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wilmettebeacondaily.com SPORTS
the wilmette beacon | March 26, 2020 | 27
Athlete of the Week
10 Questions
with Emma Weaver
The New Trier senior is
the reigning Illinois Girls
Soccer Gatorade Player
of the Year
Do you have any
superstitions before,
during or after a
game?
My parents didn’t teach
me how to tie my shoes
because I was the youngest
so I have a different way
of tying my shoes. I tie my
cleats at least five times
because I hate it when
the laces are on my cleats
and I always start with the
right cleat.
When did you start
playing soccer?
I started playing probably
around 3 or 4. My
three older siblings all
played soccer, so a lot of
times my sister Jessica
would be in tournaments
and I’d beg my mom if I
can go and at halftime I
remember shooting with
my dad or kicking the ball
with my dad. I grew up
with a soccer ball around
me and that’s what got me
to playing.
22nd CENTURY MEDIA FILE PHOTO
What’s one thing
people don’t know
about you?
I like to go to bed early
and wake up early. Before
preseason, I’ll wake
up sometimes at 5:30, go
work out from 6-7 and
then go to school. I don’t
sleep in on weekends because
I like to be productive
in the mornings.
What’s the hardest
part about playing
soccer?
Getting over a mistake
quickly. A lot of times I
feel like I’ll make a mistake
and hang my head.
How you can pick yourself
and your teammates up
after a loss or tough weekend
is always important.
If you could travel
anywhere in the
world, where would
you go?
I would go to Barcelona.
It really interests me and
looks beautiful.
What’s one thing on
your bucket list?
I’ve always wanted to
surf.
What’s the best part
about playing soccer?
The team dynamic, the
competition, the discipline
and most of all, it makes
me the happiest person.
What’s been your
favorite moment at
New Trier?
Beating Stevenseon in
the supersectional last year
because we were so ready
for that game. That’s one
thing I’ll always remember.
If you could play
another sport, what
would you play and
why?
Field hockey. I played
that when I lived in Pennsylvania
and my sister
Claire played at Villanova.
If you could have
dinner with two
people, who would
they be and why?
Abby Wambach because
she’s a consistent, good
player, a soccer legend and
is one of the greatest soccer
players ever. Second
would be Hailey Bieber.
It’s a weird obsession I
have but she’s awesome.
Interview by Sports Editor
Michael Wojtychiw
The Varsity: North Shore Podcast
Guys discuss how coronavirus
affects high school athletics
Staff Report
In this week’s episode of
The Varsity: North Shore,
the only podcast focused
on North Shore sports,
hosts Michal Dwojak,
Nick Frazier and Michael
Wojtychiw discuss the latest
about the COVID-19
virus affecting Illinois
high school sports and
how the IHSA is planning
on starting a new season,
talk about how the both
current and former players
and responding to the lack
of play and highlight some
Soccer
From Page 31
improved],” Burnside said.
“Because when I first when
down this (roster), Jenna
Birdsell, she’s an outside
back, improved amazingly.
“Caroline Finnegan
might be one of the most
improved players over the
past 12 months maybe that
I’ve coached.”
The offense, like it had
been last season, will be
led by the state’s reigning
Gatorade Player of the Year
Emma Weaver, who scored
over 30 goals last season.
Unfortunately for the
Trevians, their secondleading
scorer had six
goals, so the hope this year
is to create more of a balanced
scoring attack.
Junior Alex Wirth, who,
along with the now-graduated
Lily Conley tied for
the six goals, returns to
help take some of the pressure
and junior Mia Sedgewick,
who really came on
toward the end of the year,
will also look to continue
strong performances from
alumni during the fall and
winter.
First Period
The guys discuss everything
they know about the
coronavirus outbreak and
how the IHSA is planning
on bringing back sports
this spring.
Second Period
They move on to talk
about how both current
and former athletes have
responded to the lack of
games and what they’re
her improvement this year.
It’s one player who
hasn’t played for the Trevians
yet that might help
Weaver the most. Junior
Morgan Fagan, who has
played with FC United’s
Developmental Academy
program the past two years
will be making her high
school debut whenever the
team gets the chance to step
onto the pitch.
“You’d come out and see
her, and be like, ‘That’s exactly
what Emma needs,’”
Burnside said.
The forwards will also
be aided with the return of
Grace Walker, who missed
last season with an ankle
injury, Maggie Gifford
and Juliette Lana, both of
whom didn’t see much
playing time but have really
improved and gained a
lot of confidence.
After backing up nowgraduated
Meghan Dwyer
for the past two seasons,
the net will be all Courtney
Charcut’s this year. Even
though Charcut backup up
Dwyer, she got plenty of
game time, having gotten
Find the varsity
Twitter: @
NorthShorePreps
Facebook: @
thevarsitypodcast
Website:
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Daily.com/sports
doing to help pass the time.
Third Period
To finish things off, the
hosts talk about some of
the better performances
they saw from alumni in
the fall and winter.
into 12 games last season.
The two years of varsity
experience has more than
prepared the senior for her
turn in net.
“To be 100 percent, I did
not view Courtney in any
way, shape, or form being
a first year (starter),” the
coach said. “The way she’s
played, the way she’s led,
the way she’s looked, she’s
a veteran.
“She is a ridiculous athlete.
She’s one of the fastest
kids in the program, an extremely
hard worker. She’s
intense in a way that she
really wants to do well in
anything that she does. You
have to shoot for perfection,
because if there’s one
time that something was
wrong, it could be a goal.
And that’s going to happen.
Nobody’s ever going to be
perfect, but she shoots for
it.”
Whenever the season
starts up again, the Trevians
will be ready for no
matter what the schedule
throws at them.