Senior moments

We've got to admit, this is one of our favorite Sports Extras of the year. This is the annual edition in which we turn over the front page to a group of senior varsity athletes chosen from around DuPage County and give them one last, simple homework assignment:

Write 100-150 words (though we didn't actually count when the essays came in) about your high school varsity sports experience.

Each year we are impressed not only by their writing skills, but by their insight and by how much high school sports have affected their lives for the better.

We hope you enjoy these essays as much as we do. They are presented here in alphabetical order by last name and with minimal editing.

Meghan Court, Glenbard North

Gymnastics, track

My high school sports career will be unforgettable. Being part of a gymnastics team that made it to state for the first time in over 20 years will be the best memory. Making it to state individually three years in a row is a great accomplishment, but the team meant so much more.

My freshman year I didn't even want to try pole vault, but after my coach made me try, it became an addiction. I live for pole vault, and I am very happy I made it to state twice. I am so excited that I get to continue pole vault in college.

High school sports taught me more than just athletic ability. They taught me to never give up and be dedicated to anything that makes you happy.

Brian Gaughan, Benet

Basketball

My greatest moment in my basketball career has to be after the St. Patrick's game. We had been going through a difficult stretch of up and down games before the match up with the No. 1 team in the East Suburban Catholic Conference. They came in undefeated in conference and on a hot streak.

The fourth quarter was a battle as each team fought every possession as if it were a playoff game. We ran a play that broke down, and I was lucky to get the shot off over the defender. I hit the shot that put us up 1 and ultimately won the game.

As the horn sounded, I ran off the court toward my dad (Benet coach Marty Gaughan) and gave him a hug as tears filled my eyes with the crowd cheering as we just upset the No. 1 team in conference on our home court.

John Holm, Naperville Central

Football, baseball

This baseball season has been quite a life lesson for me. Starting early last summer when coach asked me to consider playing catcher.

I just came off a personal best season at first base and now as a senior, coach wanted me to play a position I haven't played since I was 8 years old.

But it was not about me, it was for the team. As this season has progressed, each of my teammates has assumed similar roles -- maybe not to their liking, but what was best for the team. I believe because of these sacrifices, our team's chemistry is very strong and as a direct result we have exceeded everyone's expectations.

Of course, like every team we've had our ups and downs, but what you take away from those experiences is how you learn. For me personally, team sports have been an important part of my young life which I intend to continue into college.

Sarah Langlas, Wheaton Warrenville South

Basketball, soccer

In my six varsity seasons of soccer and basketball, I have been fortunate enough to win conference championships, advance in the playoffs and earn personal accolades.

Nothing can compare to the atmosphere of a team riding the bus home after a playoff victory, or the feeling after scoring the winning goal. Although I will look back on these memories with a smile, high school athletics has impacted my life in other ways as well.

I have proudly worn my WW South jerseys in over 200 games, where I have grown personally through team competition. Occasionally my competition resulted in a sprained ankle or a broken bone, but usually it resulted in a lesson or a memory that has become a part of me.

As an underclassman on varsity teams, I learned leadership skills that were used when I became a senior captain. I learned the importance of maintaining composure and integrity in high-pressure situations. I discovered the power of playing together as a team while also choosing to matter as an individual.

Throughout my seasons, championships were won, relationships were built and lessons were learned. As a Tiger athlete, I grew into a better person.

Rachel McMahon, Lake Park

Soccer

This is a world in which pain and success coincide. A world where true passion can be found on the field, in the stands and everywhere in between. The game of soccer combines determination, teamwork and perseverance to create an environment that is unimaginable. In this world anything can happen.

I have had a wide variety of experiences with soccer, and each one has benefited my soccer career. Some of these experiences were ones in which I was faced with obstacles that seemed impossible to overcome.

However, through support and personal belief, I soared past these obstacles and grew as a player and a person. I realized that in this game, no matter what position you are in, no matter how difficult it is going to be, and no matter how many people you have there behind you, there is always a way to defeat your challenges.

In this world soccer is more than just a game.

Michelle Scandora, Wheaton North

Basketball, soccer

To me playing high school sports has been an escape: the perfect escape from stressors in life, from essays and math tests, and most of all an escape to a completely unique experience. The adrenaline rush that comes along with a competitive game or practice is something that I truly cherish as an athlete.

High school sports have taught me hard work, team work and dedication. All things that I will need anywhere I go in life, not just in sports. I have met some of my best friends through sports and created friendships that will last a lifetime.

Playing high school sports was the best decision I have ever made. My coaches and teammates have helped me become the person I am today, and I will forever remember all the memories that were made.

David Schwabe, Driscoll

Football, basketball, baseball

My high school sports career has been better then I could have ever imagined. Throughout my four years at Driscoll Catholic I have made friends and memories that I will never lose or forget and high school sports have truly been the time of my life.

So far in high school I have had four state championships in football, placed third in state and won a regional in baseball and I won a regional in basketball. But none of these accomplishments could have come without the support of my family, my friends, my coaches, my teammates or Driscoll.

They have all been a huge blessing to me and I appreciate everything they have done for me. I would like to thank them all for the support they have given me. None of the success I had would be possible with out all of them.

Nikki Simpson, Glenbard South

Basketball, softball, track

During my high school career, I have had the opportunity to participate in three varsity sports: basketball, track and softball. All of these sports have brought different memories and have taught me a number of different things, not only about the sport but about myself and life in general.

Sports to me are my safe haven, they are the thing that I can go to relieve my mind off of anything that may be troubling me. They teach you how to let the little things go and look at the bigger picture. They have taught me to always give it your all no matter what you do and never give up.

They have also brought many different relationships with my coaches and my teammates that I will keep with me for the rest of my life. Especially the one that I have with (basketball and softball) coach Julie Fonda. She has taught me so much about sports and about setting goals for myself. She has always said if I dedicate myself to my goal, I will accomplish it.

The memories that I have with all of these sports, I will truly cherish them forever. Most importantly sports have given me an opportunity to pursue my dreams and to go on to the next level in collegiate softball.

Jordan Tassio, Naperville North

Football, baseball

The most memorable moment of my high school career was the state title run this past fall. The Wheaton South football game, in my opinion, is what prepared us the best, both mentally and physically, for the playoffs and eventually the state title. Suffering that bitter defeat left a sour taste in our mouth and a chip on our shoulders for the next five weeks.

We, the players, decided to work harder than ever in practice and the coaches saw that so they turned up the intensity in practice. That intensity, coupled with never wanting to experience the agony of defeat pushed us to win the state title.

I also want to thank all my coaches for the time they put into us and also to my family, friends and teammates for making this the most memorable year of my life.