Lauren Iannotta, or better known as “Lala” in our school, has been playing lacrosse as long as she can remember. Her dad played in high school and so did her older sister. Lacrosse is in her blood. It’s a part of her family.

“[I] couldn’t imagine my life without it,” says Iannotta.

And now that she has reached her senior year of high school, Iannotta intends to lead her team, just as those who went before her. She is a natural leader. Considering that she is president of the executive council, the role of captain on the team has come effortlessly to her. Those traits, however, do not stop her from working hard. She leads by example, hoping that the athletes that are younger than her work to the best of their abilities, just as she has done and continues to do.

“I try to connect with my teammates of all grades and am not afraid to help them out if I see something they can do to improve their play.”

But at the same time, Iannotta, like any other athlete, wants to get better. “I also love to be on the other side of this. In my eyes, there is nothing more helpful than constructive criticism,” she said.

The ability to take that constructive criticism to heart separates her from her peers. It enhances her ability to play lacrosse, something that she is very experienced with.

“I have played every position on the field at one point or another throughout my years playing lacrosse, including goalie,” said Iannotta. She also scored her first varsity goal this year, something that is very rare for a defender.

Surprisingly enough, her favorite memory comes from her freshman year, when the lacrosse team won leagues. Iannotta believes this to be the defining moment for the team. Ever since then, the team has been on the rise.

And through Iannotta’s leadership, the team will continue to be on the rise for the rest of this year and even past her graduation.