On Monday, Nov. 14, 2011, Upper Dublin seniors Brooke Callahan, Michele DeVincent and Kelly Cross were recognized for making commitments to play lacrosse at the collegiate level. To view photos of the signing, please visit the Photo Gallery.
Upper Dublin coach Dee Cross says: “This senior class – a lot of them have played together since second grade through Crooked Cross, so it’s been really exciting to watch them come up through the youth program.
“I think last year was their defining moment as a junior class, making it to the state playoffs and really learning how to trust each other and play well together. That’s what made it special, and I kept saying to them last year, ‘Take care of business this year. Don’t wait until your senior year. Do it now.’ And they did. They did the best they could last year, and now they’re back.
“I don’t want them to feel like they have a target on their backs, but they really do. They won the league the three years that they’ve been here, but I do feel like they have the desire, and they know that people want to beat them. Playing non-league games has shown them they still have a long way to go, but it has made them more competitive.
“We still have a couple of other girls deciding which colleges to go to, so we have the potential for five collegiate players out of seven or eight seniors, which is great. It’s the most I’ve ever coached at one time. It’s been a lot of fun. They all seem to get along, they all seem to like each other. Sometimes there’s typical high school girl stuff, but we nip that in the bud, and they just kind of move on. There are certain things that can destroy a team, and there are certain things you just have to move on from and make it work, and these girls have figured that out, which is exciting.
“They’re good examples to the younger girls moving up, and they’ve really helped put Upper Dublin on the map, which is very exciting.”
Kelly Cross – Syracuse University (Lacrosse)
Major: Communications
Final list of colleges: Syracuse, University of Pennsylvania, JMU, Notre Dame
Reasons for choosing Syracuse: “They have a really strong communications program, and that helped. Also, just the atmosphere of the team – I just fit right in. I’m sure having (my sister) Amy there helped that, but it was a very welcoming environment.”
What was the progression that led you to playing collegiate lacrosse? “Growing in a family that is heavily rooted in lacrosse, it’s something I have always been around. When my mom used to coach, we would go to all of her games. We would always go to college games, and just being around it all the time, I never considered not playing.
“September 1 of your junior year is the first day they can e-mail you. I had been to two camps the summer before at Syracuse. I went to visit Penn and JMU, and I was going to visit Notre Dame because we had been e-mailing, but I realized – why was I fooling myself? I was going to end up at Syracuse, and there was no reason to keep denying that fact. It’s an awesome feeling to have all my dreams come true. I verballed in September 2010, but it was kind of cool seeing (my teammates) go through it too because we always were able to talk about it.”
Coach Dee Cross says: “Kelly, last year as a junior, really stepped into a leadership role. They all have the competitive spirit, and Kelly, especially in the playoffs, really showed her leadership ability and helped lead the team in that way. Syracuse is a top 10 team in the country – it’s going to be a lot of hard work, and I think she knows that. I think she’s excited for that next step and that next challenge, but none of them are overlooking this year. They want to have a good senior year, and they want to go out making their mark.
“Kelly has the ability – sometimes to a fault – to play relaxed, but I think it’s her way of settling people down on the field. She’s always been kind of a thinker – she’s assessing the situation on the field, which could come off as taking it easy, but then she’ll know what to do. One of her strengths is her composure and being able to see that second cutter before it even develops, that kind of thing.”
About Kelly:
Favorite food: Ice pops
Favorite movies: Cars & The Last Song
Favorite music: Country
Brooke Callahan – Lafayette College (Lacrosse)
Major: Biology
Final list of colleges: Lafayette, Franklin & Marshall, Bucknell
Reasons for choosing Lafayette: “I really liked the academics and athletics because I wanted to go to a strong academic school. As soon as I walked on campus, I just loved the stadium and the facilities, and I just knew.”
What was the progression that led you to playing collegiate lacrosse? “I always knew I wanted to play lacrosse because I couldn’t really picture my life without it. Just the bond we have on our high school team alone – I knew I wanted to continue that through college.
“Once I went to Lafayette, I knew I wanted to go there, and I knew that even if I didn’t play lacrosse in college, I’d still go to Lafayette, so that was the turning point when I knew I definitely wanted to go there. If I could play lacrosse, I would be more than happy to, and that would just be the perfect situation.”
Coach Dee Cross says: “It has been very exciting to watch Brooke improve. She has played a low attacker for us the past three years, and she really has developed around the crease. She has a great crease roll, a great shot on goal. She really set her sights high. Brooke has always wanted to go to Lafayette, and I’m excited for her that it worked out. Lafayette is a great academic school. She loves the coach and the team, and to see everything work out is really rewarding.
“Brooke’s right and left hand are equally strong. She’s not as verbal on the field, but she leads by example. She’s a gamer, and I know in a game she will give 110 percent to get the job done. Her best game last year was against North Penn, which was very exciting to see. She stepped up in our biggest game of the season at that point and did not back down and really showed her maturity and how she has been able to raise her game. I look forward to even more improvement from all of these girls in their senior year.”
About Brooke:
Favorite food: Popcorn
Favorite movie: It’s a Wonderful Life
Favorite music: Country
Michele DeVincent – University of California, Berkeley (Lacrosse)
Major: Business/Marketing
Final list of colleges: Cal, Yale
Reasons for choosing Cal: “I liked the fact that it was a really good school academically – that was a big factor in my decision, and I like big football and big sports.”
What was the progression that led you to playing collegiate lacrosse? “(The recruiting process started) at the end of my sophomore year. I loved my club team (Ultimate Goal) and my school team so much. We all meshed really well together, and I wanted that in college. I always loved the sport. It was my number one sport since eighth grade.
“This is actually an awesome relief because I hear everyone talking about how many applications they have to do, and I have to do one, but I have to say, we worked for it all summer and last summer. We had our fair share of work. I can’t say it was all easy.”
Coach Dee Cross says: “Michele had a rough year last year with her injury, but she came back toward the end of the season, and that’s where we took that next step. Playing at Cal – this is what she wanted to do, and she has put her whole heart and soul into playing lacrosse. She really worked on her stickwork, her defensive positioning, and having her at the end of last season absolutely made a difference. At that point when you’re in the playoffs, you need to do something to get over that hump, and she probably had her best game against Council Rock North, which was a game we had to win to keep our season going. She definitely came through in that game.
“Michele played wherever we wanted her to. In her heart, she is a true defender. She can be line defense or middie, but she was injured most of the season. Our defensive unit had jelled, and we were afraid to change it. We put her in at attack - not one word. She went in and did her thing, worked in with the offensive end of the field. We needed a leader out there, and she really helped us. That’s exciting and rewarding as a coach that I didn’t have to talk her into it. She was like, ‘Where do you need me to go?’ She’s always been that way. The coaching staff was very pleased and very excited that she was able to take that next step last year. She missed the meat of our season, and that can really demoralize you, but she kept up with her training and physical therapy and got back on the field, which was a tribute to her hard work.”
About Michele:
Favorite food: Pasta
Movie: Freedom Riders
Music: John Mayer
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