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frankfortstation.com sports
the frankfort station | May 16, 2019 | 43
Athlete of the week
10 Questions
with Alicia Pearson
Tennis
Seventh heaven: Griffins win
seventh straight conference title
RANDY WHALEN
Freelance Reporter
Alicia Pearson is a junior
water polo player and
swimmer at Lincoln-Way
East.
How long have you
played water polo and
how long have you
been swimming?
I started playing water
polo in sixth or seventh
grade, and I’ve been swimming
forever. Since first or
second grade, I’ve always
been involved in the water.
My brother [Austin] decided
one day that he wanted
to swim, and I was the
little sister, so I followed
him.
How did you decide
to start playing water
polo?
A bunch of people had
said that it was a really fun
sport and I had played soccer
in the past, so I had that
competitive part of me. A
bunch of friends were doing
it and said, ‘Let’s have
fun’, so we did.
What do you like most
about water polo?
I love that you can work
as a team toward a goal.
With swimming, obviously
you have a team, but
it’s more individual. I love
that in water polo you’re
always working as a team.
How do you want to
keep improving going
forward?
Working hard and keeping
my focus is going to
be really important. I just
want to keep getting better
and come back strong for
my senior season.
What have you
learned from coach
Kendra Will?
That you always have to
be aware of what you’re
doing and be focused at all
times. Even when all your
friends are around, you
have to stay focused.
If you could be
anybody else for a
day, who would you
want to be?
I really like Katie
Ledecky. It’d be cool to
be her for a day and be an
Olympic swimmer.
If they were making a
movie about your life,
who should play you?
My mom [Ray-u], definitely.
She’s been there
every step of the way and
she’s always there to hype
Steve Millar/22nd Century Media
me up. I’m really grateful
for her.
You’re stranded on a
deserted island and
can have an endless
supply of one food.
What do you pick?
Tacos, for sure. I love
tacos. I like any kind, but
mostly beef, and definitely
soft shell.
What’s your favorite
TV show?
Definitely “The Office.”
It gives me a break from
everything and it’s just so
funny.
Do you have any
hidden talents?
I’m also really into
music. I play the piano
and cello. I’ve played the
piano as long as I’ve been
involved with swimming,
and I started the cello in
fourth grade.
Interview conducted by
Sports Editor Steve Millar
The Lincoln-Way East
boys tennis team doesn’t
seem to ever rebuild. The
Griffins just have continued
success.
That showed as East
once again captured the
SouthWest Suburban Blue
championship on Saturday,
May 11 at Lockport.
East won with a total
of 38 points. Lockport
(32 points) was second,
followed by Homewood-
Flossmoor (28), Sandburg
(17) and Bolingbrook (0).
East has now won seven
straight SWSC championships,
capping a 2019 season
which saw the Griffins
(8-0 this season) extend
their SWSC Conference
win streak to 61 straight
dual meet victories, dating
back to 2012.
“The 2019 season has
been a story in developing
our younger players to
gain experience, especially
in Saturday tournament
play,” East coach Chris
Olson said. “So, to fulfill
the lofty expectations
established by last year’s
graduating senior class,
when we graduated 8 out
of our starting 11 from a
year ago, has been special.
“This group has not only
met but far surpassed our
expectations, within an undefeated
dual meet conference
season. We had beaten
Lockport and Homewood-
Flossmoor in dual meet play
by scores of 4-3 during the
regular season. So, we knew
coming into [last Saturday]
that the tournament would
be very evenly matched between
the top three teams.
The tournament got off to a
Lincoln-Way East won its seventh straight boys tennis
conference title on Saturday, May 11. PHOTO SUBMITTED
great start as we went 7-0 in
the semifinal round, giving
us a significant lead heading
into the championship
matches.”
The Griffins had a trio
of champions. At third singles,
sophomore Andrew
Ernst defeated Myles Prado
from H-F 5-7, 6-2, 7-6
(5). In third doubles, it was
juniors David Vargas and
Nick Everhart over Lockport’s
Jacob Cala and John
Evans 7-5, 6-4. At fourth
doubles, it was juniors
Nick Meiners and Austin
Majcina defeating Lockport’s
Evan Carlson and
Ethan Cala 6-1, 4-6, 6-1.
“David Vargas and Nick
Everhart had a key win in
turning a match against
Lockport, whom they had
previously lost to during
the dual meet season, at
third doubles in the championship
match,” Olson
said. “Making key adjustments
by stepping up the
aggressiveness of their
volleys and placement of
their serves, they were able
to win the first flight championship
of the day.
“Nick Meiners and
Austin Majcina gave us
an insurmountable lead
with a gritty three-set win
at fourth doubles against
Lockport by displaying
a tremendous amount of
athleticism and court coverage
to pull away in the
third set. Sophomore Andrew
Ernst, who came out
for tennis for the first time
this season, displayed the
consistency and steadiness
which earned him a varsity
starting spot early in April
to win a great three-set
match at third singles.”
East’s other players all
finished second to make
All-Conference. They
were juniors Kevin Galassini
and Emerson Dell at
No. 1 doubles, seniors
Toluwa Balogun and Trent
Hein at second doubles, junior
Parker Watson at first
singles and senior Connor
Wrigley at second singles.
“Overall, this group of
players excelled in the
most difficult situations
and gained a tremendous
amount of experience that
was put on display [at the
conference tournament],”
Olson said.