Two years ago, girls lacrosse had battled for districts in the pouring rain.

Sarah Craft, senior, said her favorite memory from that season was winning district that year, and the confident boost it gave the team.

“We haven’t done [it] in four or five years,” Craft said.

This year, the team is ranked the highest in its history, being second in state.

Craft said a huge advantage for this years team is the nine seniors that have been playing together for two to three years. However, she said the seniors are really welcoming to the younger players on the team.

“A problem has been working as a team,” Craft said. “We’ve recognized that and we are working to change it this year. The goal isn’t just one person. It’s a team effort and everyone recognizes that.”

With only a couple games left in the season before State, Craft said the team is going to use their humility and team chemistry to win.

“We’re just going to keep rolling with what we are doing,” Craft said. “We aren’t going to let our confidence get over our heads.

The same year they won districts, the girls went to the Final Four in State. They placed third.

Katie Wendell, senior, said that was the furthest the team has ever gotten.

“Going was a big thing because it was the first a public school has been that far,” Wendell said.

As for this season, Wendell said the team had a bit of a rough start. The team’s starting goalie was out for the first five games. She said that she is sure the team can make it to State, and they only need to work to beat MICDS, the team they are second to in State rank.

Wendell said they are going to us the whole team, and they rely on each other to step up.  

Chris Elledge has been coaching the girls lacrosse team for nine years. He said this year’s team is the best in its history.

“We are doing awesome. We are the number 2 seed in Missouri,” Elledge said. “We are the third or fourth highest nationally ranked in the history of the State. The kids are doing great.”

The team has only lost four games this season, to Cor Jesu, Lafayette, O’Fallon, and John Burroughs.

“Technically, by the numbers, the wins and losses, is the public school championship. So, [State] should be a really good matchup,” Elledge said.

Currently, the team is comprised of nine seniors, nine juniors, seven sophomore, and two freshman.

“We have a great bunch coming in. These guys are as good as they were last year in many ways. We have a lot of great sophomores on varsity right now that is a big reason we are so deep” Elledge said. I’m proud of them.”

Sophia Lombardi, junior, has been on varsity since she was a freshman. She said she likes the coaching methods that Elledge implements, and he is good at keeping the team positive and motivated.

“He doesn’t believe in just running or just sprinting,” she said. “He incorporates it into drills so it is lacrosse.”

She said that the players are all pretty good friends and the team works well together.

“[The seniors] are really good friends. They’ve been so nice to us and incorporating us into the team,” Lombardi said. “It helps that they are there to show us the ropes.”

Even with the seniors leaving, Lombardi said she thinks the team will do well next year.

“A lot of  the seniors are starters,” she said. “We will have to practice more and learn to play without them.”