West Ranch provides students with the opportunity to participate in various sports on either the freshmen, junior varsity or varsity level. Becoming a member of a varsity sports team requires a great deal of hard work and dedication. Every year, several students measure up to be on these varsity teams, including freshmen Mazzlyn Ridder, Stephen Choi and Eva Lee.

Mazzlyn Ridder

Known for her performance on the West Ranch varsity cross country and varsity track teams, freshman Mazzlyn Ridder prides herself on being the only freshman on both varsity teams. Ridder has been running since she was five years old, so when she started competitive racing three years ago in seventh grade, she had lots of experience.

 As the only freshman on the varsity track team, Ridder explained how her competitiveness and determination encourage her to perform better. “I think it’s motivating because it makes me want to go faster [and] I want to really prove myself to everyone,” she shared.

 Being the youngest on the team has given Ridder several opportunities that many others do not get, such as having older mentors to guide her through her high school years. Ridder explained how she has not had any trouble fitting in with the older runners and her relationship with the other members of the team is similar to sisterhood. 

With Ridder on the team, the varsity track team has seen a combined effort to work harder and improve due to their competitive environment. Co-head coach of the girls’ track and cross country teams Mrs. Povletich expressed her thoughts on freshmen students and their impact on varsity sports teams: “I think when you come in with a freshman that’s strong, it challenges some of those upperclassmen that might be comfortable with what they’ve been doing and now you’ve got someone younger coming in who’s pushing you to work harder because you’re gonna need to in order to hang on to those spots.” 

Her involvement in honors classes, AP classes and West Ranch ASB has taught Ridder how to manage time between school and extracurricular activities by planning her day with a schedule. Ridder explained her goals for the future and how she hopes to go to college, possibly on a scholarship. Being on varsity in freshman year allows colleges to see her determination and performance from a young age.

When asked what her advice would be to other students on the freshman varsity team, Ridder said, “Don’t just stay in your comfort zone. You need to make friends with the older girls, even if you’re scared of them. And don’t be scared.”

Excited to see Ridder’s growth and performance throughout her high school career, Mrs. Povletich praised her for the role she took on the varsity track team: “She’s been a great addition to the team, she gets along well with everybody. She’s a wonderful runner.”

Stephen Choi

With diligence and perseverance, freshman Stephen Choi recently began his high school career on West Ranch’s boy’s varsity volleyball team this fall. Choi played volleyball for about three years and joined a club team prior to starting high school to prepare for the season.

Although being the only freshman on a team full of upperclassmen might be difficult for some, Choi expressed his love for his teammates: “[The upperclassmen] respect me since I made varsity as a freshmen.”

Choi emphasized that being the youngest player on the team has given him an opportunity to learn from older players. 

Coach Brandon, who coaches the boy’s varsity volleyball team, mentioned that it is typically rare for freshmen to play for either the junior varsity or varsity team. He continued to say that his job is to “put players in the best position to succeed and sometimes that means keeping them on the JV or freshman team. However, if a player deserves to be on the varsity team and will help the program succeed, they will be on the varsity team.”

Along with his position on the West Ranch volleyball team, Choi is also participating in a club team outside of school. He explained the struggle of having to balance time between volleyball and school: “The club team I play for is like an hour away from where I live so I have to do my homework in the car.”

Choi is determined to continue working hard in hopes of playing Division 1 volleyball at a good college. Throughout his experience as a freshman on a varsity team, Choi explained that if he had to advise freshmen on varsity he would “just tell them to work hard and try to keep up.”

Coach Brandon, who has been observing and helping the boys throughout the season, shared his thoughts on Choi: “His knowledge of the game showed and his skill level seamlessly integrated with the rest of the varsity level players. I truly think he is going to play a huge role in the success of the program for all four years he is at West Ranch.”

Eva Lee

Eva Lee, the only freshman on West Ranch’s girls’ varsity golf team, has been playing golf for only a year and a half but is already known as a great contributor and an addition to the team. To prepare for her position on the varsity golf team, Lee took private lessons and practiced every day.

“I think it’s an advantage because you can put down on your college applications that you were on varsity for four years. It shows commitment and consistency,” Lee shared, explaining the benefits of being on the varsity team as a freshman.

Along with golf, Lee also participates in AP and honors classes, which constitute a great time commitment. As a result, she has learned how to manage her time between her homework and golf practices. However, Lee explained that golf comes first before schoolwork on her list of priorities. Her goal for the future is to get recommendations from her coach and even scholarships. 

Other than colleges recognizing Lee for her commitment and consistency, Coach Holen, coach of the varsity golf team, explained how students being on the varsity team as a freshman can have an advantage: “I think that the freshmen that buy into the way I run the program regards to working on their game on a consistent basis and by becoming acclimated with an upperclassmen, I definitely think they get advantages.”

Even though there are benefits, Lee also explained how it’s intimidating to be a part of a team with only upperclassmen: “The upperclassmen will help you out only if you ask for help. If you just stand there and don’t do anything without asking for any help, they wouldn’t go up to you and help you.”

Lee expressed her advice for other freshmen students on varsity teams as she explained how they shouldn’t be scared of the upperclassmen and they should enjoy themselves, even if they are afraid.

Coach Holen explained how he tries to improve the situation by encouraging a friendly, welcoming environment for his freshmen athletes: “How I make the freshmen fit in is I make the older teammates adopt one or two of them and so that way they could learn from my older student.”

Because of Lee’s commitment both on and off the green each season, Coach Holen applauded Lee as an athlete and her ability to play golf: “Eva was a great contributor to our program this year as a freshman. As she came in, she scored most every match that she was in.”

With commitment and dedication, these freshmen athletes continue to improve and perform at varsity levels. Despite the struggles of fitting in, these Wildcats show perseverance and determination in everything they do. Cats, make sure to keep up with Ridder, Choi and Lee as they continue to perform and represent West Ranch with their amazing skill!