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homerhorizon.com sports
the Homer Horizon | June 14, 2018 | 37
Athlete of the Week
10 Questions
with Taylor Young
Educator endurance
Oak Prairie teacher Jillian Blondell competes in 2018 Boston
Marathon
Taylor Young is a Homer
Glen resident and recent
Providence grad who
played shortstop on the
school’s softball team. She
helped the Celtics get third
at state in Class 3A last
weekend.
How did it feel to end
your season at state?
Being a senior and one
of four [Hannah Falejczyk,
Courtney Mahalik and
Emily Pilon are the others]
on the team, it’s awesome.
It’s so special for all
of us.
How did you embrace a
leadership role on the
team for this season?
Before the season, we
had our preseason meetings
with the coaches. Myself
and Emily Pilon were
named the captains, and this
year I was very much ready
to be a captain. It was a
good transition for me, and
my teammates made it so
much easier.
How did you get started
playing softball?
I was age 7 and was on an
8U team at the Bulls/Sox.
My mom, Kathy, was and
still is the director of operations
there. So, she absolutely
pushed me toward playing
it.
Do you play any other
sports?
I played basketball and
volleyball in middle school
at Oak Prairie, but it’s all
softball at Providence.
Did you play on the fall
of 2011 Class AA state
title softball team at
Oak Prairie?
Yes. I was the starting
first baseman that year
as a sixth-grader. I was
the only sixth-grader that
started. We had an amazing
pitcher, Justine Cielenski,
and in the title game [a 2-1
win over Teutopolis], we
scored early [two runs in
the third] and hung on. I
was so young that I didn’t
even think it was a big deal
until our state championship
pep rally.
What is it about the
game of softball that
makes it the sport for
you?
Definitely all the competitiveness.
I’m a competitive
person anyway. In softball,
it’s whoever goes out and
plays the hardest. That’s
what makes it the sport that
I love.
Was there a moment
this season where you
thought this team had
what it takes to go to
state?
Yes, our last four games
of the season is when I knew
we had something special.
We lost three of them [4-3
to Lincoln-Way East in 11
innings, 7-6 to Oak Park/
River Forest and 7-6 to
Marist] in three days, and
all of those were on walkoffs.
We knew those teams
were among the best, and
that if we could play with
them like that, we could
play with anyone.
22nd Century Media File
Photo
What have you learned
from Providence softball
coach Jay Biesterfeld?
That no matter the situation,
take in every moment.
There’s never a time when
we give up. He tells us to
always have the highest
expectations, and we have
bought into that.
Are you going to go
on and play softball in
college?
Yes, I’m going to DePaul
University. I actually committed
there when I was
a freshman, before I even
played a high school softball
game. I had a couple of
offers, including one from
Northern Illinois University.
But I just loved the campus,
the team, everything. I’m
going to major in education.
What is the best thing
about being an athlete
at Providence?
Definitely the support
system we get there. We always
have a staff member
or a classmate at our games.
Plus, our softball field is
amazing. The facilities we
have help our program, too.
Interview by Freelance Reporter
Randy Whalen
Jillian Blondell, a health and physical education teacher at Oak Prairie Junior High,
participated this April in the 2018 Boston Marathon. Photos submitted
Jillian Blondell shows off her marathon bib.
The Oak Prairie teacher cracks a smile
during the famous 26.2-mile race.