The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Continues strong fall season
by Sara Reese
West Elk Lacrosse is building momentum across the Gunnison Valley, with 69 young athletes from Gunnison and Crested Butte participating across four teams this fall. Players from first grade through seventh grade have been getting valuable game experience and putting together impressive results at tournaments in Durango and Aspen.
On September 27, West Elk sent its 5-7th and 3-4th grade boys’ teams to Durango, where both teams competed against programs from Durango and Telluride.
The 5-7th grade team turned in a perfect 3-0 weekend, outscoring its opponents 33-10. West Elk defeated Durango twice, winning 11-1 and 12-3, and finished the tournament with a 10-6 victory over Telluride.
The offense was led by Kinder McDonnell, Avery Vlass, Oakley Rolleczek, Porter Solomon and Leo Colucci. The defense was anchored throughout the tournament by Kaelan Reese, Will Swan and goalie Bryer Helvey. Ryland Whitacre provided a strong defensive presence at long-stick midi. The team is coached by Travis Schieber. Schieber said the team’s success reflects the progress it has made since last fall.
“This 12U team has bought into the coaches’ systems and it’s beginning to show,” said Schieber. “We started with the basics last fall and have built upon those foundations, and the team is beginning to play as a unit. It’s been really fun to watch these boys compete this fall and look forward to continuing to develop these kids through sport.”
The 3-4th grade team also had a successful weekend, finishing 2-1 with two victories over Durango and a tough loss to Telluride. Returning fourth graders Jack Heinle, Lincoln Vanderlock and Rhett Dixon helped lead the team, while a large group of new players stepped onto the field for their first tournament action.
Lukas Whitacre, Indio Love, Miles Brown, Rhys Jeffery, Burke Dixon, Kolter Heinle and Louie Vanderlock all played tough in their first games. First grader Ethan Zielonko, the youngest player on the team, spent most of the tournament playing goalie and showed plenty of toughness in the net. The 3-4th grade team is coached by Zach Zielonko.
On October 4, West Elk Lacrosse brought four teams to the Aspen Fall Tournament, giving even more local players the opportunity to compete.
The 5-7th grade boys continued their strong fall season with another undefeated 3-0 weekend. They opened with a 15-4 win over Roaring Fork, followed with a 13-3 victory over Vail, and finished with an 11-1 win over Aspen. The team outscored its opponents 39-8 across the three games.
The 3-4th grade boys also continued to develop, finishing 2-1 against a challenging field. West Elk earned victories over Vail Blue, 5-0, and Roaring Fork, 12-4, before falling to Vail Orange, 10-5. In the win over Roaring Fork, Lukas Whitacre stepped into goal and helped lead the team to the victory. Zach Zielonko, who coaches both the 3-4th grade and first-grade teams, said the weekend was a valuable opportunity for the younger players to develop.
“Great day of lacrosse for the younger two teams,” said Zielonko. “We saw a lot of improvement from game to game. They’re starting to connect the dots and see the next phases of the game. I’m excited to keep watching these young guys develop.”
The Aspen tournament also marked a first for West Elk Lacrosse, the program fielded its first-ever girls’ team. Made up of second through fourth grade players competing in the 3rd grade bracket, the girls had never played a lacrosse game together before the tournament. For coach Caitlin Muldoon, the rapid development of the team was one of the highlights of the weekend.
“Before today, none of our West Elk girls had played in a lacrosse game,” said Muldoon. “Half of the team picked up a stick for the very first time just over a month ago. While our practice this short season has been extremely valuable, the shift in growth that happened in just three 45-minute games today was seismic. Our girls went from brand-new to competitive lacrosse players. I can’t wait to ride this momentum into our final weeks of practice and watch these girls, and our program, grow exponentially from here.”
Coach Georgia Bachiochi said the experience was memorable not only for the players, but for the entire West Elk community.
“There is truly nothing like playing your very first game of lacrosse and our West Elk girls got to experience it for the first time this past Sunday,” said Bachiochi. “It was such a fun and exciting day for players, parents, and us coaches to be out there as a full team competing against other great teams in Colorado! While the girls did not come away with a win, the team gained valuable first-game experience and, most importantly, had a great time competing together.”
West Elk’s youngest players also made program history in Aspen, as West Elk sent a 1st grade team to a tournament for the first time. For these young players, the weekend marked their first-ever experience playing in live tournament games.
The 1st grade team came out strong, earning a 10-1 victory over Roaring Fork and battling Aspen to a 5-5 tie. For many of the players, it was their first opportunity to experience the excitement of playing in a real tournament, and the team showed plenty of enthusiasm and toughness throughout the weekend.
Sending players as young as first grade to compete represents another step in the growth of West Elk Lacrosse and the opportunities available to young athletes in the Gunnison Valley. The 1st grade team is coached by Zach Zielonko.
For West Elk Lacrosse, the results on the scoreboard are only part of the story. With 69 players from Gunnison and Crested Butte, the program is creating opportunities for young athletes to learn the game, develop as teammates and experience competitive lacrosse at an early age. The addition of the program’s first girls’ team and 1st grade boys’ team this fall reflects the continued growth of youth lacrosse in the Gunnison Valley.
The 5-7th grade boys will close out their fall season at the Mile High Harvest Tournament at the end of October.
