Freshmen Stars

Kayleigh Cavanaugh, a three-sport freshman at Jamesville-DeWitt High School, is determined to reach her goals. Although Cavanaugh has been in high school less than two months, she is familiar with the sports up here. She's been playing her favorite sport, basketball, for two years at the high school level already. In seventh grade she was on the freshman team and in eighth grade she made junior varsity.

However, being the youngest on her team doesn't intimidate her. It just pushes her to work harder. Her short term goal is to start on junior varsity this year as shooting guard. As she looks farther into the future, she hopes to continue to play basketball in college and then in the WNBA.
Playing soccer and basketball all year round, and lacrosse in the spring, she constantly has something going on. However, there are many athletes in her family so they are very supportive. She says that her brother, Tyler, a sophomore at J-DHS who was called up to play on the Varsity Boys' Basketball Team for sectionals last year, and her dad, a former basketball player who played professionally in England, have always pushed her to be the best she could be. Her mom always makes sure she gets to practice and games on time, she says.
Her family also pushes her to be her best at school as well as sports. Playing three sports while maintaining an A average is not easy, Cavanaugh says. But, she admits that her busy schedule keeps her on the ball when it comes to managing her time.

Maddy Devereaux is no stranger to playing on varsity teams. As an eighth grader Devereaux played on the Varsity Girls' Softball Team. "I was intimidated, but I knew I made the team for a reason, so I knew there was nothing to be afraid of," says Devereaux. Devereaux's favorite position is catcher "because you get so much action." When not in-season at school, Devereaux plays in softball fall and summer leagues but describes these games as fun and non-competitive.

When not on the softball diamond, Devereaux can be found starting for
Varsity Girls' Soccer. Devereaux has been playing soccer for over 10 years and loves it even more than softball. She enjoys it the most because it is very active and very team-oriented. Devereaux likes being part of a team because it gives her a chance to meet new friends, and requires her to work with others.
The team finished their regular season this year with a record of 14-2, and qualified for sectionals. Devereaux's family comes to as many games as possible to watch both her and her sister, sophomore Tessa Devereaux. When not at practice or games, Devereaux spends time working out on her own, to prepare herself for the upcoming seasons.

Jeff Edwards, a freshman at Jamesville-Dewitt High School, credits his family for helping him be highly successful in three sports. Edwards has been playing lacrosse, basketball, and golf since he was about 7 years old.
Of the three, lacrosse is his favorite sport. He even led his eighth grade lacrosse team as a captain. He began his lacrosse career in JDYAA lacrosse league where his uncle coached him. Edwards says his uncle still gives him good advice.

Edwards puts a lot of time into each sport. In addition to practices he finds time to play lacrosse an hour a week and basketball two hours week a week. He often practices with his older brother, Tim Edwards, a junior at J-DHS.
Edwards says that he has always looked up to his two brothers and they greatly influenced him when it came to sports. "My brothers have always worked me hard and made sure I kept improving," Edwards said. Like his older brothers, he hopes to start on the Varsity Boys' Lacrosse Team when he becomes a junior.
His parents also have always pushed and encouraged him to practice as much as he can. But they always make him finish his homework and study before going out to practice.
Eventually, Edwards hopes to play college lacrosse though he doesn't have a team in mind. In order to do that, he realizes that he has to practice hard, as well as get good grades. Edwards admits that he puts a lot of time into schoolwork and he tries to be very productive with his time in school. "If I finish homework early, I usually, spend the rest of my night practicing a sport" he said.

Despite being a freshman, Mike Engstrom is a returning player on the Boys' Varsity Golf Team. Engstrom played on the varsity team last year as an eighth grader. When asked if he was intimidated by the upperclassman Engstrom said, "No, they're all nice guys." This year Engstrom and his teammates were champions in their league. Engstrom finished out the season with an average of 42 for nine holes and has qualified for individual sectionals in the spring.

Engstrom has been playing golf for eight years, and is a member of Drumlins Country Club. Over the summer Engstrom plays at Drumlin's three times a week with his friends.

The 10 years Anthony Epifani has been playing soccer have been well spent. Epifani credits his father for introducing him to a sport he loves. As a child the only coach Epifani had was his father, who coached him on the club teams Surge and Syracuse Soccer Academy. After spending two years on modified, Epifani went straight to varsity. Epifani is the only freshman to play on the Varsity Boys' Soccer Team this year.

Epifani finished the season with a total of five goals. Epifani's father and mother continue to support him by attending all of his games. When they're not watching him score for the Rams, they are cheering for him at the Surge soccer games.

Although she has only been swimming for three years, Morgan Gunther splashes past her competition. She's qualified for sectionals in seven events this season. Of those seven events, Gunther will be competing in the 200-meter individual medley and the 100-meter breaststroke. "I am very dedicated to swimming. It is my favorite sport," says Gunther. Gunther admits that while she flies in breaststroke it is harder for her to do the butterfly.

When not swimming for the Jamesville-DeWitt Red Rams, Morgan spends her time swimming for the club team The Liverpool Jets. To ready herself for the swim season Gunther runs a couple of times a week because she isn't involved in any other sports. Gunther hopes that her hard work and dedication will eventually get her a scholarship into a good college.

Jessica Holmes, a freshman on the Varsity Girls' Soccer Team, admits she hated playing soccer at first. She started soccer just three years prior to starting on the varsity team.
Her teammates and her coach at the time, Jim Hayward encouraged her to keep playing because of her speed. With this encouragement, determination, and a lot of dedication, Jessica has improved her foot skills while playing with Syracuse Empire over the past few years. After her three years of experience soccer is her favorite sport, even though she also started on the junior varsity volleyball team in seventh grade and eighth grade.
Holmes respects the amount of time you have to put into being a soccer player. "If I'm behind on work, then I don't go to practice, and when I don't practice, I don't get better, so its important that I'm willing to either get up before school or manage my time better," Holmes says.

Holmes has always had high set goals and she hopes to someday be on the US National Team.