By Joe Wilson,
Staff Writer
On the field she is an impenetrable force, the last line of defense before the goalie.
Off the field, however, senior Kate Elliott is cheery, lighthearted and always ready to get her team going.
Elliott has been playing lacrosse since she was a freshman, the inaugural season of women’s lacrosse at Reynolds High School.
“My core group of friends all decided to play,” Elliott said, explaining why she first decided to take on the brand-new sport at Reynolds.
“It was a great introduction to Reynolds,” she added.
Since the start of that first season, Elliott has helped build a program bound for success. After a great season last year, Elliott sees potential for an even better one this year.
“We’ve already reached the level we were at last year and we have so much talent that we can still improve upon,” she said. “We have so much young talent that we can be good for years.”
The team certainly has shown improvement. After losing its first game against Lake Norman, the Demons won their next six and appear ready for another strong season.
One of the main reasons for their success is Elliott.
“She’s a rock on defense,” coach Brynn Lewallen said. “She is one of those players that the coaches and the team can always count on.”
As a captain of the team, Elliott fills all the demands of the job.
“People follow Kate’s lead because she is compassionate to teammates, yet she strikes fear into her opponents, and she does it all with a smile on her face,” said Chandler Borton, a senior and former teammate.
“I try to keep everyone focused and pumped and just help out the team and build camaraderie,” Elliott said.
This selfless attitude is evident as Elliott looks toward the future of the lacrosse program.
Elliott’s spirited personality has certainly paid dividends for the team and the inspiration she spreads to her younger teammates will continue to do so even after she leaves the program.
“Kate has a fantastic attitude and she’s always pumping people up and encouraging her teammates,” Lewallen said.
As a fourth-year player, Elliott is among a group of girls who were on the first team at Reynolds and who will be graduating after this season. Although she has had many great experiences playing lacrosse for Reynolds, her favorite memory of the team is one of her first.
“It was our very first practice. We were outside at Paisley and the weather was terrible,” Elliott recalled. “It was snowing and sleeting but we still had practice outside and we didn’t quit. It really showed what our team was like. We had a positive outlook and we were determined to practice despite the weather.”
There will be a sense of nostalgia as Elliott finishes her last season at Reynolds. The team may be losing most of its players from four years ago, but the tough, determined attitude is still very much alive.