Regis Jesuit and Cherokee Trail each took the next step for their respective programs in the 2012 girls lacrosse season, qualifying for the playoffs and building a base for the future.
The Continental League champion Raiders and 10-win Cougars supply much of the talent on the 2012 Aurora Sentinel All-City Girls Lacrosse Team, as selected by the Sentinel in conjunction with balloting of city coaches.
At the forefront of the city’s best were several members of a junior-dominated Regis Jesuit team that came of age in its first season under coach Billy Corbett.
Featuring seven players who made commitments to Division I programs, the Raiders went 13-4, won a league title and made it to the quarterfinals of the state playoffs for the first time in program history before falling to Centaurus.
Yale-bound junior Erin Sungelo was the offensive catalyst with a team-high 52 goals in addition to 13 assists and was part of a very strong, deep midfield that also got great contributions from junior Kathryn Blumhardt, a University of Oregon recruit. Blumhardt boosted the Raiders in every statistical category, from goals (24) to groundballs (a team-high 26) to draws won (56) and is in line for a big senior season.
Defensively, no team in a major conference in Colorado allowed fewer goals than Regis Jesuit. A big reason for that was the vocal and physical contributions of senior goalie Emi Smith, a Penn State signee who was chosen as the Continental League’s Player of the Year. Steady Rachel Deits and versatile Maddie Krause made sure a challenge was issued to any opponent who threatened the defense.
Cherokee Trail got its usual standout season from senior midfielder Nicole Morris, who made the All-City first team for the third straight season by winning the city goal title with 59 (plus 14 assists) and provided the leadership component the team needed. Morris’ career-best season in goals gave her 157 in the past three years.
It was the development of the rest of the team such as tenacious senior defender Teleia Jones and the addition of talented freshman Amanda Geary on the attack that helped the Cougars beat rival Grandview for the first time and make its debut in the playoffs.
Jones provided fire in the back and took on the challenge against opponents’ top offensive threats and wasn’t averse to pushing forward either, adding eight goals. Geary’s speed and athleticism made her a playmaker in her first season on the attack, as she finished with 21 goals and 10 assists.
At 6-9, Grandview missed the playoffs, but the Wolves had the firepower to be competitive every time out. Senior midfielder Kendall Tillman and junior Alex Smith were key parts of Grandview’s punch, as Tillman had a team-high 38 goals and Smith scored 31 to go with a team-best 18 assists.
Smoky Hill (2-13) had a rough season, but senior midfielder Maria Foerster piled up 53 goals (plus 6 assists) to fill the shoes of her graduated sister, Natalie, Aurora’s leading goal scorer in 2010 and 2011 who is now at the University of Denver.
Reach Sports Editor Courtney Oakes at sports@aurorasentinel.com or 303-750-7555
2012 AURORA SENTINEL ALL-CITY GIRLS LACROSSE TEAM
FIRST TEAM — Attack: Amanda Geary, Cherokee Trail, fr.; Alex Smith, Grandview, jr.; Kendall Tillman, Grandview, sr.; Midfield: Kathryn Blumhardt, Regis Jesuit, jr.; Maria Foerster, Smoky Hill, sr.; Nicole Morris, Cherokee Trail, sr.; Erin Sungelo, Regis Jesuit, jr.; Defense: Rachel Deits, Regis Jesuit, sr.; Teleia Jones, Cherokee Trail, sr.; Maddie Krause, Regis Jesuit, jr.; Goalie: Emi Smith, Regis Jesuit, sr.
SECOND TEAM — Attack: Shea Butler, Cherokee Trail, soph.; Courtney Gielow, Regis Jesuit, jr.; Raelyn Mercer, Cherokee Trail, jr.; Midfield: Christina Henderson, Regis Jesuit, sr.; Megan Lynch, Grandview, sr.; Sam Medlyn, Cherokee Trail, sr.; Erin Schilmoeller, Regis Jesuit, jr.; Defense: Adreia Herndon, Cherokee Trail, sr.; Colleen Maher, Grandview, sr.; Meaghan McGann, Regis Jesuit, sr.; Goalie: Kati Read, Cherokee Trail, soph.
HONORABLE MENTION: Michelle Fancher, Overland, jr.; Kayla Fertman, Smoky Hill, sr.; Olivia Fraser, Cherokee Trail, fr.; Alyssa Gest, Eaglecrest, sr.; Nia Harper, Overland, soph.; Nancy Herrera, Overland, sr.; Michaela Hinton, Overland, soph.; Serena Johnson, Grandview, jr.; Kristin Massey, Overland, sr.; Sydney Nelson, Eaglecrest, soph.; Lexi Ortt, Cherokee Trail, fr.; Olivia Ross, Smoky Hill, sr.; Danielle Staverosky, Smoky Hill, sr.; Denise Villalobos, Overland, sr.; Taylor Walker, Regis Jesuit, sr.; Devynn Weingart, Smoky Hill, sr.