HS GIRLS LACROSSE
Senior Spotlight: WW-P North’s Diane Yoon
As the spring sports season has been canceled, The Trenton ian continues to recognize the girl’ s lacrosse seniors that weredeniedtheir finalseason.
DianeYoonis a two-sport athlete at West Windsor-Plains boro North, participatingin fencing and guardingthegoal in lacrosse. An accomplishedfencer for the Knights, she was coming into the lacrosse season off a junior year that saw her record 119 saves.
JO’G » What was your reaction when the season was shutdown? DY » While the uncertainty of the future of our season hovered over our heads, I remained hopeful. Everyday, I was practicing lacrosse with my little sister Erin, so when the official announcement was released that our season was shut down, it was painful for me to hear. I felt disappointed and down because I look forward to lacrosse season every year. It was a challenge for me to stay positive but continuingto practice on my own and staying in contact with my team and coaches reminded me that no matter what, I am still apart of a tight knit lacrosse family.
JO’G » What were your hopes and expectations for this season?
DY» After a terrific season last year, I was ready for me and the team to come out stronger. Every year, our team comes up with a motto and last year’s was “whatever it takes”. I will never forget our final States game last year where we proved that our team was willing to do whatever it took to fight hard until the last fraction of a second of the game. Coming into this season, I was still riding that high and ready to make it further in the States tournament thisyear.
JO’G » What life lessons have you learned from this pandemic?
DY» Compassion for others is everything.Regardless of who you are, the pandemic has affected you. I think it is so important for us to remember this and to support each other as one humankind—even if it’s just sharing a universal smile.
Sometimes, we need to find time for ourselves. The pandemic has opened up a lot of free time for me. This has allowed me to explore new hobbies like teaching myself guitar, running, and even cooking which I have found to help me cope during this pandemic.
JO’G» What are your plans for the fall?
DY » I am Boston College bound and am going to study economics. I hope to continue to play lacrosse and try out for the club team. I am excited about going to Boston College and am confident that the life lessons I have learned through high school have molded me and prepared me for college life.
JO’G » How did you develop an interest in fencing?
DY» Not many people are familiar with fencing, but there is a community dedicated to it. I stumbled my way into this group just before freshman year when I watched a You Tube video of a fencing match that showed me that fencing is one of the most athletically and mentally challenging sports. Unlike most sports, fencing has looser guidelines about what moves you can do, which opens up a lot of room for creativity. This year, fencing challenged me in anew way by testing my leadership skills as the teamcaptain.
JO’G » What is your favorite North moment?
DY» My favorite moment at North was unsurprisingly in lacrosse. One rainy day, our lacrosse game was canceled mid bus ride, so we, unfortunately, had to head back to school. However, our lovely Coach Giordano allowed us to practice on the turf instead of running back to class. It was raining hard, but we were all laughing harder.
JO’G » If you were asked to give a speech at graduation what would the message have been?
DY» From the beginning of our high school career, we knew we were special .2020 is a pretty unique year to graduate in. Even so, we would have never guessed how truly unique our senior year would be. Yes, the pandemichas made our last few memories at high school unusual, but what I believe makes us stand out is the resilience and tenacity of our class to make the most of the situation. Even with most traditions like our senior trip to Disney, prom, and graduation canceled, we continue to look forward to the future. Remember this as we all go apart, but keep each other in our hearts, although we may feel unlucky in this very moment, we are lucky to have been a part of such a historical moment in all of mankind. JO’G » What is the one thing the world needs to know about Diane Yoon?
DY» Diane Yoon is a fighter. Hurdles and obstacles bombard me, but I never let them steer me away from my goals. I take them headon because I learned from experience that the largest impediments and the farthest drawbacks shape your character, and character is the thing that lasts you a lifetime.
FollowJoeonTwitter@j_ ogorman819andreachhimat jogorman@trentonian.com