BERLIN- When Stephen Decatur’s girls’ varsity lacrosse team won the Bayside championship last week four players completed a rare three-peat of conference titles in a single school year.
The Seahawks rallied last week to beat Queen Anne’s, 9-7, in the Bayside Conference championship game last week, keeping their perfect season intact heading into the state regional tournament this week. For four Decatur girls’ varsity lacrosse players, the taste of winning a Bayside Conference championship was all too familiar.
Seniors Jillian Petito, Ally Beck, Payton VanKirk and sophomore Lexie VanKirk were each members of Decatur’s other conference championship teams during the current school year. It started last fall with the Seahawks beating Queen Anne’s, 5-4, in the conference championship game. The Seahawks’ girls’ varsity soccer team went unbeaten last fall, the only blemish on an otherwise perfect record was a 1-1 tie with Parkside in the regular season.
In the conference championship, Petito scored four goals in the dramatic 5-4 overtime win, the last of which was the game winner. The overtime goal came on a throw-in from Lexie VanKirk. Incidentally, the conference championship game was played on Petito’s birthday.
After the soccer season concluded, Petito, Beck and the VanKirk sisters moved inside to the basketball court where they were each instrumental in the Seahawks’ first Bayside Conference championship since 1977. Decatur beat Queen Anne’s, 51-36, in the conference championship game. The Seahawks lost only once during the regular season on their way to the conference championship and at one point won 19 regular season games in a row.
With Bayside championships firmly in hand, the four three-sport stars turned their attention to their first love, lacrosse. The Seahawks were perfect in the regular season, which culminated with a 9-7 win over Queen Anne’s last week in the conference championship game. Payton VanKirk led the Seahawks with three goals in the title game, while Beck scored twice and Lexie VanKirk added a single goal. Petito was outstanding as usual in the net for the Seahawks.
While the Seahawks continued on this week in the state playoffs in their pursuit of perfection, the four-sport standouts have already collected three conference championships in a single season. Petito is headed to Mount St. Mary’s next year, while Beck is headed to St. Joseph’s and Payton VanKirk will take her skills to UMBC. Lexie VanKirk, a sophomore this year, has not committed to any college programs although she is assuredly attracting attention.