Over the course of the 2023-2024 school year, Trapeze has covered athletes who excel in their sports through a regular feature called “Athlete in Focus.” These stories highlight student-athletes’ dedication, accomplishments and future plans through interviews with parents, coaches and teammates.
Lucy Stein: Tennis
In our September edition, we covered Lucy Stein, a freshman, who was the only athlete on the Oak Park and River Forest High School girl’s tennis team who made it to IHSA’s state competition after placing 3rd at Sectionals for singles. Ultimately, Stein single-handedly ranked OPRF in 24th place, tied with Belleville Township East High School, Latin School of Chicago and Main South High School. Her tennis journey began due to influences from her family, who have supported her progress so far.
DeeDee Golla: Field Hockey
During October, DeeDee Golla was our AIF. Golla, a senior, was inspired to play field hockey by her older sister, Katie Golla, a 2023 Division III Wellesley College commit. Introduced to the sport by this outstanding role model, Golla has gone on to play field hockey for five years and end her high school career with a second-place finish at the state tournament–despite her injuries this past season. Her dedication to field hockey has merited her commitment to Johns Hopkins University to play Division III field hockey and continue her academic career.
Max Johnson: Basketball
Our December AIF, senior Max Johnson, has played basketball for the majority of his life. This dedication to his sport has earned him Division I offers from various colleges and universities such as Marist College, Portland State University and Bryant University as well as the ranking of top 40 in the state. In addition to being a phenomenal player, Johnson has also positively shaped his team as a senior leader motivating and inspiring his peers. Johnson plans to study business and continue his basketball career this fall at Spire Academy, an athletics-focused boarding school for high school students and graduates.
Caroline Mann: Lacrosse
Our February edition featured Caroline Mann, a tri-sport athlete. Mann, a junior, competes in cross country and gymnastics as well as lacrosse games during club and OPRF seasons–all while balancing her school work and social activities. However, Mann is still able to excel academically and athletically by motivating herself to do well. This lacrosse season, Mann earned the “Big Dog” award after a tough loss against Hinsdale Central High School April 9. The team lost 17-7 after a game of hard work and perseverance.
Adan Pedraza: Swim and Dive
Adan Pedraza was our March edition’s AIF after breaking the 200-meter medley relay record for OPRF’s East Pool alongside his teammates, senior Lars Rauch and juniors Will Keyes and Pablo Pareja. Pedraza’s commitment to the OPRF Swim and Dive team earned him first place in the IHSA Sectionals 200-meter individual medley, 200-meter medley relay, 200-meter freestyle relay and 100-meter breaststroke. Pedraza has been an OPRF varsity athlete all four years of his high school career, making him a valuable asset to the team. This fall, Pedraza plans to study mechanical engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Kaden Garland: Track and Field
The April 1 edition of Trapeze highlighted senior Kaden Garland, who has committed to the track and field program at the University of Southern California, where he will also study finance and business administration. Although Garland excels at football as well, his excellent statistics in track and field made him solely pursue shot put, discus and weight throwing at USC. Garland is currently ranked as the number one shot put athlete in Illinois with an impressive personal record of 63 feet and 11.75 inches. As the end of Garland’s season nears, he has a discus throw of 167 feet and 10 inches as well as a 60-foot and 3-inch weight throw. Ultimately, Garland aims to compete in the Olympics after his time at USC.
Lukas Brauc: Track and Field
Our most recent edition on April 29 focused on junior Lukas Brauc, OPRF’s Track and Field pole vault team captain. Brauc most recently achieved a new personal record height of 15-feet and 9-inches at the 23rd Annual Windy City Pole Vault Summit on March 2. However, he just broke that record on May 3 at the 2024 McCarthy Memorial Invite, obtaining a 16-foot vault. His impressive heights have given him higher ambitions of breaking OPRF’s school record of 17 feet and 3 inches.
