The captains of the womens’ varsity lacrosse team at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School are leaders and are ready to guide the team in the upcoming season. Seniors Gracyn Haynes and Stephanie Bilsky are both the established captains for the team during the upcoming season.

The first captain of the MSD varsity team is Haynes. Besides lacrosse, she focuses a lot on her academics. Haynes keeps a rigorous course load and works hard to manage and stay on top of it all. Additionally, she is a DECA senator, and has been since her sophomore year.

Haynes and Bilsky started a chapter project in the career development field this year called Discover Your Future for DECA. They were able to host resume and LinkedIn workshops for students in the community as well as a networking opportunity, the career fair.

On top of all that, Haynes also participates in travel lacrosse and has since her freshman year in high school. The teamwork that has been shown through their team has already resulted in a great team, benefitting the lacrosse team as a whole.

“I have such a love for the sport I honestly do think I want lacrosse in my future,” Haynes said. “Although I’m not going on a scholarship, I hope to walk on a D1 team wherever I go to college or play club.”

Bilsky is the second captain for the team. Outside of lacrosse, she is an officer for DECA, where she is a director, alongside Haynes, of Discover Your Future. Bilsky is the Head Digital Media Officer for MSD Sports Media Club and also loves to participate in Parkland Buddy Sports as a volunteer on the weekend. While Bilsky finds many things to fill her days, lacrosse is still a vital factor in her life, considering how she has been playing lacrosse for the majority of her life.

“Lacrosse has impacted my life in a positive way since it has taught me dedication and drive,” Bilsky said. “It has also given me a competitive nature that I take into my everyday life.

Both Haynes and Bilsky believe they have built strong skills and relationships along the way that help with their leadership. Since there are many players on the team, it was decided by their coach, Coach Scott Iardella, and the team, that having two captains was the best way to go in order to make sure everyone’s voices are heard and everyone is getting the attention and help they deserve.

“I like the leadership role that comes with being named captain and I’m glad I can be there to help my fellow teammates,” Bilsky said.

As a captain, it is their job to make sure everyone keeps their heads up high and take into account how they have already had successful seasons in the past.

“I would say that being a captain is really an honoring title that I have worked really hard to achieve,” Haynes said. “The part I like most is being someone the younger girls look up to.”

MSD women’s lacrosse has had very successful seasons in the past, and are looking to make this one their best one yet. They believe having Haynes and Bilsky as their captains will play a crucial role in their expected triumphs. By being an outlet for the rest of the team to look upon and be able to look up to, their teammates believe they have both been able to contribute to the team in significant ways.

The team is currently preparing to start their season in the near future and are looking to pursue their desires of a victorious season ahead of them. The varsity team is very appreciative to have both players as their captains and hope to start off the season strong.