Henry Clay Girls’ Lacrosse is already starting to prepare for their upcoming 2024 season. As practices and games have begun, the team is working on their chemistry to up their level of play. Head Coach Bri McCulley is starting her third year and is assisted by Maddy Davis. HC alum Andrea Hicks is the junior varsity coach, and this is her second year in this position. Even with a relatively new coaching staff, this team maintains high expectations and is fighting to repeat their 2021 triumph of winning the state championship. 

Senior Catalina Hicks was a starting player during the 2021 state championship game. As she starts her last season of play, she hopes to achieve that level of success again. 

“It has taught me that we can get there again,” Hicks said. “I want to keep our freshmen involved and motivated.”

For many, lacrosse is only available in high school and has to be learned through gameplay. For HC, the elevated program creates the atmosphere to be very competitive and it can quickly become a major commitment. Girls’ lacrosse is a technical sport with a variety of rules that are unlike any other sport. It takes a lot of time and dedication to truly understand the sport, and even more to excel in it. 

 “In the beginning, when I first started playing lacrosse, I actually did it as a way to just try a new sport and stay in shape for my other sports,” C. Hicks said. “Since then, I’ve learned that lacrosse is one of the most difficult sports to learn technically, physically, and mentally.”

The HC team has upped their schedule and are playing many advanced teams this year. Creating this environment has pushed them to higher skill levels and many have noticed a difference from previous years. Senior Harper Fredericks has been involved in this competitiveness and is hoping to make it far in the postseason tournament, as well.