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the Homer Horizon | March 15, 2018 | 41
Athlete of the Week
10 Questions
with Gracie Voulgaris
Gracie Voulgaris is a senior
at Lockport Township and
a catcher on the Porters
softball team.
What are your
expectations for the
Lockport softball team
this season?
My expectations are to
make it back to the sectional
title game, and this time, I
know we can win it. We have
that drive, we know we can
do it. We believe if we can get
past that, we can win state.
How did you start
playing softball?
I started when I was
around 6. My parents got me
into it, and my sisters, too. I
never played T-ball or anything.
I just played with my
parents, sisters and cousins
[including current softball
teammate Mallory Hollatz].
I just embraced the game
and fell in love with it.
How did your two
older sisters, Gabby
and Zara, influence you
playing softball?
I definitely think that my
older sisters have left expectations
for me. I want
to follow in their footsteps,
not only at Lockport, but
also collegiately, too. My
younger sister, Clover, is in
the sixth grade and is also a
catcher. Even though she’s
quite a bit younger than me,
we work out catching together
and have fun with it.
Your mom [Andra] and
dad [Spiro] played at
Lockport in the mid-
1980s. Do they ever
talk about those days?
Not so much my mom, but
my dad does. He talks about
Lockport football and how he
was always in the paper [Spiro
was the quarterback on the
Lockport football team that
got the school’s first playoff
win in 1985]. So, it’s great,
even if it’s hard to relate to
them in that aspect.
How long have you
been catching?
I’ve been catching since
I was 10 or 11. When I first
caught, I didn’t want to do it,
but I stuck with it, and I’m
really happy I did because
now I love it.
What is it about
catching that makes it
the position for you?
Definitely the leadership
aspect. Everyone on the field
has a leadership role, but the
catcher really has to display
that leadership. That’s because
as a catcher, I can see
everything on the field, and I
can plan for certain scenarios.
What opponent are
you looking forward to
playing the most this
season?
Definitely Lincoln-Way
East [which the Porters have
lost nine-straight games to, including
last season’s sectional
title game]. We’re ready to
come out strong against them.
They’re definitely a strong
team, and I know a lot of people
are looking at that number
[losing streak vs. East], but we
can’t look at that. We can’t let
that number define us if we
meet them again in the sectional
final.
What have you
Photo submitted
learned from softball
Lockport coach Marissa
Chovanec?
She’s definitely a coach
I’ll always remember. She’s
always about the team as one
unit. You always have to be
focused on being together.
You’ve committed to
continue to play softball
at the University of
Maryland. How did that
come about?
It was in late summer before
my sophomore year, and
I was playing a tournament
in Florida with my travel
team at that time [the Beverly
Bandits]. I had just flown out
deep and came back to the
dugout when my coach told
me to go back up again. You
can do that in those showcase
tournaments. I later found out
that the University of Maryland
was looking at me. I
went on an official visit that
October and loved it. I signed
soon after in my sophomore
year. I’m so excited.
What is the best thing
about being an athlete
at Lockport?
Definitely that we have a
big high school and so many
good athletes and teams. I
love the times when we get
programs in our school together,
such as the “Strikeout
Cancer Game” [on April
14 this season] where we all
come together and support
each other.
Interview by Freelance Reporter
Randy Whalen
The Homer Jr. High seventh-grade girls volleyball team recently finished fourth at state
and also won a sectional title by beating Hickory Creek. Photo submitted
Homer Mustangs end
in fourth place at state
Submitted by Homer
Mustangs
The Homer Jr. High seventh-grade
girls volleyball
team beat Hickory Creek by
a final of 25-18, 25-17 to win
the sectional recently hosted
at the school.
Members of the team are
This Week In...
Lockport Township
High School Varsity
Athletics
Baseball
■March ■ 16 host Maroon and
White Scrimmage, 4:30 p.m.
■March ■ 20 host Lemont,
4:30 p.m.
Softball
■March ■ 17 at Batavia Invite,
10 a.m.
■March ■ 17 at Batavia Invite,
noon
Girls Soccer
■March ■ 15 host Crete
Monee, 6 p.m.
■March ■ 19 host Bradley, 6
p.m.
Mary Bresnahan, Alyssa
Cannatello, Megan Consigny,
Colleen Donnelly,
Emma Garner, Lainey
Green, Emma Kocanda,
Mia Krsanac, Peyton
Kryza, Candace Porfilio,
Kylie Ryan, Alexandra
Simkus, Riley Simmons,
■March ■ 21 host Plainfield
East, 6 p.m.
Girls Track and Field
■March ■ 17 at SWSC Meet, 10
a.m. at Olivet Nazarene
■March ■ 21 host Lockport
Triangular, 4:30 p.m.
Boys Track and Field
■March ■ 16 at SWSC Indoor
Conference Meet, TBD
Boys Volleyball
■March ■ 16 host Maroon and
White Scrimmage, 6 p.m.
March 20 at Lemont, 6:30
p.m.
Boys Tennis
■March ■ 17 at Triad Invite,
8:30 a.m.
■March ■ 17 at New Trier Top
Mackenzie Stevens and
Kiera Zurek.
The girls went on to compete
at state on Friday, March
9, and Saturday, March 10,
finishing fourth in 4A at the
state finals in Normal.
The team ended the season
with a record of 24-4.
Singles, 5 p.m.
Girls Water Polo
■March ■ 16 at Jones Prep
Invite, TBA
■March ■ 17 at Jones Prep
Invite, TBA
■March ■ 19 host Richards, 5
p.m.
Boys Water Polo
■March ■ 15 at St. Charles
North, 6 p.m.
Badminton
■March ■ 15 host Lemont,
4:30 p.m.
■March ■ 17 at Downers Grove
North Invite, 9 a.m.
■March ■ 20 at Argo, 4:30 p.m.
Boys Lacrosse
■March ■ 20 at Providence, 7
p.m.