse beginning in January, the lady wolves are at the exciting height of their season. With 15 seasonal games, Districts, and hopefully Regionals and States, the team is dedicated to the game and the program. With this fierce, competitive nature, the Girls Lacrosse Team is a strong force to be reckoned with.

   Looking at the members, the team this year has an exceptionally skilled junior class with a majority being starters. They take to the field first to intimidate competitors with their amazing skills. Junior teammate Colleen Flood feels the team is very strong this year because of this; she says, “we have a lot of young girls taking on big roles and doing it at an advanced level, so much so that it overwhelms a majority of our local competition.”

   The team practices most days after school from 6-8, they do cardio, warmups, and drills. They must work together through the season to build cooperative and leadership skills so the next generation of players can develop the legacy of the program further.

   This season, look out for player Gracie Ochoa. She is on the Tampa Lax’s Report of the 25 Girls Players to Watch in 2023. She earned her spot by working hard and showing consistent performance during games. Having a teammate on that list signifies that Newsome is a tough competitor because of its successful players.

   Player and Business Manager Samantha Swanovich is one of Newsome’s committed seniors. She is attending Rutgers, The State University to play Division 1. Last year, she tore her ACL, a common sports injury that tends to be devastating for a lacrosse career. However, Swanovich came back to the 2023 season strong to pull through for her team. Swanovich says her situation has only been a minor learning curve, now she gains “a whole different perspective” of the field where she learns by watching her teammates. She hopes to be athletically cleared soon so she can play for her senior season. Margaret Metz, Online Editor-In-Chief.