The crowd goes wild after the player cradles the ball to the goal, cutting through the other opponents leading their team to victory. While soccer, football, and basketball are the most popular sports played by MN students, introducing the new girl’s lacrosse team gave new opportunities for many athletes. 

Sophomore Janae Harris is new to the lacrosse team. Without having any prior experience, she is making the most out of her lacrosse experience.

“I was excited but also very nervous, but it felt very relieving because we were all learning (how to play lacrosse),” Harris said. 

This is the first year girls lacrosse has become school sponsored, this gives many girls new opportunities to play sports. 

Having to balance the lacrosse season and school can be difficult. With practices at Beadle Middle School on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays and practice here on Wednesdays, it can add a lot to students’ plates. 

The season for the Mustangs has also been a learning experience, being a new team.

“I think the season is going very well for being a new team; we improve more and more every game,” Harris said. 

One area they have improved in is working as a unit, being able to move the ball up and down the field. Ball control is also something they have been working on.

 English teacher Chad Heber is taking on being not only a teacher, but also starting up the lacrosse for boys and most recently girls program at MN.  Heber is one of the main coaches for the MN girls lacrosse team and boys as well. Whether it be games, practices, or other aspects of the sport, Heber always has a positive outlook on how his team works together. 

Though not having prior experience playing in high school, Heber played lacrosse for three years at the University of Nebraska. He also got the opportunity to be a head coach at the University after winning a State Championship at a Lincoln high school. After two seasons of working at the University of Nebraska he got a teaching position in Omaha. 

“I had started a [lacrosse] program at my last school. I taught in a middle school. And before I was hired, I was actually coaching some boys that attend school here,” Heber said. 

The girls have been working hard being a new team, and have been getting better every practice. Many of the girls have taken sports or activities they have done in the past and applied them to lacrosse.

“They are able to take the skills and attributes of other sports, whether it’s field hockey, basketball, tennis, dance; that’s why I think it’s [a] great thing, because it’s able to cross a lot with other sports that translate well into lacrosse where they are able to succeed,” Heber said. 

Harris takes skills from dance and uses them for lacrosse. Another student athlete, Senior Tyra Knutson, has also found a passion for playing lacrosse at MN. 

At the age of eleven,  Knutson first started playing lacrosse. She played for two years and had to quit due to the age cut off of thirteen. After that, Knutson played basketball for two years and participated in track for one. With lacrosse as an option for Knutson, it brings back the joys of her earlier playing years. 

“I actually tried getting lacrosse to start here my freshman year.  But I got denied by the head of the athletics department.” Knutson said.

Now having the opportunity to play again, Knutson and Harris are looking forward to seeing the program grow over the next few years.

“We’ve worked really hard this year, and we’ve gone really far as a team, and as a group together.”  Knutson said. 

Celebrating the victory of not only getting a program but also a team that meshes well is something that the team is proud of. 

As years progress, so should the team; as long as the support from the community. So show up and show out for our girls and their new team.