The boys’ and girls’ varsity lacrosse teams had a great 2022 season with both teams making the state championships this year.

Unfortunately, both teams lost their state championship, with the boys losing to St. Andrews 7-9 and the girls losing to Pine Crest 11-13. But all players kept a strong mentality through and through and played strong all throughout the season and at the finals.

Senior Logan Sorenson, who will be attending Clemson University in the fall, confessed, “I was pretty nervous because we were playing on a new field and in a big stadium but it all went away after we started warming up.”

Senior Ella Hayes on the girls’ varsity team, who will be attending University of Georgia this fall, said that she remained positive throughout, especially going into the last game of their season. “I love this team and I knew that no matter the outcome of the game, I was very proud of us all,” she stated.

Many members of both the lacrosse teams had a good run this year. Senior Jack Horgen said that the highlight of his season was the district finals against St. Edwards. Sorenson went one step forward to say that the highlight of his season was beating St. Edwards in the regional semifinals because “they took us out last year and they trash talk a lot.”

Hayes stated, “Beating Kings’ 20-1 was the highlight of this season. As a team, we had so much energy and confidence that it really brought us together. During that game, two of our girls got hurt and we knew beating Kings’ that bad was the best retaliation.”

Lacrosse is an enduring sport that takes speed, agility, a great sense of hand-eye coordination, and requires a large amount of teamwork. The sport, as many other sports, naturally builds skill sets that are beneficial both on and off the field. 

“A skill that I built this year was expanding on the value of trust. I learned how to trust my teammates on and off the field which allowed me to do so well this season,” Hayes said. 

Seniors are seen as and expected to be the team leaders, so this year, many of them learned new skills in leadership that they may not have had the chance to before. 

Horgen said, “I was able to build the skill of coordinating and embracing a bunch of diverse personalities to form a successful team.”

Determination is not a skill that people are born with, but it is definitely created and strengthened throughout one’s life and experiences. Sorenson said, “A skill that I built this year was commitment. I learned how to be committed to the process so you have the best chance at completing your goal.” 

Once the seniors are off to college, the juniors of the team will face a new role as leaders, while the freshman and sophomores will step into the role of their predecessors. Lacrosse is a great one to help build a sense of self. 

Hayes said, “I enjoy playing lacrosse because it takes my mind off of everything else. Whether I’m at practice or a game, that is all that matters at that moment. While playing, I gained so many friendships and learned valuable skills.”

Horgen likes playing lacrosse for a slightly different reason. “I enjoy lacrosse because I like hitting people with metal sticks legally. But of course, I also enjoy the synchronization of a team sport,” he said.

The teams hit the ground running this year and ended at high speed, and the Benjamin community can only hope that the following years can bring even better achievements for the lacrosse teams.