LP_032119

lockportlegend.com sports
the lockport legend | March 21, 2019 | 35
Alumni Spotlight
LTHS grad excels on ice in
first season at Robert Morris
Randy Whalen, Freelance Reporter
When Morgan Donchez attended Lockport
Township, she didn’t flock to a lot of
school social functions.
“I didn’t have much of a social life in
high school,” Donchez said. “I didn’t go
to the social dances or anything. But I
wouldn’t trade it.”
Donchez, a 2018 LTHS graduate, would
not trade her high school experience because
she was busy doing something else:
playing hockey.
She is still playing hockey now and excelling
at it. Donchez just completed her
freshman season as a starting left winger
on the women’s hockey team at Robert
Morris University in Chicago.
And not only did she play, but Donchez
was named the Central Collegiate Women’s
Hockey Association’s Third Star for
January. That’s because “Doochie” registered
five goals and five assists in six
games during the month.
That’s not all she did in her freshman
season on the team. She led the team,
which finished 10-19, with an average of
0.64 goals per game.
“I was the second leading scorer as a
freshman in the CCWHA,” Donchez said.
“Our season finished on Feb. 9 with a
4-1 home loss [at The Edge Ice Arena in
Bensenville] to Michigan State. I was the
starting first-line left winger for the whole
year, which was nice. All the training paid
off.”
So how did a girl from Lockport end up
playing college hockey?
“My dad, Brian, played hockey when
he was younger with my uncle [George]
at St. Rita,” she said. “He influenced my
brother, Brian, and sister Madison. They
both played when they were younger.
Since they both played, and since I’m the
youngest of three, it was like I had to play.
“I first played when I was about 6. I did
an intro to hockey at the Inwood Ice Arena
in Joliet. Then I just kept going. I played
with the boys until I was 11, then I started
to play girls hockey. I first played with the
Chicago Mission Club Team when I was
11 years old and still played with them up
until last year.”
She, however, didn’t entirely stop playing
with the boys.
Lockport Township graduate Morgan
Donchez was recently named the Central
Collegiate Women’s Hockey Association’s
Third Star for the month of January. Photo
courtesy of Robert Morris University
“I also played on the high school team
my sophomore and junior years,” Donchez
said. “It was a combined high school
team with Romeoville, Bolingbrook and
Lockport. We were called the Spartans.
There were two other girls on the team.
It was good, it was fun, but it was a little
hard since we were the only girls, we
were targeted.”
The 5-foot-6-inch Donchez is used to
that, and her toughness helped her this
season. She’s looking forward to more
college hockey, even if her original plan
wasn’t to attend Robert Morris.
“It kind of just happened,” Donchez
said of playing at Robert Morris. “I first
wanted to play at a different school, Aurora
University. But there was a change
of plans and I went to Robert Morris instead.”
Going to the campus in downtown Chicago
has worked for Donchez. She is majoring
in exercise and sports studies and
commutes to school from Lockport.
When she was in grade school at Taft
School in Lockport, she also played basketball,
but there’s nothing like hockey
for her.
“It’s just the feeling of purpose when
you step out on the ice,” Donchez said of
why she loves hockey. “Just that closeknit
feeling with people who have the
same goal as you and want to have that
success with you.
“I’ll just try to do better each year, on
and off the ice. I’ll try to be the best one
out there.”
Boys Track and Field
Lockport tinkers with lineup at SWSC meet
Porters see
encouraging
performances at
final indoor meet
Steve Millar
Freelance Reporter
Brett Gardner is twofor-two
at conference
meets this school year, and
the Lincoln-Way East junior
made it look easy on
Friday, March 15.
Gardner ran away with
the 3,200-meter title at the
SouthWest Suburban Indoor
Championships, posting
a personal-record time
of 9 minutes, 21.09 seconds
to finish more than 24 seconds
before runner-up Tyler
Cushing of Bolingbrook.
Gardner, who also won
the Southwest Suburban
Blue cross country title in
the fall, pulled away from
the field over the last lap.
“For being indoors and
not the best track to run
on, I thought I ran well,”
Gardner said.
Gardner’s victory
helped the Griffins win the
team title with 65 points,
edging Andrew (63) and
Thornridge (61).
Lockport (51) and Sandburg
(45) rounded out the
top five, with Lincoln-
Way Central (42) finishing
sixth. Lincoln-Way West
(16.5) was 10th.
“It feels great to be a
conference champion,”
Gardner said.
Gardner expects to be at
his best when things move
outside.
“If you’re running times
under 9:30 on a track like
this inside, you’re doing
something right,” he said.
“This gives me a lot of
confidence.”
Griffins senior Fard Farrakhan
went 45 feet, one
Lockport’s Colin Stapleton runs the anchor leg in the
1,600-meter relay Friday, March 15, at the SouthWest
Suburban Indoor Championships.
Steve Millar/22nd Century Media
inch to win the triple jump.
“Of course, I’m shooting
to go longer and I know I
can do better, but I gave it
all I had,” Farrakhan said.
Farrakhan is optimistic
about his upcoming outdoor
season.
“Execution is the name
of the game at the end of
the day,” he said. “I’m
getting there and it’s only
a matter of time until I
spread my wings.”
East’s Tyler Marchert
(47-4.5) was the runner-up
in the shot put while, Micah
Cox (13-2) and Julian
Bendy (12-25) finished
second and third, respectively,
in the pole vault.
The Griffins’ Damone
Hall took third in the 200
meters (24.52).
Lockport senior Joe
Edwards had the benefit
of being teammates with
three-time state champion
shot put star John Meyer,
who’s now at the University
of Michigan after graduating
last year.
“I learned a lot from
him, watching his spins
and technique,” Edwards
said. “I still talk to him to
this day, talk about technique
and things.”
Edwards is putting the
lessons to good use. After
a slow start at the conference
meet, Edwards produced
a throw of 47-11.5
to win the shot put title by
seven inches.
“I was a little shaky at
first, but I built my confidence
and did my best at
the end,” Edwards said. “I
made a few adjustments
and got a good throw in
there.”
Lockport coach Tom
Razo said he was proud to
see Edwards push through.
“It’s good for Joe,” Razo
said. “He threw well last
week and then he wasn’t
doing so well today, but he
picked up the pieces and
did what he had to do to
win. He fought through the
adversity and did well.”
Lockport’s Ross Cronholm
(4:35.01) finished
third with a PR in the
1600, with teammate Donovan
Paske (4:36.77) taking
fourth.
The Porters’ Ray Holland
(8.68) and Aaron
Kiela (8.83) were third and
fourth, respectively, in the
60-meter hurdles.
“Ross put up a solid
time and Ray had a really
solid race,” Razo said. “It
Please see boys track, 34