What’s coming up
March has just begun and so has the high school softball season. Tryouts ended in three days, but conditioning lasted for several weeks. The varsity team contains 11 girls with four crossovers, and junior varsity also contains 11. The team this year has high hopes of winning a third consecutive sectional title.
“To win that sectional title. That’s my goal. I want that sectional title, and I think we can get it,” varsity coach Jessica Brannagan said.
The softball team has a new coaching staff. The junior varsity coaches from last year have moved up to become the head varsity coaches. The change has been different for head coach Jessica Brannagan, but she is getting used to this new position. This season will be her first as a varsity coach.
The selecting process for the team was not entirely difficult, but did have some challenges.
“The open gym really helped with everybody coming to that, because we really had a chance to move you around and try different positions,” Brannagan said.
Both teams’ first games will be March 21 at Illiana Christian High School. The games start at 4:30 p.m. Both teams are also selling Krispy Kreme Doughnuts as a fundraiser until March 25.
Brannagan had a word of advice for every girl playing softball, and those hoping to someday make the high school team, and maybe even pursue playing in college.
“Just get out there and play. Whether it’s with your mom, dad, or even your friends, because playing makes you a better player,” Brannagan said.
Student spotlight
Senior Ethan Churilla has been swimming for at least a decade. Each year he continues to improve and better himself as a person. Swimming is his main sport, and even though he has played other sports he said nothing is quite like swimming.
“It’s cool to be able to just rely on yourself sometimes, and then to be able to swim relays with people and have that team aspect of it,” he said.
Churilla signed with Northwestern University on November 14, 2018. One reason he signed with them was to stay somewhat close to home, and be able to visit his family and friends.
“They are really good coaches [at Northwestern] and I’m really excited to work with them, because I feel like they can take me to the next level,” Churilla said.
He gave some advice to students researching colleges: don’t let everything overwhelm you, and relax and take the time to talk to different coaches and visit different colleges. “Just make the recruiting process your own,” he said.
In his four years of high school Churilla has achieved many things. As a senior he was state runner up in one of his events, and was a top swimmer for Highland. Besides swimming, he has also enjoyed time with friends.
“I’ve had a pretty good run. I’m sad that it’s over, four years goes by so fast.” Churilla said.
Teacher spotlight
Nick Castillo has been Highland’s swim coach for s10 years. Two years after starting to coach at Highland he took over the club team. In the 10 years Castillo can say that his favorite part of coaching is the relationships he builds with the athletes. He enjoys how close he and the students become through the swim team, and looks forward to being able to call them friends as they get older.
“The relationships with the kids, and watching them meet their goals, that’s probably the best thing that I enjoy about coaching,” Castillo said.
Castillo also swam in high school and college. He attended Highland High School, and is even in the Hall of Fame for swimming. He went on to swim at IUPUI, and said that there was a big difference between the two. College is more focused on what you usually race. In high school the swim team is much more timely, and you have early morning practices, but in college it is much easier to go to lunch with your teammates and be around each other between classes.
“I liked beating people, definitely hated losing more than I liked winning,” Castillo said. But even in losing he learned self-discipline, responsibility, and how to focus on goals, and the future.
Castillo said that being on the swim team takes a lot of effort, but if you focus and put in a lot of hard work you can and will succeed.