Girls Soccer
Liberty Girls Varsity Soccer has had an epic comeback, going 13-4, becoming conference champions and progressing to State this school year (2023-24). Following the loss to Marion last year (2022-23) that stopped them from going to State, the girls worked even harder to make it this season.
“Our program has grown so much from last season… we had a hard loss to Marion and didn’t make it to State… that loss fueled our win to go [to state] this season, and improve our team,” expressed Erin Quinn, 11, varsity soccer player.
Yet, the season did come with its challenges. Pushing even harder for success this year comes with its ups and downs. Trying to balance personal life, academic life and soccer can be difficult, and the girls used this insecurity to unite them.
“Having intense, demanding practices builds us up as a team, but makes it harder to balance the rest of my needs. It’s important to find a way to fit in everything, and I think the other girls and I did that well,” stated Quinn.
Overall, the season saw improvements and success. Three girls are ranked in the top five for the Mississippi River Valley Conference (MVC), and the team as a whole is ranked #6 in the state for class 2A.
“…[O]ur season went amazing. We all worked so, so hard this year, and really put a higher standard on our program that shows in our ranking,” said Quinn.
Girls Tennis
Girls tennis has grown tremendously this year, going from unranked, and never having been MVC champions, to being consistently ranked among the top three teams in the state. More people have been drawn to tennis, with the teams being larger than ever.
“…[A]s a team, we were able to bring recognition to tennis as a sport. A lot of people think that tennis is not that hard, and doesn’t take as much work as other sports. But in reality, all sports are equally hard in their own way,” said Oriana Bloom, 12, a player on varsity.
The girls made it to State this year, yet, unfortunately, Bloom had to sit out after tearing her meniscus. “I had to sit out on three matches, as well as team State. Although I couldn’t play, I always love supporting our team.I am excited to start playing again,” stated Bloom.
Girls Golf
Girls golf has been a growing sport in numbers and wins. Their final record was 44-25, ranked fourth in the MVC.
Isabella Pettersen, 12, has been one of the star players on the team for all four years of her high school career. This year, she had double-hip surgery, and while there was a downside to the healing process, it made her game better than ever. She has been a great help to many underclassmen on the team, helping them increase their skills every practice.
Pettersen said, “I hope my impact on this school shows that if you put your mind to something, anything is possible. You just [have to] work for it like I did.”
Boys Soccer
Boys Liberty Varsity Soccer had a very triumphant success last season, taking home the State title. This year, they went 5-9, ranked at number two in the MVC. The season came with its ups and downs.
“…[The] main thing keeping us back was the chemistry disconnect, our underclassmen have been playing with each other since they were young, and so have our upperclassmen. We just needed to bridge the gap,” said Quinlan Lawrence, 12, a player on varsity.
Yet, the boys have found a way to navigate both the loss of the graduated players and the chemistry disconnect between classes.
“I feel like we have grown in a way that allows us to help our future sport develop… as seniors, we have helped grow our underclassmen, and help them get more acclimated… [we know] we have pieces to make something great,” stated Lawrence.
Boys Tennis
Boys’ tennis has also grown considerably this season, ranking fifth in the MVC. The boys went 7-8 this season, with three ranked players.
“…[I]t was [a] fun sport for me to meet new people, talk to other people and have fun,” said Blake Vaughn, 11, a player on varsity.
As the season comes to an end, the boys are proud of their season performance, and excited to see how the team grows with the new freshman class coming in this fall.
Girls Track
The girls had a successful season this year, with the team ranked in the top five, and five girls ranked individually in the MVC, including eight events that progressed to State.
“Since last season, I feel that our team has gained so many more girls with so much talent, and it was exciting to see how much people had improved from each meet,” said Marissa Becker, 11.
This spring season has brought many school records, and many more girls who progressed to State than the program has seen before. The girls also spent more time learning each other individually, and helping them achieve their goals.
“We did a great job of getting to know everyone and understanding and supporting people’s goals for the season,” stated Becker. “The encouragement and hard work from everyone on the team definitely helped us perform at our best.”
Boys Track
The Liberty boys’ track team has also been a sport to grow considerably in size. The team is ranked in the top five for relays, and has two individually ranked runners in the MVC.
The team also sent both upper and lowerclassmen to State this year. Many of the underclassmen were able to look up to the upperclassmen for guidance.
“As an upperclassman… some of the underclassmen look to me on how to act, so I try my best to lead by example,” said Noah Gregoire, 11.
Overall, the team had a very successful season this school year.
