Written By: Delaney Knipp

For the Newport Harbor Girls’ Lacrosse team, the 2017 season has been one of achieving extraordinary goals. The Varsity team has once again risen to new heights after the players earned a coveted OC Final Four spot with a nail-biter win against Los Alamitos and an incredible victory over #6 Trabuco Hills, who Harbor hasn’t beatenin 5 years. This team won more games than any other Girls’ Lacrosse team in NHHS history, including big wins against competitors CDM, St. Margaret’s, Trabuco and Los Al. Their hard work earned Harbor its highest playoff seed yet, and the team finished with a 3rd place ranking in the Orange County bracket.

However, this wasn’t achieved easily. “We started preparing for season in July,” said sophomore Elise Skytte, “our summer camp was focused on conditioning and getting in the best shape for season.” As well as agility, the team spent two nights a week in the weight room during preseason, building up strength and speed to outcompete their opponents. Their dedication paid off when they were able to show up and defeat many serious competitors. This year’s team dynamic was also beneficial to their successful season due to the range of ages on the varsity lineup, including seniors, juniors, sophomores and a freshman, Caroline Farley. “Our team dynamic was weird,” says Skytte, “since there were so many pairs of sisters, there were times where there was tension, but we played through it as a team and came out the other end victorious.”

The end of this season is also the beginning of a new season for three members of the starting lineup who have committed to play lacrosse in college. For seniors Sarah Farley, Katie Hendrix, and junior Adena Rothbard, the end of a high school career means the start of an even more advanced and competitive career in college. Sarah Farley will be attending Central Michigan (CM), Hendrix will attend Arizona State University (ASU), and Rothbard will attend the University of New Hampshire (UNH).

The Newport Harbor Girls’ Lacrosse team is a physical representation about how hard work is the most effective way to achieve challenging goals and to work as a team to overcome obstacles. Teamwork makes the dream work!